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Colin McEachern has always had a scorer’s mentality, even when Bishop Carroll needed him to play defense.

Last season, the natural forward embraced a move to left back, sacrificing some of his attacking opportunities to strengthen the Golden Eagles’ defense. He still found ways to make his presence felt offensively, including a memorable game-winning goal against rival Kapaun Mt. Carmel.

But Carroll boys soccer coach Mike Skaggs knew there was considerably more scoring potential waiting to be unleashed.

He moved McEachern to the left wing, giving him the freedom to attack opposing defenses that he had enjoyed for most of his soccer career.

What followed was a scoring explosion unlike anything Carroll has ever seen.

The senior has shattered Carroll’s single-season scoring record with 28 goals and counting, surpassing the previous mark of 22 set by Luke Ketter in 2013.

“I always believed that I had the ability to score goals, but I’ve just always played wherever my team needs me,” McEachern said. “Now I got moved back up to forward, where I’ve played ever since I was a little kid. It’s been a really fun year.”

He’s saved some of his best soccer for his final October at Carroll.

McEachern has piled up 13 goals in seven games this month, including five multigoal performances. He scored twice Monday as Carroll broke open a scoreless game at halftime with four second-half goals in a 4-0 road victory over Hutchinson.

The win sends the ninth-seeded Golden Eagles (11-6) into a regional championship showdown at top-seeded Maize South (16-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday.

For McEachern, however, there is still something more important than his place in Carroll’s record book.

“It definitely means a lot to me,” McEachern said. “I’ve worked very hard to continue to get better, so it’s definitely a nice accomplishment. But I have to give credit to my teammates and to God. And at the end of the day, the goal is to win games. So we’ve still got some priorities to finish the rest of the season.”

A relentless scorer finally unleashed

McEachern doesn’t need many touches to make a defender uncomfortable.

Give him the ball on the left flank, and he’s likely to attack immediately, using his speed to get past his marker before cutting inside and driving a shot across the goalkeeper toward the far post.

His scoring repertoire extends beyond those runs. McEachern has become dangerous in the air, using his head to finish crosses and capitalize on set pieces.

But what Skaggs appreciates most is the senior’s relentless approach. McEachern never seems satisfied with one dangerous run when he could make another.

“His motor doesn’t stop,” Skaggs said.

That competitive streak has also given Skaggs a few moments to laugh about.

Earlier this month, Skaggs noticed McEachern appeared a little banged up during a game and decided to substitute him for a brief breather.

McEachern was furious.

“You’d have thought I shot him in the kneecap,” Skaggs said with a laugh. “He was so mad. But that’s how bad he wants to be out there scoring goals.”

With McEachern restored to his natural attacking role this fall, those occasional scoring opportunities have become an almost nightly occurrence.

And opponents have learned that stopping him is considerably more complicated than assigning their best defender to guard him.

Three-headed monster transforms Carroll’s offense

Over the previous two seasons, Bishop Carroll didn’t have a single player reach double digits in goals.

This season, the Golden Eagles have three.

McEachern’s record-setting 28 goals lead the way, followed by junior Ale Antuna with 19 and junior Lucas Banuelos with 11.

The trio has combined for 58 goals, accounting for more than three-fourths of Carroll’s 77 goals this season.

It’s an attacking partnership Skaggs affectionately calls his “three-headed monster,” built around three forwards who possess the speed and confidence to challenge defenders one-on-one.

But their chemistry is what makes the combination particularly difficult to contain.

“We’re all pretty fast, which lets us play pretty direct,” McEachern said. “And we can all play off each other. It’s so easy having Ale and Lucas around me to play the ball off of them and knowing I’m going to get it back. That lets us move the ball and really exploit defenses and go score a lot of goals.”

McEachern has also contributed 13 assists, while Antuna has seven. Senior Alejandro Gomez has established another Bishop Carroll single-season record with a team-high 16 assists.

Together, they’ve helped transform a program traditionally known for controlling possession and winning defensive battles into an offensive juggernaut.

Through 17 games, Carroll’s 77 goals rank fourth among the 18 teams in Class 5A West, trailing only Maize South (81), Newton (80) and Topeka West (78). It’s an impressive output from a team that only finished ninth in the Class 5A West postseason seeding.

