Ebanks taking next step in soccer career

While the Mount de Sales Cavaliers soccer team is training next week for its upcoming season, one key player will be missing.

But head coach Iain Jones isn’t complaining.

Darvin Ebanks will instead be training with the national 18-and-under team for 10 days, starting Saturday in Arizona. Ebanks was recently named as a member of the national team, along with 21 other 18-and-under players from across the country.

“It is just a tremendous honor for him,” said Jones, who said Ebanks is the first player ever to make the team from Macon. “It shows that Darvin is recognized as one of the best high school players in the country. He has been playing for the Olympic Development team for many years, but this just takes it to another level. It could not happen to a better kid. He is very humble about his accomplishments, he makes good grades, and his parents have done a great job with him. I fully expect him to continue improving his game.”

Ebanks took another big step Wednesday as he signed a scholarship to North Carolina, a perennial powerhouse in college soccer.

“Most kids going to a major college like North Carolina might get redshirted or not play much as freshmen, especially coming from the GISA,” Jones said. “But I expect that Darvin will make an immediate impact and get major playing time as a freshman. He loves the game, and he works hard at it. He has excellent size at 6-foot-4, and that just adds another dimension to his game.”

Ebanks admits to being somewhat surprised by his selection to the national team.

“I wasn’t expecting it because I had never been picked before for something this prestigious,” Ebanks said. “But I cant wait for the opportunity that is ahead of me. We will train for a few days, and then I just found out this week that we would be playing against MLS teams for most of the week. That’s a big thrill, knowing that I am going to be playing against guys that I have been watching on TV for years. I am sure that I will be a little bit star struck, but I think that it will be a great experience for me.

“The national game is much more physical that high school soccer, and I am sure that they will all show that pride a professional has and not let us think we are better than they are.”

Ebanks college choice was simple for him, but he also admits that he is looking forward to the high school season.

“I decided I would go to North Carolina as a sophomore,” Ebanks said. “So it really wasn’t that big of a decision after that. I loved it the first time I visited, and the coach was interested in me, so I verbally committed then. As far as the high school season, I know that it is the last year that I have to win the state championship, and I feel like we have the team to do it.

“It’s very important that all the younger kids on the team understand that hard work pays off. I remember in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades especially, when everyone else was having fun, I was on the soccer field. I was playing almost every weekend. I felt like that is when I turned the corner as a soccer player.”

This story was originally published February 10, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Ebanks taking next step in soccer career."