Published: 12:00 AM, Wed Sep 08, 2010
Cape Fear looking for a conference title behind Castro, Beckham
By Tyler Dunne
Staff writer
They're soccer lifers. One learned how to walk with the soccer ball at his feet. The other has played in his brother's soccer shadow his entire life.
And as a pair, Jesus Castro and Troy Beckham are coming into their own as possibly the best 1-2 scoring punch in Cumberland County.
"We're very lucky," coach John Callahan said. "You don't always get two players with that kind of passion and drive up there. They work hard to get it done."
Through seven games, the duo has been lighting the lamp. Castro has seven goals, while Beckham has four goals and four assists. They credit a sixth sense on the field for their success. At all times, Castro and Beckham are on the same page.
A rough nonconference schedule has been tough on Cape Fear (2-3-1). Maybe, the Colts will be sneaking up on teams as the season progresses. With this duo leading the charge, Callahan is thinking big.
Glancing at his two forwards dribbling soccer balls on the practice field, Callahan sets the bar high.
"Our expectations are to go as far into the playoffs as we ever have before," he said.
His own way
In the hallway at school, countless Cape Fear football players approach Beckham with the same question.
Again and again, they ask when he'll join the football team as a kicker. After all, that's what Troy's older brother, Jordan, did. While torching opponents for 20 goals and 18 assists on the soccer field as a senior, he also kicked on the gridiron.
So Troy should too, right? Each time, Beckham answers the players' question with a subtle white lie.
"I tell them my dad won't let me," Beckham said. "A soccer ball is much better on the feet."
For Troy, it hasn't been easy being "Jordan's little brother." Outsiders automatically compare him to Jordan, who is two years older. Troy understands its natural to link them together. But he assures, they're two totally different players.
His brother was a striker to the core, looking for the back of the net at all times. Troy would rather seduce defenders toward him to set up Castro.
"He'd turn a shot every single time," Troy said of Jordan. "I'm more of a passer. I like giving Jesus through balls every single game. I want to make it so he only has to make a one-touch shot."
The player Troy probably wishes people compared him to more is his favorite player, Kaka. Like the Brazilian icon, Beckham tries to read the field with chess-like savvy, plotting his feed long before he actually passes the ball.
"I try to emulate Kaka but it's a work in progress," Troy said.
Either way, he's molding his own identity. Fresh off all-conference honors with a county-best 16 assists, Beckham is making a name for himself.
"I'm always going to play my way," he said. "I want to be my own person."
The finisher
Beckham sure has a great finisher to work with, too.
Castro, whose parents hail from Mexico, has been the benefactor of Beckham's field vision. The game has always been at the center of his life. As a kid, he remembers running after soccer balls all summer. Dad threw a ball out and he'd chase it.
Now, Castro joins Beckham on a dangerous front line. He's new to the varsity level, a reason to believe the Colts can suddenly sneak up on traditional powers Jack Britt and Terry Sanford. Front-line chemistry is developing much earlier than expected.
"Most of the time, I need to make signs or point to people where I'm running," Castro said. "But Troy reads me really well. He understands where I'm going."
Added Beckham, "It's been great working with Jesus. Up top, we mesh together. I know where he's going to go each time and he's a great finisher."
Time will tell if a potent scoring tandem leads to wins for Cape Fear. Two forwards can't get it done alone. It'll take consistent midfield play swaying action upfield for the Colts to truly maximize their two scorers' potential.
But once that happens - once chemistry clicks with everyone - the sky's the limit. Spinning a ball around his waist, Castro promises that much.
"We can win conference," Castro said. "We could make it far in states."
Tyler Dunne can be reached at dunnet@fayobserver.com or 486-3513.