Camden Scott was a first-team All-Palomar League selection last season in boys soccer, so he’s had a few soccer balls fly by his head.
Considering he’s been playing soccer since his mom enrolled him in the Little Kickers program, an indoor team in Poway, when he was 2, the number of wayward shots increases quite a bit.
So when Scott, now a senior at Poway High, was struck hard in the face as a Titan, he wound up with a nickname — “Whip Lash.’’
“I even put that nickname on the back of my Pop Warner jersey,’’ Scott said, laughing.
But not even that injury could push Whip Lash away from soccer.
The 6-foot center midfielder for the Titans loves competing with his teammates in a sport he’s basically been playing all his life.
And he’s done most of his work in the dangerous world in front of the goal where almost anything can and does happen.
Forwards venture in front of the goalie at their own risk against defenders who will grab jerseys, step on your foot, knock you down, anything they can to defuse the threat.
“Forwards don’t like us at all,’’ Scott said. “Some forwards will shake hands with me and others won’t.
“Unofficially, I’ve never done any of those things to forwards, especially in front of the net where sometimes it’s a free-for-all. I am trying to make it easy on the goalie. That’s Mission One.’’
Scott itted he enjoys the frequent confrontation in front of the net.
“I just like the physicality of the game,’’ Scott said. “You go shoulder-to-shoulder with forwards all day long.
“When I get a good block on one of them, I can’t wait to see that video of their guy going to the ground.’’
On the other hand, Scott said the antics of opposing players bothers him a bit.
“You’ll see them flopping or screaming in pain to draw a foul,’’ the Poway native said.
In his Titans career, Scott has scored just one goal. The goal, on a corner kick, came sophomore year while he was the captain on the JV.
It capped off a 3-0 victory.
“I kicked it in from the top of the box,’’ Scott said. “It was a great moment.
“Maybe I should have acted like a forward and taken a flop or grabbing my leg in pain. I’m not an expert flopper like some of these guys.’’
Poway, coming off an 10-9-4 season, holds high expectations for the 2022-23 season.
Having 10 returning starters back has elevated those dreams.
Those dreams of glory go beyond just a league title.
“We want to win CIF because we’ve never had this much experience back like we have this year,’’ Scott said. “We did well last year, but we’re all a year older and we’ve been playing together in club ball.
“Our chemistry is off the chart.’’
Poway opened the season with a 3-0 win over Carlsbad and added a 2-0 win over Point Loma before suffering a 1-0 loss to Eastlake.
Right in the middle of the Titans’ defense was Scott, the team MVP last season.
“Camden is a beast in there,’’ said Poway coach Gene Morris, a former Titan player. “He’s a linebacker playing defense.
“He’s big, strong and fast, exactly what you’re looking for in a defender. We play good defense and that’s vital because we won’t win many games based on scoring goals. We have to protect the goal at all costs.’’
Scott’s plans for college are up in the air right now. He may try walking-on for the soccer team, if the opportunity presents itself.
Otherwise, he’ll jump full force into being a college student.
“But I love the game,’’ Scott said. “I’m not sure I want to go out of my way to find a college with a team for me.’’
Most of his college applications have gone to schools on the West Coast. A few have gone to East Coast schools.
“I don’t mind being in the cold as long as I can snowboard,’’ Whip Lash said.
