Cypress Bay’s Castrillo is the Broward 7A-5A Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year
Rodrigo Castrillo was born in Madrid, Spain, a renowned hotbed for soccer.
He grew up playing the center midfielder position and emulating international stars at the position such as Andres Iniesta and Luka Modric.
But three years ago, Castrillo took on the challenge of playing striker, eventually assuming a starting role at national powerhouse Cypress Bay in Weston.
It didn’t take long before Castrillo adjusted and became one of the most prolific scorers in Broward County.
“It’s very different (in Madrid) because the game is played with more passing…the game here taught me to be more physical and you run a lot more,” Castrillo said. “So when I would go back and play over there, I felt like the strongest.”
Castrillo’s breakout season featured him scoring 31 goals and recorded 17 assists for the Lightning, leading them to a No. 1 national ranking for several weeks during this past season.
Castrillo, a senior, is the Miami Herald’s Broward County Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year for Classes 7A-5A.
Castrillo was at the forefront of a talented Cypress Bay squad, which advanced to the Class 7A regional finals before losing to eventual state champion Miami Columbus.
“It was a sad way to go out, but I’ll take these achievements with me forever,” Castrillo said. “We didn’t go as far as we wanted, but we were first in the nation for a long time and that was a good feeling and an amazing season.”
Castrillo, who said he has multiple scholarship offers, but has yet to commit to a college, hopes to study business administration when he gets there.
A versatile forward, Castrillo would provide a dominant scoring threat to whichever school he chooses to attend.
At Cypress Bay, Castrillo gelled with a talented roster, which was one of the most dominant in the state overall and allowed only eight goals the entire season.
“We had a real bonding and brotherhood on this team this season. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t be able to get all of these goals and assists,” Castrillo said. “We’re all from Weston predominantly and we’ve been playing for years so the chemistry on the field was there.”
