Player of the Year: Scott Falatach, St. Mary's
This rugged senior attackman persevered despite being physically hammered by the opposition. He was often double- and triple-teamed and always drew the opponent's No. 1 defender. Even so, he produced an amazing 67 goals and assisted on 44 others in leading the Saints to a No. 1 seed and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinals.
Falatach's best games were against Calvert Hall (eight goals), St. Paul's (seven) and McDonogh (six).
And he did it all by playing through a series of injuries. He played in all 20 games for St. Mary's (12-8), even though he tore the meniscus in his left knee and developed a hematoma in his right shoulder.
Falatach, who will join last year's Sun Player of the Year, Jed Prossner, at North Carolina, was not above playing defensive midfield or digging for ground balls.
"He was not the type of player who would just sit around the crease and score goals," said his coach, Mike Burnett. "He would create a lot of his own goals, by picking up ground balls and coming out of the scrum. He was our go-to-guy all year.
"He was always trying to improve, always asking questions about how to be a better feeder and rider," Burnett added.
At a banquet on Sunday, Falatach won the C. Markland Kelly Award as the best lacrosse player among the state's independent schools. He is the first from St. Mary's to win the award since Dan Marohl in 1996.
Coach of the Year: Bob Shriver, Boy's Latin
History repeated itself for Shriver in his 23rd season. In 1997, his Lakers beat Loyola to complete a 17-0 season for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title. And this year, the Lakers defeated Loyola yet again for the championship.
This time, though, Boys' Latin did it as an underdog. With the 12-7 victory, Shriver secured his fifth title in his tenure at the school. And he did it with a team that got much of its production from underclassmen such as juniors Trey Sheain (goalie) and Drew Peace (attack), defenders J.R. Stahl and Duncan Swanston and midfielders Alex Smith, Zeno Zennaro, Adam Hagelin and Ryan Walterhoefer.
The Lakers won 14 consecutive games and finished the season 20-2, and they did it with a defense that allowed fewer than seven goals a game. With all the talent returning, next year's squad could rival that of '97.
First team
Joe Benson, McDonogh
The senior attackman completed the season with 79 goals and 38 assists, leading the Eagles to the MIAA A Conference semifinals. The three-sport athlete is heading to Johns Hopkins to play lacrosse alongside his brother Bobby, a former Sun lacrosse Player of the Year.
At 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds, Benson also excels in basketball and football, twice earning Sun Offensive Player of the Year honors as a quarterback.
Kyle Dixon, Archbishop Spalding
The senior was considered among the nation's top midfield college recruits. He shoots with either hand and hustles from start to finish. In the MIAA B Conference final against Park, he contributed five goals and three assists, not to mention the game-winning score, to lift the No. 12 Cavaliers to their third straight title.
Dixon finished the season with 69 goals and 75 assists. His career points total of 389 eclipsed Anne Arundel County's all-time points record by three.
Gentry Fitzpatrick, Gilman
The junior was the stabilizing force on a team that is loaded with undergraduates, particularly on defense. His leadership helped sophomore goalie Chad Zimmerman to develop behind him, and others such as Tap Kolken to mature alongside him.
Fitzpatrick covered some of the MIAA's top attackmen. One of his best games was in the Greyhounds' 12-6 victory over Severn in the first round of the A Conference tournament, where he limited top scorer Michael Phipps to two assists.
Evan Gallant, Loyola
The senior attackman's season was comprised of several big games on the way to finishing with 50 goals and 18 assists. Gallant contributed six goals and two assists in a win over Georgetown Prep of Montgomery County, then-ranked No. 3 nationally.
An excellent finisher, Gallant scored seven goals against St. Mary's, six against St. Paul's and five against Mount St. Joseph. He will play lacrosse at Gettysburg (Pa.) College.
Bobby Griebe, Boy's Latin
The second-year varsity starter handled the pressure of being an offensive leader and the son of a National Hall of Fame player by the same name.
The senior attackman's 39 goals more than doubled his total from the previous season (18), and he also recorded 53 assists for the Lakers.