“When we have Ale and Lucas out there with him, you really can’t mark him,” Skaggs said of McEachern. “And you can’t double team him because then that just opens things up for everybody else. So you almost have to play him straight up. That’s been a lot of fun to watch.”

The offensive overhaul wasn’t entirely by choice.

Skaggs entered the season facing a predicament unlike any he had encountered in his coaching career.

He didn’t have a single natural goalkeeper in his entire program.

Not on varsity. Not on junior varsity. Not even among the younger players.

All six players who have spent time in goal throughout the program this season were converted field players learning an unfamiliar position.

That included varsity goalkeeper Joaren Guereca, whose athleticism has helped him grow into the role despite entering the season without the experience or instincts of a traditional keeper.

Skaggs knew there would be growing pains. He also knew Carroll possessed enough attacking talent to overcome them.

“Our best defense is our offense,” Skaggs said. “Traditionally, we’ve been a possession team, solid defense. But this year, I literally have no goalkeepers in the program. So we knew we were going to give up some goals, but we felt good about our chances with that three-headed monster up top for us.”

It required a different mentality.

In previous seasons, falling behind by two goals often spelled disaster for a Carroll team that relied on patience and low-scoring games.

Now, the Golden Eagles believe they can erase almost any deficit as long as there’s time remaining.

Junior Miguel Montelongo, senior Quinten Chavez and junior Jace Gessler have helped provide stability defensively, while McEachern and his fellow forwards give Carroll the ability to change a game in minutes.

One more chance to make history

Monday’s Class 5A playoff opener against Hutchinson offered another example of that firepower.

After a frustrating, scoreless first half, the Golden Eagles erupted for four goals in the final 40 minutes.

McEachern supplied two, while Antuna and Gomez added one apiece.

Now Carroll faces a much more imposing challenge Thursday.

Maize South has reached five consecutive Class 5A state championship games, and enters the regional final with a 16-1 record.

But the Golden Eagles already know they can compete with the Mavericks.

In their Sept. 10 meeting, Carroll pushed Maize South into overtime before suffering a 3-2 defeat. It was one of four one-goal losses for the Golden Eagles.

Thursday’s rematch offers a chance to turn one of those narrow defeats into the biggest victory of the season.

McEachern has already rewritten the school record and helped change the identity of Carroll soccer.

Now, with elimination looming in every game, he’s hoping the freedom to attack can carry the Golden Eagles somewhere they haven’t been this season — past Maize South and one step closer to state.

Wichita-area high school boys soccer regional scores

Class 6A

Dodge City 8, Wichita Northwest 0

Maize 3, Manhattan 0

Washburn Rural 5, Wichita North 3

Wichita East 2, Garden City 0

Wichita Heights 2, Derby 0

Wichita Southeast 6, Junction City 1

Class 5A

Bishop Carroll 4, Hutchinson 0

Goddard 5, Emporia 4 (PKs 3-1)

Hays 3, Andover Central 0

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 3, Valley Center 0

Maize South 4, No. Goddard-Eisenhower 2

Newton 8, Wichita West 0

Salina South 3, Andover 1

Topeka West 2, Arkansas City 0

Class 4-1A

Berean Academy 5, Augusta 0

Buhler 8, Wichita Central Christian 1

Cair Paravel 3, Hesston 2

McPherson 4, Circle 1

Rose Hill 8, Wichita Independent 0

Wichita Classical 3, Chanute 1

Wichita Trinity Academy 6, Mulvane 0

Winfield 7, Independence 0

Wichita-area high school boys soccer regional final schedule

Note: All games scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday unless otherwise noted.

Class 6A

No. 10 Wichita Heights (8-9) at No. 2 Wichita Southeast (14-3)

No. 6 Maize (11-6) at No. 3 Wichita East (14-3), 4 p.m.

Class 5A

No. 9 Bishop Carroll (11-6) at No. 1 Maize South (16-1)

No. 7 Salina South (12-5) at No. 2 Newton (15-2)

No. 12 Goddard (8-7-2) at No. 4 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (14-2)

Class 4-1A

No. 9 Cair Paravel (10-7) at No. 1 Rose Hill (16-1)

No. 7 Wichita Trinity Academy (10-6-1) at No. 2 Berean Academy (12-4-1), 4 p.m.

No. 6 Winfield (11-6) at No. 3 Buhler (12-5), 5 p.m.

No. 13 Wichita Classical (6-10-1) at No. 5 McPherson (12-5)