DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

Dillan Freiberg has some nerve.

The youngest starter on the Newport Harbor High boys’ soccer team isn’t afraid to challenge anyone, not if they’re bigger, stronger, older.

He doesn’t care.

And usually, his daring pays off, the way it did Dec. 21 in the Battle of the Bay.

The sophomore forward’s willingness to face opponents head on instead of passing in precarious situations helped the Sailors claim a 2-1 win over Corona del Mar Dec. 21.

Freiberg’s control along the sideline gave him a chance at a throw-in late in the game, as CdM was up 1-0. The ball bounced off a CdM defender before it went out of bounds, and Freiberg used the opportunity to throw an assist to senior Will Reichenstein, who tied the game 1-1.

About five minutes later, in the 75th minute, it was Freiberg’s sure foot that put Newport Harbor up, 2-0, on a direct free kick from nearly 40 yards out.

“You just gotta go up against anyone,” said an unshakebale Freiberg. “You can’t ever think negatively. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. You’ve just got to play your best every time.”

Freiberg was the kicker and punter for the Sailors’ football team this year, his first on varsity.

“I don’t know if kicking footballs has helped, but he’s so accurate with his kicking, his passing, and his crossing,” Newport Harbor Coach Ryan Hernandez said. “During that CdM game, we just let him do what he wants to do.”

Freiberg’s speed also creates problems for defenses, Hernandez said. He can dribble through tough situations without losing the ball, giving his teammates time to set up the rest of the offense. His are the sort of skills that would be valuable to a club team, but Freiberg wanted to focus on playing football and soccer for Newport Harbor.

“He reads the game very well, especially for not playing club, and he’s not scared to take people on,” Hernandez said. “He’s got a lot of confidence. He’s a game-changer type of kid.”

He stopped playing for the Newport-Mesa under-16 club team after the 2006 season, because it all just became too much to juggle.

“I feel more committed to the school,” Freiberg said. “I like being around my friends a lot of the time. I like high school. I do want to take it seriously, but club’s really expensive too, and my parents got tired of paying for it.”

Additionally, club is usually more serious than varsity soccer. For Freiberg, club was fun if the team was winning. But high school is a little different.

“There’s a lot of opportunities,” said Frieberg, who estimated his club’s fees were about $350. “It’s a tight group of guys, you know everyone on the team and it’s a lot of fun.”

Freiberg’s been having fun with soccer ever since he started playing at age 5. But it took him some time to tap into his daring and confidence. As freshman playing on the junior varsity team, he wasn’t nearly as vocal as he is this year.

Freiberg said he was ready to move into more of a leadership role, in tandem with seniors Reichenstein and Garrett Heiser, this season.

“This year I wanted to step it up some,” Freiberg explained. “We’re coming into a tough league and we’re going to need it. When people are down, or they did something wrong, I just try to keep their heads up. It’s pretty mental.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].