BUFFALO — Cole Callard’s eyes are forward as he dances with the ball at his feet. The defense wonders if he’ll move left or right.
In a matter of seconds, Callard’s dynamic ability is on full display, flicking the ball to his right foot and back to his left before firing off a shot right underneath the Bishop Timon goalkeeper’s left arm.
Standing at 6-foot-1, Callard creates space by using his size for separation against defenders or, at times, crash in front of the net for the header. But scoring in the open field has helped Callard rewrite Medina’s record book in a four-year span.
In 59 career games, Callard has Medina’s new career records of 78 goals and 33 assists for a total of 111 points and his 28 goals and 42 points last year are new single-season program records. Callard’s success has played a part in Medina’s 8-0-1 start, with him benefiting in the offensive zone.
“Having the IQ and the mental (awareness) to be able to play it around, swing the ball around the field and it opens up a lot in the middle for me,” Callard said. “And not only me but if they collapse on me, it opens up my teammates for easy goals. … Over the years, it’s grown. I used to head down, dribble, but now head’s up and play the ball anywhere.”
Since recording eight goals and seven assists as a freshman three years ago, Callard’s totals have increased every year, including 18 goals as a sophomore in 2022. Along with helping Medina post 41 wins in four seasons, Callard has posted 19 multi-goal games, including 15 in the last two years combined.
Callard’s freshman season with the Mustangs came with nerves of playing against upperclassmen, but, as the season progressed, he began finding his offensive touch with a two-goal game in their Senior Night win. Once the school season ends, Callard continues playing year-round with the Lockport Lightning of the Lockport Soccer Club for the past three years.
Along with practicing at home by using a wall and a soccer ball to practice getting touches, playing with the Lightning helped expand his skill-work, while also facing better competition. When he’s training alone or with a team, working on his offensive skill-set is what pushes him, along with expanding his knowledge of the game through playing.
“He just waits until you got that opening and then he lets it rip,” Medina head coach Steve Luksch said. “…He’s not afraid to take the shot anywhere. I kind of give him the green light. I know he’s not going to take a bad shot. The great part of his game, he knows when to dish it off and kind of when to take the shots. He doesn’t want to be predictable.
Currently, Callard wants to play football in college as he has dual-sported as Medina’s kicker the last three seasons, working with Medina coach and NFL Pro Bowler Mike Vanderjagt. And while he hasn’t had any offers yet, Callard has received interest from Richmond, Long Island and Stony Brook and attended camps at Appalachian State, Liberty and Richmond over the summer.
Soccer is Callard’s primary sport for Medina but he manages to play both on the same day, if time allows. On Sept. 6, Callard scored two goals and added one assist against Pembroke before leaving at halftime to go 8 of 8 on PATs plus eight touchbacks in Medina’s 56-7 season opener against Roy-Hart/Barker.
But with the opportunities from visiting schools and competing across the country in the Kohl’s Eastern Showcase in May in Pennsylvania, Callard is pursuing football, the sport where he made his first extra-point attempt at 10 years old and his first field goal two years later.
Growing up, Callard began playing soccer when he was five years old and, as he got older, started enjoying football and now enjoys both sports equally. But while hasn’t received offers from either sport, Callard is leaning towards one at the moment.
“I’m leaning towards football,” Callard said. “I think I have (a) better opportunity there to go farther, and so I’m focusing on that. But (I’m) still playing soccer.”