When Ben Gilligan was a freshman, he asked Aiken High School boys' soccer head coach Roger Carpenter if he could be able to make the varsity team at that point. He had the potential, but he had to continue to work on his skill-set for two years to earn those significant minutes at that level.
In the past two seasons, he made the most of the opportunity. So much so that he has reached Division I potential. Gilligan will bring his scoring habits to Columbia next season, as he signed his letter of intent to play for the University of South Carolina program.
"It's just so exciting. I've been a Gamecock my whole life. It's been a dream, and it's actually happening," Gilligan said. "Every Saturday we would watch football ... When I got the call, I knew right then."
Gilligan, a life-long USC football fan, will be a third-generation Gamecock. His maternal grandfather played for the men's basketball team and his mother also attended the university.
"We're just so proud of him. It's amazing, I'm still in shock," his mother Peggy Penland said. "He's just worked really hard, I can't tell you how proud I am."
Gilligan excelled in club play for South Carolina United FC but played sparingly for the Hornets' varsity team. After the graduation of several seniors, he got his chance playing center-forward as a junior. He scored 20 goals last season, and he has 17 goals and 15 assists so far this season as the Hornets' team captain.
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Photo by Brandon Mauk (The Aiken Standard)