Whether it's statistics or accomplishments, Howard senior Scott Bruner has it all.
He scored a county-record 88 goals, averaging 4.63 per game, had a county-high 117 points and was the most consistent force for a Lions team that went 19-0 and captured their first state championship since 1979.
The only blemish on an almost perfect two-year stretch was a loss to South River in the state finals last spring. Bruner and his teammates, motivated by the loss, avenged the Seahawks in a state semifinal on May 16, and then topped off a 37-1 two-year record with a dominating performance against Winston Churchill on May 20 for the state championship.
Along the way, it was Bruner, the Howard County Times/Columbia Flier boys lacrosse Player of the Year, who shined brightest among a team full of stars.
"As a freshman walking in here, I was not expecting all this at all," said Bruner, who was also named the 4A/3A Kelly Award winner as best player in the division. "I started playing in seventh grade, so I didn't really understand anything about Howard and its history. It's definitely a great accomplishment to see where we are now as a program, and I'm just glad to be a part of it."
"He'll go down as one of the best attackmen and overall players that Howard has ever had," Howard coach Jimmy Creighton said. "He's one of the best goal scorers the county has had over the last three years. So with that said, I think that's a pretty good legacy."
A four-year varsity player and three-year starter and first-team all-county selection, Bruner had a knack for playing his best in high-pressure situations despite often being guarded by the opposing teams' best defender.
His goal in the fourth quarter against Westminster in the 4A/3A North region semifinal proved to be the game-winner in an 8-7 win. Two games later, despite being guarded tightly by what Creighton said was "the best athlete we have seen all year" in the state semifinal against South River, Bruner sparked a second half run and finished with four tallies and six points in the 11-4 victory.
"He was a guy we could lean on in tight situations. He's been in a lot of pressure situations for us, and we felt confident that he could be that guy for us ... He just made our offense a lot more dynamic," Creighton said. "He can dodge, he can shoot from the outside, he can score from inside, he can move off the ball – he just made our offense tougher to guard because you can try to stop him, but he can do so many other things that opens up things for other players."
His progression from season to season followed suit with his team's success. He led the Lions to the state semifinal game as a sophomore, where he finished with 59 goals and third in the county with 80 points.
But it was after that season that Creighton told Bruner he was just scratching the surface of his true potential.
"We meet the guys at the end of every season to have exit interviews ... and one of the things I said to him was, 'You need to assert yourself as one of the best players in the county, and if not the state,' because that's how good I felt he was," Creighton said. "His work ethic in the offseason took care of that and made it easy for him. Being in those high-pressure situations at such a young age – playing in the state semifinal game as a sophomore – that really helped him out mentally to prepare. He put in all the work and bought in to what we were doing as a team."
His junior season saw a slight drop in his individual stats as he finished with 45 goals, which led the county, and 61 points, but Howard took the next step as it won a county championship and brought an 18-0 record into the state championship game.
There, however, the dream season came to a disappointing end as the Lions fell to South River for the second straight postseason. It was a defining moment in what would Bruner's final career loss.
"Losing to South River ... a lot of players were crushed. In the locker room (after the game) you could see all the players tearing up and the real emotions of how it felt to lose that game," Bruner said. "It was disappointing, and it really helped us in the offseason this year and pushed us to work harder and get that state championship. It really shows how hard work really does pay off. ... We got together, came (to Howard) three or four times a week throughout the summer, lifted, ran, and did all those things to be together and work on chemistry right away."
The offseason work resulted in Howard dominating county competition this year, outscoring the league 221-40 and going 11-0. Bruner scored 19 goals in five postseason games, including three in the state finals, to finish a historic senior season.
But when asked about his record-breaking season, he admits he didn't know what the record was and that it never crossed his mind. He wanted his legacy to be one capped by a state championship – not one by how many goals he scored.
"I wouldn't say I have a legacy for my individual career, but overall the steps we made is going to be the legacy – from freshman year to senior year increasing our postseason run by one game and winning a state championship my senior year," he said. "Individually, I would say I'm pretty happy with my career. I definitely didn't expect any of it, but it just goes to show that hard work does pay off, and the harder you push yourself the further you're going to go. It just makes me happy to see that that really did come true."
Also named to the all-county first team:
Attack
Shane Brookhart, Mt. Hebron.
Brookhart was the go-to guy offensively and led the charge for a break out season for Mt. Hebron. A four-year varsity player, three-year starter and two-year team captain, he improved upon a dominating junior performance by scoring 35 goals and adding 21 assist to finish sixth in the county in points despite missing three games.
"Shane is 'the man.' He has tremendous work ethic, and is the vocal and emotional leader of our team," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He was our go to guy, and he wanted the ball in big situations."
Brookhart's double-overtime goal against Glenelg in the playoffs lifted the Vikings to the region final. He will play for York College next year.
Cody Ford, Howard.
