By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
The start of the 2024 boys’ high school lacrosse season is upon us. And in Chester County, the premier squad sure looks to be Malvern Prep. The Friars have quality depth at every level and will be the team to beat in the always tough Inter-Ac.
In the Ches-Mont league, Downingtown East lost stars Sam Barton (Colgate), Bo Horvath (Lehigh), Mike Waite (St. Josephs), and Bryson Kolinsky (Delaware) to graduation, and yet the Cougars are still probably the team to beat. West Chester Rustin and Bishop Shanahan are District 1 2A powerhouses and are certainly in the mix. And so is Avon Grove, who has a new head coach, and new momentum seven years after winning the state crown.
In 3A, Conestoga is looking to rebound from a season that wasn’t its best, and in 2A Devon Prep has enough to contend for the District 12 crown and, perhaps, the state championship.
Here is a closer look:
Ches-Mont
Downingtown East >> Losing four big-time Division I players to graduation would devastate some programs, but the Cougars have become a powerhouse under fifth-year head coach Joe Horvath (52-15 record).
The defending Ches-Mont champs should be in the mix again with senior midfielder Jake McMahon and Connor Sweeney leading the way, along with junior goaltender Brayden Quinn (103 saves in ’23). Attackers Owen Lammy and Luke Fiorillo and defender Taner Marusa are three more valuable seniors, along with face off specialist Paxton Warnock. The Cougars were 20-4 last season and finished third in District 1.
“Our goals are to win the Ches,Mont league, fight for a place-finish in the District 1 tournament, and compete in the PIAA 3A State Tournament,” Horvath said.
West Chester Rustin >> The Golden Knights broke through and won the District 1 2A Championship and went on to advance to the PIAA Semifinals last season. Head coach Kevin Philibin has a couple proven scorers in senior Jack O’Hora (31 goals; 23 assists last season) and junior Nate Pechin (27 goals; 16 assists) and some veteran defenders like senior Gavin Seaman and junior Pat Maychak. The midfield will include seniors Danny Batchelor and Jake Purcell, and juniors Aaron Cotter and Ryan Loper.
“After the most successful season in program history, and graduating a strong 2023 senior class, we look to both build on the program’s success and come into our own as a new team this year,” Philibin said.
Bishop Shanahan >> The Eagles went 12-8 a year ago under head coach Jon Heisman, who is entering his 12th season with Shanahan. He is 517-140 overall in 33 years as a high school head coach.
The Eagles have two senior attackers with lots of experience: Devin Mullen and Joe Devine. Nate Bracken and Ryan Weber are back in the midfield, and the defense returns Sam O’Donnell and Luke Nickolas. Shanahan is breaking in a new goaltender in Dom Napoli, and newcomers Nate Kennedy (attack) and Jack Dinunnzio (defense) are expected to take on bigger roles this spring.
“We are looking to be competitive each and every game,” Heisman said.
Downingtown West >> The Whippets rode a roller coaster 11-8 season a year ago and will have to replace four key seniors. But head coach Billy Davis has one of the area’s best midfielder in senior Dean Hangey, and well as proven attackers like Owen Lundmark (senior), Ty Raines (junior) and Brady Cetera (sophomore).
Newcomers like midfielder Brady Epps and defender Cole Epps will play a bigger role.
“Following a tough 2023 season with a lot of ups and downs, I expect to surprise some teams this season and several seasons to come,” Davis said. “This group has great energy and boundless potential.”
Kennett >> Just about all of the key players that guided the Blue Demons to the 2021 State Final have moved on, but Kennett may develop into a contender. Head coach Bob Allvord’s team went 17-5 in 2023 and advanced to the third round at states.
Senior Bo Freebery is a premier playmaker and is Holy Cross-bound. The midfield should be solid with junior Colin Kelly, and seniors Jackie Good and Marco Brid. The defense is led by junior Ian Guyer, and senior Dave Cerezales is the projected starter in goal. But the rest of the lineup is inexperienced.
“We will continue to work hard with the ever-changing landscape of our program,” Allvord said. “Looking are forward to competing in the always-tough Ches-Mont.”
Unionville >> Ian Allender takes over as the Longhorns’ head coach from Steve Holmes, who remains on the staff. Unionville was 9-9 a year ago and has accomplished returnees in senior attacker Owen Kupsey (Penn Tech commit), senior midfielder Josiah Hoopman, senior defender Connor Bellafiore (Elizabethtown commit), and junior goaltender Chase Mousaw.
Seniors Owen Quinlan and sophomore Wyatt Kupsey also return on the attack. Senior Ethan McGlaughline and Lincoln Cawley will bolster the midfield, while seniors Corrado Ditoro (Monclair State commit) and Luke Stokes adding to the defense.
“With a seasoned group of upperclassmen that have experienced both great success as well as difficult adversity, I believe we’re in a good spot to challenge the league this year,” Allender said.
Coatesville >> Bruce Shallis takes over for Dan Ellis as the Red Raiders’ head coach. In three years as a program, Coatesville went 12-6 in 2023 and made the district playoffs. The Raiders lost some key seniors like goalie Dax Shallis and attacker Owen Ellis, but Derek Cooper (attack), Bryce Kerrigan (long-stick midfielder) and Steven Evans (midfielder) are returning. Other notable veterans include Josh and Jake Van Orden, Matiss Clouser and Kaiden Mayan.
“We lost some key members from last season but our motto is ‘reload not rebuild.’” Shallis said.
West Chester Henderson >> The Warriors bottomed out with a 4-14 record a year ago, but third-year head coach Sean Evans has a nice mix of returning players and promising newcomers. Senior Evan McFadden is one of the better defenders in the area and he’s already committed to play collegiately at St. Josephs.
