Brett Campbell has always been good at running past people.
It started when he played for a local Nether United club soccer team in Wallingford. It continued, though not right away, when he became a member of FC Delco as a seventh grader.
And for the past three years at the Haverford School, opponents have watched Campbell use his speed to exploit defenders - and score a lot of goals.
In 2011, Campbell scored 38 and had eight assists for a Fords squad that outscored opponents, 80-14, en route to a Pennsylvania Independent School championship. The Gatorade player of the year from Pennsylvania, Campbell has committed to Georgetown.
At 18-2-1 last season, the Fords dominated, keeping opponents scoreless through the first 12 games. But one thing has remained elusive to Campbell and the rest of the Haverford School senior class:
An Inter-Ac League title.
"We've always been predicted to win it, or we should have won it but we have underachieved the past three years," Campbell said.
"I feel like I may have a little more pressure on myself just because out of the four years at Haverford, I haven't won an Inter-Ac title yet, so that's what I really want to do with my senior year," he added.
In his first three years with the Fords, Campbell scored 63 goals and garnered 18 assists. Currently 1-1 this season after splitting games against two teams from Baltimore, Haverford has received one goal from Campbell.
"The biggest thing about Brett Campbell is that there is never a moment in a game where he doesn't think he can score," Fords coach Bill Brady said. "He always feels like he can score. He never looks at an opponent and thinks 'you are better than me.' While some may think that is arrogant, I look at it as confidence."
What Brady sees as the most impressive parts of Campbell's game are his speed, athleticism, and the way he strikes the ball, as well as his movements off the ball.
Campbell, who says he has "always had a knack for scoring," enjoys taking defenders one on one the most. But this year he thinks he will be able to create more opportunities for his teammates, something he says he has been working on over the last couple of years.
Another aspect of his game that he says has evolved is holding the ball with a defender to his back, waiting for a teammate to get open to lay the ball off to.
The lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Campbell hopes to score 30 goals this year. The formation allows Campbell more room to "roam around and make runs," Brady said. If Campbell puts up numbers like last season's, the forward could break the school's all-time points record.
"We are fortunate that we have a Brett Campbell, and if we are in tight games, we know, even if we aren't playing well, that he can capitalize on a moment," Brady said.
Since Haverford finished last season, Campbell has spent time playing for FC Delco, as well as with Reading United and the Philadelphia Union Academy U-18 team, all of which provided him invaluable experience playing among college or soon-to-be-college students.
"It's always been that. I've had a month off and then I miss it after the month," Campbell said of playing year-round. "But I feel like the month is necessary for my body to get back. I'd lose my fitness and ability to run. If you aren't playing year-round, you won't be as well prepared."
Contact Kate Harman at rallysports@phillynews.com.
