Reporter Area Boys Lacrosse Preview: Sowers steps in to lead Upper Dublin

UPPER DUBLIN >> They were all set for a run at a state championship last year.

Then came the most devastating of losses — a 10-9 overtime setback to Conestoga in a second-round playoff game in which they held the lead with 11 seconds left.

The positive is that the Cardinals of Upper Dublin High have an opportunity to avenge that loss, with the bulk of the team returning this season.

But there is a change this year.

Head coach JP Banks, who helped build the juggernaut that is now the Cardinals’ lacrosse program, is gone, off to coach at Pennridge, where he and his family live.

For a time, Banks was secure in the knowledge that his brother Kevin was running the Rams program.

But when his brother stepped down at the end of last year, Banks felt obligated to take over, and that left a gaping hole in the Cardinals coaching staff.

With Banks gone, the remaining Cardinals coaches had no desire to break up the team that had brought the Cardinals so far.

The obvious choice was young offensive coach Ryan White. But when he was unable to fit the demands of the job into his schedule, and 60-something Haldy Gifford completely refused to take over the team, it fell to David Sowers, the one-time head coach at Hatboro-Horsham and the father of the team’s most dynamic offensive player and two-time All-American Michael Sowers, to grab the reins.

There was reluctance initially. But ultimately, Sowers wasn’t about to let a group of young men he had coached in football and lacrosse since they were seven years old go into their final season with a stranger as their head coach.

“It was kind of like, “‘Dave, you’re it,’” Sowers chuckled. “It was like grabbing the short straw.

“But I was going to do whatever it took to make sure this group wasn’t interrupted.”

So Sowers got what he wanted, and so did the Cardinals.

As expected, the team has responded well to Sowers throughout the preseason.

“The entire group is back, and they have that fire in their bellies,” Sowers said of the likes of attack men Sowers, Michael Mullen and Max Winebrake, midfielders Nick Vernacchio and Evan Scott and defenders Jack Rapine and Henry Winebrake. “Every day in practice we have (Michael Sowers) going against (fellow All-American defender) Jack Rapine. So what they’re getting in practice might be better than what they get in games.

“This team realized they had to work that much harder this year, and they’ve put in a lot of off-season work. You can see the intensity and the tempo in our practices.”

Will it mean the Cardinals will be ready to make a run, or will last year’s ghosts somehow return to spoil the party once again?
The Cardinals, who have been critical of a league schedule that forces them to play each of their fellow foes in Suburban One League

American Conference, a relatively weak conference, twice each, and get only four non-league tilts to test their team.

But they’re not about to further downgrade their schedule with their non-league meetings.

“We’ve never shied away from playing anybody,” Sowers said. “We’ve been told the schedule will change next year, but that doesn’t help this year.”

As for the remainder of the Region:

SUBURBAN ONE LEAGUE

Abington

Coach: Peter Burns
2015 Record: 14-6
Key Returnees: Soph. GK Connor Read; LSM Casey Hesdon; Midfielder Jack Kurts; Def. Joe Lindley.
Outlook: The Ghosts return just one starter – their goaltender – from a squad that won the SOL National a year ago. While many of the starters this year got significant game time a year ago, the Ghosts are still one of the preseason picks to contend for the SOL National crown. It will come down to how quickly the team can come together as a unit. Goalkeeper Reed was a first-team, All-League selection last season as a freshman.

Cheltenham

Coach: Mike DiPuppo
2015 Record: 1-17
Key Returnees: Jr. LSM Jade Siojo; Sr. Def. Darian Greenfield.
Outlook: The Panthers could write a book about the craziness of the past two or three seasons – from the program suspending play three years ago to losing their head coach – Alphonso Stevenson – to a concussion following a student attack while working at his job at John Bartram High School. For now, the Panthers are just hoping to write an end to their futility of the past couple of seasons and get back to enjoying playing lacrosse. Long stick middie Jade Siojo is the standout on a team that would probably just be content with a season minus incident.

Hatboro-Horsham

Coach: John Kurek
2015 Record: 10-8
Key Returnees: Sr. Attack Pierre Armstrong; Attack Bryan Remailey; Midfielder Owen Winters; Midfielder Logan Eldridge,
Outlook: The Hatters would love to jump into the SOL Continental title chase, and may just have enough horses to do it. A good core of talented veterans return, and with a break here or there, the Hatters just may just get their wish.

Norristown

Coach: Tom Pierantozzi
2015 Record: 1-17
Key Returnees: Sr. Attack Justin Byrd.
Outlook: The Eagles look to make some noise in the SOL American, which looks like a level playing field beyond Upper Dublin and Wissahickon. Norristown, like most of the remainder of the conference, has to win the games it can and then add one or two upsets in order to stir the waters of respectability.

North Penn

Coach: Rick Smith
2015 Record: 7-11
Key Returnees: Defender Owen Kelly; Attack Luke Homan; Midfielder Jake Diamond.
Outlook: After an extended period of good, but not good enough seasons, Coach Smith thinks the Knights could finally be ready to make a move in the SOL Continental. Smith said the Knights will only go as far as their chemistry and good health will take them, but he goes into the year optimistic.

