BALTIMORE — Whereas teaching boys’ basketball at Plum Level Center Faculty in 2015, Peter Kerwin was impressed by a sixth-grader at tryouts. Chad Connolly wasn’t probably the most proficient participant, however he left each follow with scraped knees after diving for unfastened balls.
Maryland
Huntingtown lacrosse keeps rising but falls in Maryland 2A title game
With Connolly a senior, Huntingtown realized that imaginative and prescient this season because it reached its first 2A championship sport. However the Hurricanes couldn’t full an ideal season Tuesday; they fell, 11-7, to Kent Island at Loyola College.
“We talked about this as freshmen,” senior defenseman Koy Greenwell stated. “We anticipated it. Clearly, not the outcome that we needed, nevertheless it’s superior to place the varsity on the map.”
After dropping to Marriotts Ridge by a objective in final 12 months’s quarterfinals, Huntingtown gamers had been assured they might compete with any Maryland opponent. In Southern Maryland, the place curiosity within the sport doesn’t evaluate with its recognition in Baltimore-area counties, many Huntingtown athletes grew up enjoying soccer and solely discovered lacrosse in highschool.
Huntingtown (19-1) achieved extra milestones this season, defeating Anne Arundel County contender South River in April after which Easton within the state semifinals final week. The Hurricanes obtained a lift when Connolly, a midfielder who signed with Navy, returned in late April from a labrum harm he suffered in soccer season. He had anticipated to be sidelined till June.
“It was excellent news getting out of bodily remedy a lot quicker than anticipated,” Connolly stated. “With the ability to come again and assist my group was every little thing.”
Huntingtown fell behind by 4 towards Kent Island (19-1) earlier than Connolly put the Hurricanes on the board with 4:13 remaining within the first half. Midfielder Austin Welch, who will play soccer at West Virginia, dominated the faceoff circle. The senior went by means of the motions studying lacrosse his freshman 12 months of 2019 earlier than changing into enamored with taking faceoffs the subsequent season.
The Hurricanes took benefit of that possession within the fourth quarter. With 8:19 to go, attackman Nate Duvall reduce Huntingtown’s deficit to at least one. Kent Island then scored with 5:55 remaining and twice extra within the closing 90 seconds to carry on.
“Huntingtown’s not going away,” Kerwin stated. “[The seniors] have given the youthful group type of the recipe of what it takes. We now have a variety of confidence that our juniors can fill that void and present that we come again and we’re higher than we’re this 12 months.”