The Baltimore City/County Player of the Year had combined six goals and four assists in two games against Loyola and executed with poise and patience, often drawing the opposition's No. 1 defender.
Griebe is set to attend Towson University in the fall.
Dan Kallaugher, McDonogh
The senior midfielder produced 21 goals and 14 assists while handling duties as the Eagles' faceoff specialist. In his best games, Kallaugher won nine of 10 faceoffs in a win over Calvert Hall, scored four goals in an 8-7 MIAA A Conference tournament first-round loss to eventual champion Boys' Latin, and won 24 of 35 draws against St. Mary's.
For the season, Kallaugher won 66 percent of his faceoffs. He will play lacrosse at Yale.
Matt Mindel, Dulaney
The three-sport athlete has a brilliant combination of speed, skill and power. The senior midfielder scored 26 goals and assisted on 15 others. As a faceoff specialist, he won 151 of 209 faceoffs (72 percent). In a state semifinal win over last year's Class 3A-2A champion Fallston, Mindel scored five goals, had an assist and won 13 of 16 faceoffs. He had three goals to help Dulaney win its third straight state title in double overtime over Severna Park.
Also a state place-winning wrestler and a member of the Lions' state runner-up soccer team, Mindel is considering Delaware or Maryland.
Steve Mull, Fallston
His junior year, Mull led Fallston to the Class 3A-2A state title with a single-season school-record 77 goals and 14 assists. But this season, he took a broader approach to his offensive role.
The senior attackman finished with 37 goals and 61 assists, including the game-winning assist from the ground in a 9-8 overtime victory over Westminster in the 4A-3A North regional semifinals.
Harford County's all-time career assists leader with 191, Mull led the Cougars to two important victories over C. Milton Wright, the first one earning the county title, and the second a 4A-3A regional crown. Mull is bound for Towson University.
Mike Obringer, Dulaney
The senior attackman capped his standout career with the game-winning goal in the Class 4A-3A state championship game. His fifth goal finally sent Severna Park to defeat, 16-15, in double overtime. The win marked the 16th consecutive for the Lions, who won their third straight title and fifth overall. In the semifinal victory over Fallston, Obringer had three each in goals and assists.
The three-year varsity player ended the season with 61 goals and 46 assists, building his career totals to 157 and 141, respectively. He is bound for West Point.
Matt Pinto, Loyola
The senior improved on his second-team All-Metro season by being the most dominant defender in the MIAA A Conference. In his best games, he shut out St. Mary's Scott Falatach, The Sun's Player of the Year, and Newton Gentry of Mount St. Joseph. McDonogh's Joe Benson scored only twice against him.
Pinto excelled as a take-away artist and also played good off-ball defense for a team with two inexperienced goalies. He will play lacrosse at Johns Hopkins.
Austin Rodgers, Loyola
The senior attackman finished the season with 45 goals and 47 assists for the MIAA A Conference runner-up. His season began with a three-goal, five-assist performance against Landon of Montgomery County, the nation's No. 1-ranked team. Rodgers also had two each in goals and assists in an A Conference tournament semifinal victory over Gilman in double overtime, 8-7, including the game-winning goal.
Bound for Rutgers, Rodgers finished his high school career with 65 goals and 74 assists.
Trey Sheain, Boy's Latin
The second-year starter emerged with several big games in goal for the Lakers, allowing an average of fewer than seven goals against MIAA A Conference competition and only slightly more than six against the Lakers' overall schedule. Sheain finished with 208 saves.
"We only gave up double digits in one game," Boys' Latin coach Bob Shriver said of the junior goalie. "He's a great player when he comes out of the goal, and he's getting better."
J.R. Stahl, Boy's Latin
The junior is an excellent athlete who always makes it difficult for the opposing offensive players to excel. Coupled with defensive teammates Duncan Swanston and John Gallagher, Stahl "gives us a lot of flexibility," said his coach, Bob Shriver.
Stahl was called upon to control McDonogh's Joe Benson in the Lakers' MIAA A Conference first-round victory, and averaged nearly three ground balls thanks to his hustle.
