COURTLAND—After breaking the school record for goals in a season as an eighth-grader, what does Drey Chrysostomou have to look forward to this year?

How about another run at the Southampton Academy record?

Chrysostomou set the record with 21 goals last year, and the record for goals in a season is in jeopardy again. Chrysostomou has nine goals through the Raiders’ first four games this season, including three in a 7-1 win over Franklin on Tuesday.

Chrysostomou, whose brother, Tim, also plays on the SA team, heads to Virginia Beach three times a week to practice with the Virginia Beach Rush U-15 team. He sees better competition on the travel circuit.

“I just like to play,” Chrysostomou said after the Franklin game. “My dad grew up playing, and I just grew up with him playing. I started playing as soon as I could stand.”

Jamie Weist, Southampton Academy head coach, said Chrysostomou was good enough to play varsity as a seventh-grader but was held back because of his age. Now, Drey typically faces a double team on the field.

“We tell Drey to just take what the other team gives you. If they are going to let him turn with the ball and mark him one on one, take it,” Weist said. “Isle of Wight Academy and Windsor doubled him. That means someone else is open. We are counting on people double-teaming him.”

Chrysostomou’s role on the team is to transition the ball from defense to offense. He understands that soccer is a game of possession.

“Our lineup this year has five midfielders. We play a ‘w’ in the middle and we put him in the middle. His place there is to collect and distribute the ball. That opens up opportunities for him to score when the defense starts marking up on the sides,” Weist said. “That leaves him one on one and he can do lots of things one on one.”

Against Franklin, Chrysostomou was chipping the ball over top of the Franklin defense all day, which set up his teammates, and foiled Franklin’s potential offsides trap.

“I’m good at making runs and finding the goal and seeing where the defenders are to beat them,” Drey said.

Weist knows a good thing when he sees it.

“We are very fortunate to have Drey and his brother here,” Weist said.