THE KELLY HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE AWARD
The "Kelly Award" is now made annually to the "Best High School Lacrosse Player in the State of Maryland", and this is the only criteria for selection. However, companion awards are also made to the most outstanding lacrosse players in each high school division established by the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association, and all are selected by a committee chosen from the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association, and selected media representatives.
Reprinted from the official 62nd Annual Kelly Lacrosse Banquet program
by Lem Satterfield
Princeton-bound senior Tyler Fiorito of McDonogh became the first goalie since 1986 to win the overall C Markland Kelly Award, and Class 4A-3A representative Greg Anderson of Urbana and Class 2A-1A representative Chad Benford of Walkersville became the first honorees from Frederick County at Sunday night's C Markland Kelly Awards banquet held at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
Fiorito was the North Regional winner for the private schools, while the South honoree was Landon of Bethesda's Princeton-bound attackman Michael Grossman, who led the Bears to the Interstate Athletic Conference title.
The last two goalies to win the C Markland Kelly Award, annually bestowed by the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches' Assocation upon the player considered to be the state's best, were Michael McCanna of Mount St. Joseph in 1986, and Beret Dickson of Calvert Hall in 1997.
In leading the Eagles to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association's A Conference semifinals, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Fiorito allowed, on average, slightly more than six goals per game.
Fiorito's Eagles finished at 16-6 on the year, holding high-scoring MIAA A Conference runner-up Gilman to a season-low six goals during their 6-4 tournament semifinal loss.
"This is a great honor. There are so many good players here and I want to congratulate all of them. All of the finalists and all of the great players in the MIAA that I played against. They're all great, and they make me want to keep getting better," said Fiorito, who will also play for the U.S. Under-19 Team this summer.
Fiorito also was named the winner of the Timothy Wynne Award bestowed upon the goalie who is considered the state's best.
"I did my best every game, or I tried to, at least, to keep the game low-scoring. We said at the beginning of the year that if we could get to eight goals then we should win every game," Fiorito said.
"I enjoy every minute of playing goalie," Fiorito said. "It's just such a great honor -- with so many great players here -- that I was chosen by the state coaches association and the Kelly Foundation."
Only once, in a 12-9 loss to Boys' Latin, did Fiorito allow a team to score in double figures.
Only twice more did rival squads score as many as nine times against Fiorito.
And only once did another team scores as many as eight goals.
Fiorito credited defenders, KC Woods, Tyler Goldberg and Matt Hart, as well as senior midfielder Brian Hess, long pole defender Sam Ford, junior midfielder Curtis Holmes and others for their play in front of him.
"I want to thank all of my teammates who aren't here tonight, because it's a team sport, and without them, I'd probably be nowhere," Fiorito said. "It's got to go through all of them first. They're great players, and they've helped me to get to where I am now."
Anderson and Benford led their teams to state runner-up finishes in the Class 4A-3A and the Class 3A-2A, respectively, to Baltimore County's Dulaney and Hereford.
With Anderson in the lineup, Urbana lost the Class 3A-2A final, 9-7, to Mount Hebron of Howard County in 2006, and last yea'rs Class 3A-2A state semifinal, 7-6, to eventual state champ Glenelg of Howard County.
In this year's Class 4A-3A final, Urbana lost, 8-7, to Dulaney, which the Hawks had beaten earlier this year by the same score.
Anderson anchored an Urbana squad which went 16-2 overall, allowing, on average, just 5.5 point per game.
Anderson, a 6-2, 190-pounder, will play for the University of Massachussetts, where he will enroll in the fall.
"Oh, it's great. I'm just even honored that I'm actually here. Any of these guys could have won it," Anderson said. "They're all great players. I've played with a lot of them. And, you know, I'm just happy that it's turned out this way."
Benford paced a Lions' squad which averaged more than 15 goals per game, scoring 69 goals and finishing with 80 assists on the year.
With Benford in the lineup, the Lions went 16-3, including playoff victories over last year's Class 2A-1A state champion Winters Mill of Carroll County and Howard County power Centennial by respective scores of, 20-7, and, 21-11.
"I feel great, yeah. Because we've had like two finalists the last three years and neither of them won it," Benford said. "But yeah, it feels good to actually win. I didn't expect it. It was just good to be here, but winning it's great."