Stahl also was a member of last fall's MIAA B Conference runner-up soccer team for the Lakers.
Billy Staines, Severn
A member of the prestigious Freestate Team in 2001, the senior defender scooped 121 ground balls and limited most of the top players in the MIAA A Conference to two points or fewer. Like his older brother Ronnie (also an All-Metro selection), Staines is headed to play for North Carolina.
Having led the Admirals to their second consecutive A Conference playoff berth, Staines was chosen his team's Most Valuable Player.
Second team
Name School Class Position
Kyle Batton Dulaney Junior Attack
Mike Down Centennial Junior Attack
Kevin Huntley Calvert Hall Sophomore Attack
Caleb Miller Pikesville Senior Attack
Brendan Mundorf Mount St. Joseph Senior Attack
Michael Osborne Severna Park Senior Attack
Michael Phipps Severn Junior Attack
Evan Kay Friends Senior Midfield
Ryan Burns Severna Park Senior Midfield
Steve Panos Broadneck Senior Midfield
Dan Witt Southern-AA Senior Midfield
Hayward Howard St. Paul's Senior Defense
Drew Walters Westminster Senior Defense
Frank Hopkins C. Milton Wright Senior Defense
Kip Turner Severn Junior Goalie
Note: Teams selected by Lem Satterfield after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Final Poll
1. Boys' Latin 20-2
2. Loyola 17-3
3. St. Mary's 12-8
4. Gilman 8-9
5. McDonogh 14-9
6. Severn 13-8
7. Calvert Hall 8-7
8. Mount St. Joseph 10-8
9. Dulaney 16-2
10. Severna Park 14-5
11. St. Paul's 7-10
12. Archbishop Spalding 18-4
13. Fallston 12-5
14. Centennial 16-2
15. Mount Hebron 13-5
Other teams considered: Southern (14-4), Pikesville (13-5), Westminster (12-2), C. Milton Wright (12-5), South River (12-6), Broadneck (9-6).
This rugged senior attackman persevered despite being physically hammered by the opposition. He was often double- and triple-teamed and always drew the opponent's No. 1 defender. Even so, he produced an amazing 67 goals and assisted on 44 others in leading the Saints to a No. 1 seed and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinals.
Falatach's best games were against Calvert Hall (eight goals), St. Paul's (seven) and McDonogh (six).
And he did it all by playing through a series of injuries. He played in all 20 games for St. Mary's (12-8), even though he tore the meniscus in his left knee and developed a hematoma in his right shoulder.
Falatach, who will join last year's Sun Player of the Year, Jed Prossner, at North Carolina, was not above playing defensive midfield or digging for ground balls.
"He was not the type of player who would just sit around the crease and score goals," said his coach, Mike Burnett. "He would create a lot of his own goals, by picking up ground balls and coming out of the scrum. He was our go-to-guy all year.
"He was always trying to improve, always asking questions about how to be a better feeder and rider," Burnett added.
At a banquet on Sunday, Falatach won the C. Markland Kelly Award as the best lacrosse player among the state's independent schools. He is the first from St. Mary's to win the award since Dan Marohl in 1996.
Coach of the Year: Bob Shriver, Boy's Latin
History repeated itself for Shriver in his 23rd season. In 1997, his Lakers beat Loyola to complete a 17-0 season for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title. And this year, the Lakers defeated Loyola yet again for the championship.
This time, though, Boys' Latin did it as an underdog. With the 12-7 victory, Shriver secured his fifth title in his tenure at the school. And he did it with a team that got much of its production from underclassmen such as juniors Trey Sheain (goalie) and Drew Peace (attack), defenders J.R. Stahl and Duncan Swanston and midfielders Alex Smith, Zeno Zennaro, Adam Hagelin and Ryan Walterhoefer.
The Lakers won 14 consecutive games and finished the season 20-2, and they did it with a defense that allowed fewer than seven goals a game. With all the talent returning, next year's squad could rival that of '97.
