Even at an influence soccer program like BB&N, every so often, somebody as younger as an eighth grader could make an influence.
The present instance of that is robust security and operating again Owen DeSalvo.
After the top of the season, DeSalvo represented Massachusetts on the FBU National Championships in Naples, Fla., and was named a finalist for National Eighth Grade Player of the Year. He additionally earned an invitation to the FBU/Adidas Freshman All-American Game.
This is all coming off a terrific season with the Knights. He began all 9 video games on protection, the place he was third on the staff in tackles, and earned a proposal from UMass.
It is kind of the early resume for the Cohasset native, who is worked up to take these subsequent steps as a participant.
“Before coming to BB&N, I was mainly getting plays at running back and on the offensive side of the ball,” DeSalvo stated. “After coming to BB&N this year, I switched to the defensive side of the ball at strong safety. I think over time one of the two positions will eventually become my favorite, but right now I’m just trying to focus on playing the best I can at whatever position (BB&N) coach (Mike) Willey puts me at.”
“We talked to him, when he was coming to BB&N, we talked to him,” Willey stated. “We said, ‘Listen, you should be preparing like you’re going to be a varsity contributor. That’s where we see you.’ Where that exactly is, how does that all play out, we’re not exactly sure, until we get to practice in the fall. In the fall, I think we had high expectations, and he exceeded them. And he was on the field all the time for us. He had a really, really good year.”
Coming up via the FBU pipeline has meant loads to DeSalvo.
“What’s cool about it, and you see it in a lot of pictures that get posted in social media, after a Milton (Academy)-BB&N game, all the kids who played FBU will get a picture together afterwards,” Owen’s father, Rob, stated. “Or, after (St. Sebastian’s)-(Lawrence Academy) game, you see the kids from FBU get a picture together. They all follow each other. They all kind of watch each other progress, and a lot of them go on to play at pretty good schools. It’s been kind of cool to follow.”
And Willey has expertise taking part in high eighth graders earlier than. That helps those that come after.
“We’ve had some success with guys from that program, which has been nice,” Willey stated. “We’ve had some guys that have played early, like Owen. The Tyler Martins of the world, Ty Hardings. Sammy Malignaggi’s another one. He started as an eighth grader too. We’ve had a handful of those kinds of guys. Xavier Chafin is another guy as an eighth grader who played a lot for us, this year on the defensive side. (DeSalvo) also plays in that same program. It’s been a good program for our guys, for sure.”
The indisputable fact that DeSalvo already has a scholarship provide from UMass has not made him complacent. The reverse, if something, is true.
“Getting a scholarship offer at my age is pretty exciting, and it was awesome to have the offer come from Don Brown directly, but I know I have to remain focused and just keep playing the game I’ve been playing all season,” DeSalvo stated. “In my eyes, nothing has changed and the real work starts now. I just have to keep getting better and better.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com