Pennridge

Coach: JP Banks
2015 Record: 6-12
Key Returnees: Sr. attack Sean Fechter; Sr. attack Kyle Farrell; Sr, Midfielder Bobby Maher; Sr. Def. Quinn Lippman.
Outlook: Banks, fresh off building a powerhouse at Upper Dublin, takes over in Rams Land with plans of doing the same thing. It may take some time, but the coach is optimistic. “Look out for us between the years of 2024, 2025 and 2026,” Banks said with a laugh, mindful that his sons will be firmly entrenched into the program by that time. In the meantime, the Rams will lean heavily on senior attackmen Sean Fechter and Kyle Farrell this year.

Plymouth Whitemarsh

Coach: Bryan Gregg
2015 Record: 10-8
Key Returnees: Sr. Midfielder Austin Betterly; Jr. Attack Alex Savarese; Sr. Midfielder Jake Kelly; Sr. Midfielder Zach Zygmunt.
Outlook: The Colonials have a huge hole to fill with the graduation of GK Riley White, but will try to compensate via experience through the midfield and with dangerous attackman Alex Savarese.

Souderton

Coach: Mark Princehorn
2015 Record: 6-12
Key Returnees: Jr. Attack Trent Breneman; Jr. A Jake Phaup; Sr. Defender Justin Russell; Sr. Midfielder Cory Azeff.
Outlook: The Indians have plenty to replace after losing the bulk of last year’s team to graduation, but are optimistic they can get positive production from attackmen Breneman and Phaup and Neumann commit Azeff. Don’t expect Souderton to go nose-to-nose with the CB Easts and CB Souths of the world. But they should hover near the .500 mark for much of the season.

Springfield-Montco

Coach: Hank Resch
2015 Record: 10-8
Key Returnees: Jr. LSM George Baughan.
Outlook: The Spartans look primed to build on last season’s 10-win season, although it likely will come down to how quickly their young lineup can gel. Syracuse commit Baughan is as solid as it gets as a long pole, while Springfield is hopeful of getting a little more offense.

Upper Merion

Coach: Brady McCormick
2015 Record: 5-13
Key Returnees: Jr. Midfielder Will Borkowski: Sr. Attack Dante Labricciosa; Sr. Def. Isaiah Graham-Mobley.
Outlook: The Vikings are very young, and really need those youngsters to mature quickly if they’re going to make any noise in the SOL American. While the Vikings mature, they’ll lean heavily on the likes of Labricciosa and Graham-Mobley to keep their own net clean.

Upper Moreland

Coach: Michael Liberona
2015 Record: 7-10
Key Returnees: Jr. Attack Tim Smith; Jr. Midfield Matt Sippel.
Outlook: The Bears are yet another program in the SOL American that is relying heavily on inexperienced players and whose 2016 fate is tied into just how quickly those youngsters respond to the varsity game. Smith will need to provide a good portion of the offense until the young Bears get their collective feet wet.

Wissahickon

Coach: Dan Layfield
2015 Record: 14-5
Key Returnees: Sr Def. Kyle Wolf; Sr. Def. JD Scannapieco; Sr. Attack Eric Kauffman.
Outlook: The Trojans are fine defensively, with enough experienced talent to keep most of their foes’ offenses from exploding. The question is, how much damage will the Trojans do offensively? The team is hopeful emerging talents like Kauffman will score enough to keep them competitive.

PHILADELPHIA CATHOLIC LEAGUE

Archbishop Wood

Coach: Jared Mayes
2015 Record: 8-10
Key Returnees: Sr. Midfielder Brandon Razler; Sr. Def. Brandon Huegel; Sr. Attack Tommy Cain.
Outlook: How do you compete in a league that perennially has some of the best teams in the state? The Vikings try and do it with a flair in the PR department (the sport’s website is up to date and friendly) and an up-tempo style of play that is fun to watch and enjoyable to play.

Lansdale Catholic

Coach: Thomas Nace
2015 Record: 5-13
Key Returnees: Sr. Midfield Phil White; Jr. Midfield Mike Basilli; Jr. Midfield Grady Kelly; Jr. LSM Ryan McDonald.
Outlook: With depth in the midfield and on defense, the Crusaders will look for adding scoring as the difference between contending for a playoff spot or standing on the outside and looking in.

La Salle

Coach: Bill Leahy
2015 Record: 13-6
Key Returnees: Sr. LSM Daniel Rivera; Sr. Midfield Craig Coleman; Jr. Attack Brett Baskin; Sr. Midfield Austin Clibanoff; Soph. Midfield Matt Clibanoff.
Outlook: It was a sub-par season for the Explorers a year ago, which could mean they’re ready to make amends. Think PCL finals and beyond as the team goal, and the Explorers just might get there. Division One collegiate commitments abound, with large numbers of the squad already locked in to playing at the next level,

INTER-ACADEMIC LEAGUE

Germantown Academy

Coach: Brian Grady
2015 Record: 10-11
Key Returnees: Sr. Midfield Jim McAfee; Sr. Midfield Matt Ho; Sr Def. Nick D’Ambrosio; Jr. GK Leroy Moser.
Outlook: The Patriots have beefed up their out of conference schedule, which is pretty optimistic for a program that already plays in one of the country’s most competitive leagues. The out-of-conference games will give the Pats exposure, but the team will require some success within the Inter-Ac to be thought of as something other than a hard-luck victim.