First team
Joe Benson, McDonogh
The senior attackman completed the season with 79 goals and 38 assists, leading the Eagles to the MIAA A Conference semifinals. The three-sport athlete is heading to Johns Hopkins to play lacrosse alongside his brother Bobby, a former Sun lacrosse Player of the Year.
At 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds, Benson also excels in basketball and football, twice earning Sun Offensive Player of the Year honors as a quarterback.
Kyle Dixon, Archbishop Spalding
The senior was considered among the nation's top midfield college recruits. He shoots with either hand and hustles from start to finish. In the MIAA B Conference final against Park, he contributed five goals and three assists, not to mention the game-winning score, to lift the No. 12 Cavaliers to their third straight title.
Dixon finished the season with 69 goals and 75 assists. His career points total of 389 eclipsed Anne Arundel County's all-time points record by three.
Gentry Fitzpatrick, Gilman
The junior was the stabilizing force on a team that is loaded with undergraduates, particularly on defense. His leadership helped sophomore goalie Chad Zimmerman to develop behind him, and others such as Tap Kolken to mature alongside him.
Fitzpatrick covered some of the MIAA's top attackmen. One of his best games was in the Greyhounds' 12-6 victory over Severn in the first round of the A Conference tournament, where he limited top scorer Michael Phipps to two assists.
Evan Gallant, Loyola
The senior attackman's season was comprised of several big games on the way to finishing with 50 goals and 18 assists. Gallant contributed six goals and two assists in a win over Georgetown Prep of Montgomery County, then-ranked No. 3 nationally.
An excellent finisher, Gallant scored seven goals against St. Mary's, six against St. Paul's and five against Mount St. Joseph. He will play lacrosse at Gettysburg (Pa.) College.
Bobby Griebe, Boy's Latin
The second-year varsity starter handled the pressure of being an offensive leader and the son of a National Hall of Fame player by the same name.
The senior attackman's 39 goals more than doubled his total from the previous season (18), and he also recorded 53 assists for the Lakers.
The Baltimore City/County Player of the Year had combined six goals and four assists in two games against Loyola and executed with poise and patience, often drawing the opposition's No. 1 defender.
Griebe is set to attend Towson University in the fall.
Dan Kallaugher, McDonogh
The senior midfielder produced 21 goals and 14 assists while handling duties as the Eagles' faceoff specialist. In his best games, Kallaugher won nine of 10 faceoffs in a win over Calvert Hall, scored four goals in an 8-7 MIAA A Conference tournament first-round loss to eventual champion Boys' Latin, and won 24 of 35 draws against St. Mary's.
For the season, Kallaugher won 66 percent of his faceoffs. He will play lacrosse at Yale.
Matt Mindel, Dulaney
The three-sport athlete has a brilliant combination of speed, skill and power. The senior midfielder scored 26 goals and assisted on 15 others. As a faceoff specialist, he won 151 of 209 faceoffs (72 percent). In a state semifinal win over last year's Class 3A-2A champion Fallston, Mindel scored five goals, had an assist and won 13 of 16 faceoffs. He had three goals to help Dulaney win its third straight state title in double overtime over Severna Park.
Also a state place-winning wrestler and a member of the Lions' state runner-up soccer team, Mindel is considering Delaware or Maryland.
Steve Mull, Fallston
His junior year, Mull led Fallston to the Class 3A-2A state title with a single-season school-record 77 goals and 14 assists. But this season, he took a broader approach to his offensive role.
The senior attackman finished with 37 goals and 61 assists, including the game-winning assist from the ground in a 9-8 overtime victory over Westminster in the 4A-3A North regional semifinals.
Harford County's all-time career assists leader with 191, Mull led the Cougars to two important victories over C. Milton Wright, the first one earning the county title, and the second a 4A-3A regional crown. Mull is bound for Towson University.
Mike Obringer, Dulaney
The senior attackman capped his standout career with the game-winning goal in the Class 4A-3A state championship game. His fifth goal finally sent Severna Park to defeat, 16-15, in double overtime. The win marked the 16th consecutive for the Lions, who won their third straight title and fifth overall. In the semifinal victory over Fallston, Obringer had three each in goals and assists.
