Athlete of the Week: Another O’Connor leads CdM

Will O’Connor is the fourth and final member in his family to play soccer at Corona del Mar High.

The other three siblings, Kaylee, Maddie and John, all stood out during their time with the Sea Kings. Will watched the three perform at CdM, and each led their respective teams to Pacific Coast League titles during their senior year.

This is Will’s junior season, and league play is a month away. This also marks his first season on varsity.

The start to Will’s varsity career has been a good one. The attacking midfielder helped the Sea Kings open the season last week with road wins at Marina and Tesoro.

The youngest O’Connor is already making an impact, the same way his sisters and brother sparked CdM. He recorded an assist in a 3-1 win against Marina, and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win against Tesoro.

“I’ve known him ever since he was a little kid and he’s always been confident,” CdM Coach George Larsen said of Will. “I don’t really appoint captains. We wait and see which players feel comfortable in that leadership role, and this year, even though he’s a first-year varsity player, Will has emerged as a leader.”

Larsen, who coached John at CdM, and Kaylee and Maddie on the club level with the Newport Beach-based Slammers, believes the three oldest rubbed off on Will.

Will definitely admired the three. The four grew up playing soccer, and Will said some of the best times involved the four just kicking the ball around.

As for which O’Connor has the best shot, it isn’t open for debate, if you ask Will. He says he does.

“I think John and Maddie would disagree with that,” Larsen said with a laugh. “John and Maddie both played forward. John can hit a ball well, and Maddie was really good at striking the ball. I’ll say this: Will can take over the crown of having the best shot in his family if he continues to produce for us.”

The latest O’Connor to play for Larsen has recorded a goal or an assist in each of the Sea Kings’ first three matches, all wins.

In CdM’s home opener on Monday, O’Connor finished with a goal and an assist in an 8-0 rout of Canyon. The only time O’Connor failed to record a point was on Wednesday, and CdM suffered its first setback. The Sea Kings dropped the nonleague affair at Laguna Hills, 2-1.

The Sea Kings can bounce back on Friday, when they play host to archrival Newport Harbor in the Battle of the Bay at 3:15 p.m. The contest is one O’Connor is looking forward to being a part of on the varsity level.

“On JV last year, we beat them,” O’Connor said, “but it was played at Estancia High [because heavy rain moved the match to the turf field].”

The atmosphere for the Back Bay rivalry at CdM should be more electric than having it on a neutral field.

The Sea Kings haven’t lost to Newport Harbor in the last six meetings with Larsen in charge. During the stretch, CdM has gone 4-0-2 against the Sailors.

The only members in O’Connor’s family to lose the Battle of the Bay while at CdM were Kaylee and Maddie. Their setback came in the girls’ 2009-10 season, when Kaylee was a junior and Maddie was a freshman.

Other than that season, the O’Connors tend to be successful whenever they face Newport Harbor.

Will visited one of his siblings recently. John is a sophomore at the University of Michigan, and Will made the trip to Ann Arbor to catch the Wolverines’ home football game against rival Ohio State on Nov. 28.

“They were brutal,” Will said of the windy and cold conditions at the game and the game’s final score, Ohio State won, 42-13. “It was fun to hang out with my brother and put on the Michigan gear for the weekend.”

He couldn’t wait to return to sunny Orange County for the start of CdM’s season. Two days after “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State, Will made his varsity debut for CdM.

—

Will O’Connor

Born: Jan. 15, 1999

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 130 pounds

Sport: Soccer

Year: Junior

Coach: George Larsen

Favorite food: A Double-Double with ketchup and mustard from In-N-Out Burger

Favorite movie: “Happy Gilmore”

Favorite athletic moment: “Winning the National Cup Southern California Regional title with my West Coast FC under-16 team last summer.”

Week in review: O’Connor led the Sea Kings to road wins against Marina and Tesoro, recording a goal and an assist.