There is obviously a lot to this. There is really only one sport now that is tied to high school, and that is football. All of the other sports are much more oriented to club/summer as that is when the college coaches have time to recruit. High school sports are mostly a step down in competition and organization from high level club. Without being attached to a well known club, it will be very difficult to get noticed and recruited.
Our experience was with our son, who is a freshman in college. He plays 2 sports in D1. First, you will know if they really want to play or not. With my son, there was never a doubt he felt differently about it than others. He was truly focused. There is nothing wrong with just playing to have fun, but that gets flushed out very quickly college. Basically, the kid will most likely show you their path. You have to really want to play in college because it is a structured grind.
All that said, athletics is one of the greatest ways to get into a school you most likely would not have gotten into. It truly opens up a myriad of opportunities. Happy to share more if it helps.