The midfield is experienced with seniors Logan Goodwin, Seamus Murphy, Max Abrahams and Danny Garcia. Senior Ryan Prete will get some help on the attack by sophomore Phelon Semon and freshman Zach Abrahams.
“Our goal is to work hard, improve every day, and be competitive every time we step on the field in 2024,” Evans said.
West Chester East >> Just 4-12 a year ago, the Vikings are anxious for a redemptive season in ’24. The offense should be more explosive with senior midfielder Nolan Schemmer (Widener commit), senior attacker Luke Berry, and sophomore Kyle Keefe, who was injured a year ago and is poised for a breakout season.
The defense is anchored by seniors CJ Dehaven and Max Condit.
“Our defense is secure led by CJ, who spent the offseason in the gym and has become a beast around the island,” said East head coach Nate Bauer.
Oxford >> The Hornets lost eight graduating seniors and will be rebuilding this spring. Head coach Joe Martinelli does have a proven goaltender in Kiernan Clark, who made 239 saves as a freshman in ’23. “We will be building around him this year,” Martinelli said.
Seniors Drew Marker (midfield) and Thomas Martinelli (attack) will take on bigger roles, and so will juniors Teagan Ford (defense), Logan Keenan (face off) and Matt Lilly (attack).
Avon Grove and Great Valley >> Both programs have new head coaches. Robert Amanto has replaced Brian Wallace at Avon Grove, and Alex Greco has taken over from Ben Walton with the Patriots.
Both new coaches declined to respond to numerous attempts by the Daily Local News.
Others:
Malvern Prep >> The Friars are loaded across the board once again this spring with Division I prospects dotting the lineup. Lefty Ennis Udo (Brown) is the leader at attack; John Majka (Army) headlines a deep group at midfield; Lucca DiBartolomeo (Penn State) is one of the state’s best long-stick middies; and Kyle Worsnup (Rutgers) anchors the defense. Other seniors like Ryan Traynor (Christopher Newport), Peri DiBartolomeo (Penn State), Roman DiBartolomeo (Penn State), Nick Wehmeyer (Yale), Jack Lehman (Ohio State) and Brad Piffafth (Penn State) bolster an outstanding class.
“I’m excited to have witnessed their growth over the last three and a half years,” head coach Matt Mackrides.
Some of the underclass standouts include attacker Michael Ortlieb (Duke); midfielders Owen Means (Duke), Jake Bickle (Duke) and Will Tantillo (Duke); defenders Reid Chisholm (Villanova) and Connor Cross (Air Force) and goaltender Heath Jones (Rutgers).
Conestoga >> The Pioneers are among the area elite even in a down season, and 2023 qualified for that. This spring ’Stoga has an outstanding scorer in senior Clif Hawkins, who tallied 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists) a year ago. And the midfield is manned by seniors Adrien Grove (15 goals, 4 assists) and Charles Newhall.
The senior trio of Jack Keller, Gavin Shoup and Charlie Spottiswoode are back to anchor the defense, and junior Mikey Johnson is back in goal for the Pioneers.
“We have a young team mixed in with some great senior leaders,” longtime head coach Brody Bush said. “This team needs to learn quickly being in the Cenrral League – the hardest league in the State.”
A long list of talented newcomers includes freshmen Liam Donovan and Brian Ford, junior Wade Bielinski and sophomore Gunner Flesher.
Devon Prep >> The Tide may be a legitimate threat to contend for the PIAA 2A state crown. Devon lost just one senior from a squad that finished fourth in the Philadelphian Catholic League, was the District 12 runner-up and qualified for states for the third straight season.
Senior midfielder Eammon Donovan scored 54 goals and dished out 29 assists a year ago and was a first-team all-league pick. Other seniors like attacker Nick D’Alessandro and faceoff specialist Zach Sebra were second team all PCL in 2023. The defense is anchored by senior Harry Friend, and the attack is bolstered by the return of junior Ryan Kane and sophomore Declan Sullivan.
“This current senior group and upperclassmen brings a lot of experience and leadership,” said Devon head coach Mark Consolo. “They look to win the effort battle each game and motivate each other as teammates to be the best version of themselves.”
Westtown >> The Moose advanced all the way to the Friends League Title Game in ’23, and with returning players like seniors Matt Hamill and Arjun Gill they will be in the mix this spring. Hamill spearheads the attack and Gill is a goaltender, and both were first team all-league picks.
Other key returnees include Noah Snyder on attack, Aiden Kammerer (midfield/faceoff), Xander Maxwell (midfield), and defenders Jake Dynan, Mason Davis and Ben Pagano.
“We have high expectations heading into this season,” said head coach Desi Gonzalez. “With strong upperclassmen leadership we want our team to grow together as one, progress further every game, and compete for the Friends School League Championship.”
Church Farm >> The Griffins lost eight seniors to graduation. So head coach Kevin Korb’s squad is a bit inexperienced, but a strong sophomore class is expected to make big strides.
Twin sophomore brothers Victor and Oscar Lu are dangerous in the midfield and attack. And Inioluwa ‘Favour’ Oyebode is a solid returner at long-stick. The top junior prospects include speedy midfielders Amadu Jollah and Muse Kabiso-Johnson.
“Our goal this season is to develop skills, raise lacrosse IQ and have fun,” Korb said.
Avon Grove Charter >> The Wolves and head coach Tracey Happold look to return to the postseason and will be bolstered by a strong junior class. Samuel Carey and Nathan Herzog are back and were among the team’s top scorers in 2023. Midfielder Michael Williams, also a junior, is a two-way standout, and the defense is anchored by senior Shane Campbell, who missed much of last season with a concussion. The top candidates at goalie include veteran Paul Chromo and sophomore Evan Porter.
