Boys soccer: For Naperville North sophomore Carter Joseph, future ‘leader of this program,’ this is only the beginning

Naperville North sophomore Carter Joseph didn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative when coach Jim Konrad requested that he switch positions.

Joseph saw an opportunity to play for the defending Class 3A state champion and grabbed it.

“I was excited to play,” he said. “I was ecstatic. I was ready to get my foot through the door and keep going, keep pushing.”

Joseph has done exactly that, playing defense for the Huskies this season.

“He’s a midfielder by trade, but he’s playing outside back this year because I asked him to,” Konrad said. “He embraced it right away.

“He’s always looking for ways to get better, and I love a kid like that that’s willing to mix it up, is willing to be physical.”

Joseph said he gets his physical mentality from his father, Matt, who played two years of football as a tight end at Eastern Illinois. Joseph’s toughness is the perfect fit for an inexperienced team that has to rely on the strength of its defense.

The Huskies (4-2-2) have scored just 10 goals but allowed only five. Joseph’s move makes Konrad look smart, but he said it came from a necessity to find defenders.

“I just needed guys, and then he was physical enough, athletic enough that I know he could take care of the back,” Konrad said. “You need your best 11 on the field, and he’s one of the best 11, so you’ve got to find a place for everybody. So far it has paid dividends.”

Joseph has settled in at right back. He cleared a loose ball off the goal line during the second half of the Huskies’ 1-0 victory over visiting Fremd on Saturday.

“That was a little bit nerve-wracking,” he said. “But I just had to get it out, stay focused.”

How does playing defense compare to playing in the midfield?

“It’s not necessarily tougher,” Joseph said. “It’s just different. But they are both fun positions, and I’m just happy to play soccer.”

Senior defender Cam Brown is happy to be playing alongside Joseph.

“I’ve seen a lot of promising moments,” Brown said. “He’s really hardworking, and he’s a good fighter. That’s why he has that defensive mentality.

“Him being a sophomore, it’s really good to have him in our back line and have him play a lot of minutes and be vocal like he is. He’s really a leader as he is, but I really think that he’s going to be probably one of the best in the program one day.”

Konrad goes a bit further than that, saying he noticed something special in Joseph.

“When you watch him play, he was one of those kids right away you saw just has that Naperville North spirit about him,” Konrad said. “He’s hardheaded, blue collar, digs balls out, is good with both feet.

“He’s going to end up being the leader of this program. He’s already kind of stepping forward, even though he’s a sophomore, but I think next year he’ll be one of the key guys for sure, and senior year it will be his team.”

Joseph isn’t overwhelmed by such praise and expectations and notes he’s no stranger to most of his teammates.

“I love playing with all my teammates,” he said. “A lot of my JV1 team from last year came up here, so it was great to play with them again, and I feel like a lot of the players have meshed really well with each other.

“There’s still room for improvement to get closer to each other. But I’m really happy with how we’re playing together.”

Playing for the defending state champion means you get everyone’s best shot, so the Huskies realize they have a target on their backs regardless of the names on their jerseys. Their playing style may not be pretty, but it is becoming more effective.

“It’s been a bit rough to start the season, but we’re starting to get it figured out and started playing better as a team,” Joseph said. “I feel like we have a lot of room for improvement, but we can definitely get some results in the future.”

Konrad is eager to see what the future holds for Joseph.

“He reminds me of some of the guys on our better teams that understands the game, manages emotion,” Konrad said. “He’s got a lot of special qualities, so I’m thrilled to have a kid like that in the program.”