Who says you can’t have fun in the June heat on a turf field?

Lacing up their cleats and sliding on their shin guards for one last time June 11, some of the best soccer players in Delaware participated in the 2025 Blue-Gold all-star soccer game at Caravel Academy. When the final whistle blew, Blue won 4-3. However, Cardin Benjamin, representing Cape on the Gold team, opened up the game’s scoring.

“Lance Berry, our coach said ‘Just celebrate if you score, that's the only thing you gotta do,’ so, I went and kicked over the corner flag because it was just exciting,” Benjamin said. “It’s really cool to be here with all the amazing, amazing athletes, amazing soccer players, around me.”

Goldey-Beacom got a glimpse of how fast the future Lighting player will be as he ran to a through ball and executed from a tough angle for the first goal.

“Definitely don't have to work as much when you got the best people around; Bradley Zavala, who got the assist, he's one of the best players in the state for sure,” Benjamin said.  “You just have all the soccer IQ around you and you don't have to work as hard as you normally do.”

Benjamin was joined by Sussex Academy’s C.J. Norton as the Cape Region dignitaries, showing the local boys can hang with the best in the state.

“I was playing striker there for a little bit; I was trying to score my first high school goal,” Norton said. “I was unsuccessful, but I got to get a good save, in so it's fine.”

Norton was referring to a magnificent stop the future Rowan keeper made with his feet at the last second to keep his team in the contest. Although Norton had fun coming forward for nearly every corner kick, he did wonder what a full-speed game would have looked like.

“I wish we could have played a really competitive game so we could have seen everybody at their top top,” Norton said. “Everyone's in summer mode, so not everyone's really trying to come out here and give 100%, myself included.”

As the clock ticked away with the score in favor of his opponents, Benjamin remained in his encouraging role of leadership.

“There's no reason not to be positive in this world – there's a lot of negativity – you just gotta be positive, especially in a scenario like this [where] everybody's just out here to have fun,” Benjamin said. “Be positive and have fun.”