Daily Pilot High School Male Athlete of the Week: CdM’s Sheppard a star in his first chance to start

George Larsen has been the head coach of the Corona del Mar High boys’ soccer team for nine seasons.

In that time, he has come to appreciate a particular aspect of the high school experience. A player who has yet to establish themselves at the varsity level can become a leader, simply by being an upperclassman.

Senior goalkeeper Campbell Sheppard has done just that, asserting himself as one of the key members of a Sea Kings team that is on the verge of clinching a CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff spot.

In his first year as the starter, Sheppard has CdM firmly entrenched as the second-place team in the Pacific Coast League. The Sea Kings’ magic number is one point to wrap up one of the three automatic postseason berths out of the Pacific Coast League.

The Pacific Coast League grants two points for a win and one for a tie. Any scenario that results in CdM (12-6-1, 5-3-0 in league; 10 points) earning one point or Beckman (7-6-5, 2-4-2; six points) conceding a point in the teams’ final two games will allow the Sea Kings to clinch.

“He kind of stepped right in at the very beginning of the year, knowing it was his turn,” Larsen said of Sheppard. “That’s one of the cool things about high school, actually, is that there is kind of a rite of passage.”

Sheppard, a charismatic, extroverted personality, took over the starting job in net following the graduation of Christopher Bartolic. He watched CdM advance to the Division 2 quarterfinals last year before losing to eventual champion Godinez, and it added to his hunger.

The senior goalkeeper has visualized his goals. They began with the possibility of winning a league title. University (15-1-2, 8-0-0; 16 points) has already clinched the Pacific Coast League championship, so Sheppard has moved on to a larger aspiration.

“My main focus is CIF,” Sheppard said. “I told the team that we’re going to go to CIF, and we’re going to dominate it. Our heads are going to be up. We’re going to have a new mindset.

“For when I go out, I want to be remembered as the goalie who helped CdM take the CIF title. That’s been my main dream for this high school experience.”

The Sea Kings turned the corner after beginning league play with a pair of losses. Just three days prior to its league opener, CdM lost senior striker Kyle Mabwa to a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee on the practice field.

Larsen said that losing Mabwa for the season affected the psyche of his team, saying that the senior was on his way to an “All-CIF type of season.”

Preventing goals became the priority, and CdM rattled off four consecutive league wins, allowing just one goal over that span.

“We’ve got a pretty solid defensive line,” Sheppard said. “We’ve got Christopher Cruttenden at left back. We’ve got David Stephenson at center back, Matthew Katz at center back, and then Zane Weaver at right back.

“I’ll save them. They’ll save me. We work together.”

In a team environment, it is good to practice modesty. Nevertheless, Sheppard has earned his praise. CdM has regained its confidence because of its ability to trust the back end of its formation.

Larsen said that Sheppard elevated his status with “a whole highlight reel of saves” that are some of the best he has ever seen.

“Campbell, he has that star quality about him,” Larsen said. “He doesn’t shy away from the moment. I think he’s already stopped three PK’s [penalty kicks] this season. PK’s is a scenario where the odds are stacked against the goalkeeper. He’s done well in those moments.”

Sheppard says he produces music of the hip-hop and punk rock variety, so he is certainly no stranger to being the center of attention. All eyes may be on him if the Sea Kings are to make a deep playoff run.

“When you get into playoff scenarios, it’s an all-or-nothing type of deal,” Larsen said. “Going to overtime and PK’s, if you’re going to go on a CIF run, is usually part of the deal, too.

“I think those are all moments where our team is going to potentially have confidence in those situations if we get there because we have a keeper that we know is going to keep us in the game.”

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Campbell Sheppard

Born: July 17, 2000

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 6 feet

Weight: 180 pounds

Sport: Soccer

Year: Senior

Coach: George Larsen

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “Only the Brave”

Favorite athletic moment: Rivalry games set the stage for highlight-reel performances. Sheppard kept this year’s Battle of the Bay against Newport Harbor scoreless by stopping a penalty kick in regulation. CdM went on to win the game 1-0.

Week in review: Sheppard posted a pair of shutout victories, extending the Sea Kings’ streak to four consecutive wins in Pacific Coast League action. The second-place Sea Kings find themselves in a playoff position after dropping their first two games in league.

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner