Falmouth's Young Brothers Helping Buccaneers

November 5, 2010

Brett and Derek Young have been playing soccer for most of their lives but rarely on the same team. Brett, the older of the siblings, enjoyed his brother’s presence with him on the Falmouth High School boys’ soccer team for one season, when he was a senior and Derek was a sophomore.

Brett is a goaltender by trade, and before this fall he was instantly recognizable by a silver streak of hair in the front of his bushy black mane. Soft-spoken, the elder of the two brothers did most of his talking with his play, which is very good.

Derek also stood out with longer hair and a bit more flamboyant play. A midfielder by trade, although he played defense in front of his brother, the younger Young was a standout on several tournament qualifying Falmouth High teams, earning all-league status in the process.

Life took them in different directions for a while. After high school, Brett headed to Cape Cod Community College to pursue higher education and continued to play soccer in the summer with the Falmouth Tide. After graduation last year, Derek too went the college route but chose the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay where he would play with high school teammate Adam Rabesa. A fourth member of the Buccaneers is also a Falmouth resident. Dennis Doherty played his high school soccer at Bishop Stang but is a Falmouth native.

Derek also joined up with the Falmouth Tide in the CCASL, and he enjoyed having his brother as a teammate. After a year of college, he knew that his brother was considering a different college, and that MMA was in need of a goaltender. It was a bit serendipitous, but in no time at all they were teammates as Brett enrolled at MMA this year.

MMA is certainly glad to have the brother tandem in the fold. The Bucs just wrapped up the 2010 season, putting together a decent season that saw them go 7-10-1. Brett’s addition to the team was key on a club that didn’t score a ton of goals. He earned the starting job and posted a goals against average of 1.76 for the season.

Derek also was an impact player for MMA. The younger brother was the second leading scorer on the team, picking up four goals and two assists. He earned MASCAC player of the week honors a week ago and was solid throughout the year for MMA.

Brett said that he was very happy to be his brother’s teammate once again, especially in an environment where the games mean a little something more. The CCASL is a nice summer league, but not all of his teammates on the Tide take the game quite as seriously as the goalie does. “It’s definitely a lot different here. People here play to win a bit more...I just like playing soccer, and being able to do it here has been great.”

Derek, who also prefers the game with a little more at stake and higher intensity, said that having his older brother at the back of the field has been positive. “It’s been good for me, just knowing that Brett’s in the net gives me confidence.”

This summer they’ll team again at Trotting Park in the CCASL, but the games that really matter will happen next fall when the Bucs get back together for another season. With a roster that was more than half freshmen and sophomores, the Bucs look primed to make a northward move up the MASCAC standings over the next few seasons. The Young brothers will be front and center for that ascension.