The three-year varsity player ended the season with 61 goals and 46 assists, building his career totals to 157 and 141, respectively. He is bound for West Point.
Matt Pinto, Loyola
The senior improved on his second-team All-Metro season by being the most dominant defender in the MIAA A Conference. In his best games, he shut out St. Mary's Scott Falatach, The Sun's Player of the Year, and Newton Gentry of Mount St. Joseph. McDonogh's Joe Benson scored only twice against him.
Pinto excelled as a take-away artist and also played good off-ball defense for a team with two inexperienced goalies. He will play lacrosse at Johns Hopkins.
Austin Rodgers, Loyola
The senior attackman finished the season with 45 goals and 47 assists for the MIAA A Conference runner-up. His season began with a three-goal, five-assist performance against Landon of Montgomery County, the nation's No. 1-ranked team. Rodgers also had two each in goals and assists in an A Conference tournament semifinal victory over Gilman in double overtime, 8-7, including the game-winning goal.
Bound for Rutgers, Rodgers finished his high school career with 65 goals and 74 assists.
Trey Sheain, Boy's Latin
The second-year starter emerged with several big games in goal for the Lakers, allowing an average of fewer than seven goals against MIAA A Conference competition and only slightly more than six against the Lakers' overall schedule. Sheain finished with 208 saves.
"We only gave up double digits in one game," Boys' Latin coach Bob Shriver said of the junior goalie. "He's a great player when he comes out of the goal, and he's getting better."
J.R. Stahl, Boy's Latin
The junior is an excellent athlete who always makes it difficult for the opposing offensive players to excel. Coupled with defensive teammates Duncan Swanston and John Gallagher, Stahl "gives us a lot of flexibility," said his coach, Bob Shriver.
Stahl was called upon to control McDonogh's Joe Benson in the Lakers' MIAA A Conference first-round victory, and averaged nearly three ground balls thanks to his hustle.
Stahl also was a member of last fall's MIAA B Conference runner-up soccer team for the Lakers.
Billy Staines, Severn
A member of the prestigious Freestate Team in 2001, the senior defender scooped 121 ground balls and limited most of the top players in the MIAA A Conference to two points or fewer. Like his older brother Ronnie (also an All-Metro selection), Staines is headed to play for North Carolina.
Having led the Admirals to their second consecutive A Conference playoff berth, Staines was chosen his team's Most Valuable Player.
Second team
Name School Class Position
Kyle Batton Dulaney Junior Attack
Mike Down Centennial Junior Attack
Kevin Huntley Calvert Hall Sophomore Attack
Caleb Miller Pikesville Senior Attack
Brendan Mundorf Mount St. Joseph Senior Attack
Michael Osborne Severna Park Senior Attack
Michael Phipps Severn Junior Attack
Evan Kay Friends Senior Midfield
Ryan Burns Severna Park Senior Midfield
Steve Panos Broadneck Senior Midfield
Dan Witt Southern-AA Senior Midfield
Hayward Howard St. Paul's Senior Defense
Drew Walters Westminster Senior Defense
Frank Hopkins C. Milton Wright Senior Defense
Kip Turner Severn Junior Goalie
Note: Teams selected by Lem Satterfield after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Final Poll
1. Boys' Latin 20-2
2. Loyola 17-3
3. St. Mary's 12-8
4. Gilman 8-9
5. McDonogh 14-9
6. Severn 13-8
7. Calvert Hall 8-7
8. Mount St. Joseph 10-8
9. Dulaney 16-2
10. Severna Park 14-5
11. St. Paul's 7-10
12. Archbishop Spalding 18-4
13. Fallston 12-5
14. Centennial 16-2
15. Mount Hebron 13-5
Other teams considered: Southern (14-4), Pikesville (13-5), Westminster (12-2), C. Milton Wright (12-5), South River (12-6), Broadneck (9-6).