METHUEN – When poet Robert Frost wrote “The Road Not Taken” 110 years ago, he had to have someone like Chase Akstin in mind.
The Central Catholic senior three-sporter definitely chose the “less traveled” athletic path over his Raider career. You’d be hard-pressed to find the golf-skiing-lacrosse combo anywhere, and if you did, it would be virtually impossible to find a competitor at the levels of excellence Haverhill’s Akstin has provided.
“Three pretty random sports, sure. The sports are unique, but I love them,” said Akstin, minutes after scoring two goals and dishing out three assists in Central’s 11-3 win over Methuen. “You’re talking three totally different sports, and you have to have different mind sets going into each one of them.”
Akstin and the Raiders, now 4-6, have their sights set on a big second half to the spring season.
Judging by what he helped accomplish in the previous two seasons, who would doubt them?
This past fall, Akstin earned second team All-Merrimack Valley Conference honors as the Raiders rolled to the league championship.
On the slopes, as an Eagle-Tribune All-Star, Akstin led the league competing at Nashoba Valley in points and capped his winter/career with a pair of top-15 finishes at states.
On the field in the spring, he plays the “X” spot, quarterbacking the Raider attack from behind the opponent’s net.
“I run the offense basically from there. The whole time I’ve been playing lacrosse, I’ve been in that position,” he said. “I started in the third grade, and I love that spot.”
And like the previous two seasons, Akstin has cherished his final Raider ride.
“I’ve grown up loving sports, and I got into every one when I was young. I love playing them,” Akstin said. “My cousin skied when he was younger. My dad got me into it, basically he put me into all these sports, and I ended up loving them.”
Next year, Akstin will move on to UNH where he’s hoping to dabble in club lacrosse and maybe a little club golf.
The skis might just remain in the garage, though.
“I loved skiing growing up, but I’m kind of getting burnt out on it,” he said. “You know, you have to get up early and drive super far for it. It’s tough. I don’t think I’ll do it in college, but I’ve loved doing it this long.”