By Robert Klemko
Dozens of All-Conference, All-County and All-Metro Maryland high school seniors gathered Sunday afternoon at Broadneck high school for a last hurrah: the Red-White boy’s lacrosse senior All-Star game.
Led by offensive MVP Mike Smail of DeMatha, the white team cruised to an 18-10 victory in the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association’s annual postseason contest. 51 graduates from 31 state public and private schools participated. St. Mary’s Ryken, St. Mary’s, Urbana, Georgetown Prep and St. Paul’s combined to field 15 participants on the Red and White teams.
“It’s great coaching these guys, they’re just a great group of individuals,” said White team coach Scoop Kelly of Bel Air High. “What’s most important is if you take a look at some of the institutions they’re going to it says a lot about how well-rounded these guys are.”
Smail, who has accepted a lacrosse scholarship to Ohio State, notched four goals and two assists in his first action since DeMatha’s 18-3 WCAC championship over Good Counsel less than two weeks ago.
“It was a great experience because these are the best players in the state,” Smail said. “I couldn’t ask for a better end to my high school career.”
Fallston High goalie Brad Motley (McDaniel) was named the defensive MVP after his nine-save effort for the White team. Motley allowed just three goals in the first quarter before taking the bench to watch goalies from Walbrook and Bullis.
“It’s pretty exhilarating, they were shooting two times as hard as I saw during the season… there’s not a lot of middies that have the capacity to do that.” Motley said. ”Coming from a public school you don’t see those kinds of shots every day. Every kid here can play.”
Landon attack Mike Grossman (Princeton) added three goals and an assist for the White including back-to-back scores in the third quarter that put his team up 9-6.
“Grossman knows the game very well,” Kelly said. “A lot of guys are tremendously athletic but don’t have that lacrosse sense. He’s got it from playing the game for a very long time.”
Grossman joined three fellow Princeton commits who were playing together for the first time. Boy’s Latin midfielder Mark Field, St. Paul’s midfielder Peter Smyth and Georgetown Prep defender Mike Flanagan will join Grossman in New Jersey next Fall.
Montgomery County’s lone representative, Wootton attack Jordan Montesano (Salisbury) scored a late third quarter goal in the White win.
“It was fun to play with most of the private school kinds that get all the attention,” Montesano said. “To score a goal in this game shows that we have some lacrosse talent in Montgomery County and that we’re on the rise.
“The play out there today was not as physical as the ‘moco.’ It was all about flashy stick-handling and speed. It’s a different kind of lacrosse.”
White- 18
Red- 10
Goals
RW- Zach Angle 2, Marc Saxton 2, Jake Serfas 1, Brett Schmidt 2, Paul Kramer 1, Sean McGuire 2
BG- Mike Smail 4, Mike Grossman 3, Adam Johnston 2, Mike Higgins 2, Travis Crane 2, Jordan Montesano 1, Luke Raab 1, Graham Franke 1, Henry Van Wagenberg 1, Jimmy McNeely
Assists
RW- Zach Angle 1
BG- Mike Smail 2, , Mike Grossman 1, Luke Raab 1, Brian Murphy 1, Jay Mann 1, Henry Van Wagenberg 1, Peter Smyth 1, Mike Rogers 1, Jimmy McNeely 1
Saves
RW- Andrew Wescavage 5, Chris Coates 5, Andrew Gvodzen 4
BG- Brad Motley 9, Steve Burke 7, Eugene Bouknight 5
Halftime: 6-5 red/white
