On and off the ball, J.B. McEown can turn straightforward, even predictable possession into dramatic, fast-paced action. The entertaining 17-year-old Magee centre fielder leads his high school team with nine goals and is thoughtful enough to credit his teammates in his success.
"We all work together really well, especially in the midfield," he said last week after scoring two goals to lead the Lions to a 3-2 victory in the city championships. "For some reason, I just always ended up on the right end and in front of the net."
It might be modesty, but finding the ball in front of the net is not just a talent of McEown's clever teammates but also a mark of his natural strengths.
In one city playoff game, McEown played keep away from defenders. He relied on the strikers ahead of him and wingers to the outside, but as the attack moved over the half line, McEown raced forward and showed for a pass. He then beat two defenders, broke left and shot from outside the 18-yard box. He created the one-man challenge, which was threatening and exciting.
"He's got great skill but his biggest asset is his ability to find space," said Pete Brion, the head coach of the Point Grey Greyhounds, a West Side high school competing against Magee this week for one of three berths to the provincial tournament.
"His intelligence away from the ball is his biggest strength."
Defending McEown, who plays in the B.C. High Performance League, requires parallel smarts, said Brion. "What you want to do with a player like that is you want to shut him down. And guys need to be aware of where he is. It's easy to say that but sometimes it's hard to do."
"He knows where to go before other players know that he's there," said McEown's head coach at Magee, Fred Gault.
"It's not something you can teach. You either have it or you don't. You can hone it by playing with the best, which he's done, but really that's an innate skill."
Twitter: @MHStewart
