Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
Colin McCarthy has been in his brothers Devin and Jack’s shadows for years. All three attended Severn School, and as Colin played as a sophomore, Devin (The College of William and Mary) and Jack (Ithaca College) were off participating at Division I programs. But the sibling rivalry paid off for Colin late in his high school career as he began to emerge as his own star. He earned Baltimore Sun First-Team All-Metro honors and committed to playing soccer at the United States Military Academy West Point.
“Being with them and looking up to them all the time and pushing myself to be as good as them, if not better, was a driving motivation my whole career,” Colin explains. “I think it definitely has been helping me get to where I want to be.”
The 5-foot-8, 145-pound Colin developed his skills playing on the weekends with his brothers at fields around Crofton. He worked on shooting and being more physical. Colin also attended his brother’s games regularly. “I would see the game with a different mindset and I think it made me play really well,” he says.
“I would be working on my touch,” adds Colin, who led Severn in goals as a senior. “I kicked the ball harder into the goal than people my age. I would say my brothers’ physicality, too, helped me. It made me stronger and go into tackles harder.”
Colin’s dad, Mike, coached all three of his sons at Severn. The coach points to another vital thing his youngest son picked up while playing with Devin and Jack: how to get in great shape.
“He did formal training whether it was at a field or in the back yard with them,” Mike says, noting Colin watching his brothers play is what helped the most in growing as a player. “He was at every one of their games. It lent to a lot of his development.”
Colin, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average, says he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend West Point. He also was aggressively recruited by the University of Vermont, Tufts, and the Air Force Academy. “It was definitely about the life-long opportunities it presented,” Colin says of West Point. “Being able to pursue one of the best educations anywhere available and play soccer for a fantastic program is great. I will be able to serve my country with a strong sense of purpose, pride, and satisfaction.”
Colin had an outstanding senior year. He totaled 20 goals and 16 assists as Severn went 18-1. He earned First-Team All-County honors and a Maryland Association of Soccer Coach honorable mention selection. What probably meant more to Colin was his performance in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship game. He scored the game-winning goal and dished out an assist as the Admirals topped rival St. Mary’s, 2-0.
“He really stepped up this year and knew after the preseason we had key things to make something very special happen,” Mike says. The 17-year-old Colin also made First-Team All-County as both a freshman and sophomore. His offensive production went up every season. He finished with 10 goals and six assists in 2018 and amassed 16 goals and 10 assists the following season to be named Severn’s most valuable player. The pandemic wiped out his junior season.
“I tried my best to create for other players as much I could and defend well,” says Colin, who played three years of club soccer for both Pipeline and the Baltimore Celtic. “So, I could be a complete player offensively and defensively.”
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