Jared Brown has played soccer for as long as he can remember.
The King’s Academy senior started by knocking the ball around when he was age 3 or 4 and now he is about to head off to college after leading the Lions to a 13-3-1 record and a district championship after going 8-6-4 and not reaching the postseason last year. Brown had just four goals and seven assists last season.
“I just liked it a lot and started playing travel soccer,” said Brown, who finished this season with a career-best 24 goals and 12 assists. He signed with Palm Beach Atlantic. “I played all four years in high school and I’ll remember the two district championships that we won. I’ll also remember enjoying the wins and losses in the locker room.”
Brown, who was the team’s captain the past two years, scored the game-tying goal in the district final with just a few minutes left to take the game into OT, leading to the eventual 3-2 win over Oxbridge Academy. Both he and teammate Sean Corrigan finished with the same goal and assist totals this year.
“It was really fun finishing with the same exact stats,” Brown smiled. “It was a friendly competition all season. We did not have wagers going, but I think our dads did. Personally, it was great. We dominated the regular season and when we got to the postseason, we hit a team [St. Andrew’s] that we just weren’t ready for.”
Brown said he is looking forward to the next chapter in his soccer career.
“In high school, you are playing against the younger player, while in college you are going up against grown men,” Brown said. “I am expecting a greater physicality and I will have to get my speed of play up.”
King’s Academy coach Joby Slay said Brown and Corrigan were the catalysts to the team having a winning season, including capturing the district title.
“Jared, along with Sean, formed a prolific offensive duo that combined for 46 goals and 24 assists, amazingly both finishing with 23 goals and 12 assists on the season,” Slay said. “Jared had either a goal or assist in every game but one this season and had nine multi-goal games.”