A three-year varsity starter and a team captain, Ford was Howard's most imposing offensive threat, and could carry the Lions when he found his groove from the outside.
"Cody was our best shooter, and has been for the past two or three years," coach Jimmy Creighton said. "His ability to shoot from the outside opened things up for others and made defenders play out on him."
In the state semifinal game against South River, Ford put on a show by scoring three goals in less than two minutes to give the Lions the lead for good.
He finished the spring third in the county with 61 goals, and is second on the Howard scoring list with 150. Ford will play for Jacksonville University.
Jimmy McEneaney, River Hill.
After taking his lumps as a varsity player his freshman and sophomore season, McEneaney led River Hill to a winning season as a junior and to the state championship game as a senior. His 43 goals were fourth most in the county, and he finished fifth in points with 65. "Jimmy has meant a lot to our program because he a leader among leaders," coach Keith Gonsouland said. "In the big moments he really kept everyone calm and he never hesitated to challenge the other team best player."
McEneaney had one of his best games in the state championship, as he scored five goals against a stingy Kent Island defense. He finishes his career fifth all-time in points in Hawks' program history with 158.
Eric Schroeder, Howard.
Not the flashiest goal-scorer, Schroeder was often the forgotten attackman among the dynamic Howard offense. But he broke out on the county scene with a seven-goal performance against Mt. Hebron, one of the top defenses in the county, and also scored six, including a diving backhanded shot, against 2014 state champions Fallston.
Schroeder was one of the most consistent scorers in the county as he finished second in the league behind Bruner in goals with 65, and points with 86.
"His legacy is that he was a great finisher and a creator on one of the best attack units in the state," coach Creighton said.
Midfield
Pat Clipp, Marriotts Ridge.
One of the most complete and best all-around players in the county, Clipp finished near the top of the county in points (52) and ground balls (84.) "Patrick did everything you ask of a midfielder – offense, defense, clears, ground balls ... and he did it all at a high level," coach Tony Incontrera said.
Clipp, who notched a point in every game this spring, often attracted the opposing team's top defender. Stiil, the three-year varsity starter doubled his previous two seasons' point totals.
In a one-goal victory over South Carroll, Clipp showed his defensive prowess by picking up six ground balls and causing two turnovers. He will attend UMBC on a lacrosse scholarship next year.
Matt Marsh, Reservoir.
After Reservoir graduated a large senior class last year, Marsh was the undisputed leader of the Gators this spring. He had a knack for scoring first in games, and the four-year varsity player and three-year starter averaged almost four points per game, and finished fifth in the county with 39 goals. He also picked up 84 ground balls.
"He was not only a leader by example, but a vocal one as well," coach Bryan Cole said. "He was a driving force keeping our team focused throughout the season and engaged in what we were doing. ... His aggressive attack put teams on their heals and forced them out of their comfort zone."
Kyle Sutton, Mt. Hebron.
A quiet leader, Sutton made a lot of noise this spring by leading Mt. Hebron with 37 goals. Against Glenelg late in the regular season, Sutton's goal with nine seconds left in overtime sealed home-field advantage through their playoff section.
"He grew up this year and scored some big time goals for us," coach McCarthy said.
Sutton scored four straight goals in three minutes against Oakland Mills to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead. "I had asked him to step up during a time out and he did," McCarthy said. "That night be also became a leader."
Brad Zulick, Howard.
Zulick, a two-year starter, was the "quarterback" of the Howard offense that averaged almost 17 goals per game as he led the county with 42 assists this spring.
"Brad was the guy we could count on to break a defender and/or defense down from anywhere on the field, especially from up top," coach Creighton said. "His first step is one of the best I have ever seen at the high school level."
Zulick's best game of the season came in the region semifinal against Westminster when he led the team with three goals and added an assist in a low-scoring contest. He also tallied a game-high four assists in the state finals against Churchill. He will play for Dickinson College next year.
Face off
Ryan Land, Howard.
Land had the tough task of replacing 2014 Player of the Year John Travisano as Howard's face-off man, but he lived up to the lofty expectations. He won 286 of 398 draws, good for 71.8 percent, and led the county with 203 ground balls.
"Ryan learned a lot from going against John Travisano in practice last season every single day," coach Creighton said. "He is one of the hardest working guys in the weight room, and he earned our Strongest Lion award after our lifting tests in preseason."
In the state championship, Land, who will play for Florida Tech, won 14 of 24 face-offs and helped jump start the Lions' offense early in the game.
Defense
Matt Baxter, Glenelg.
Surrounded by a young core, Baxter was one of the most experienced players for Glenelg and its best defender. He started every game since his sophomore season, and always guarded opponent's best attackman. "He's one of the best take away guys in the county. He anchored our defense," coach Josh Hatmaker said. "Strong and aggressive, he was the brains and brawn of the operation, so to speak. He kept everyone in the right place and was like a second coach on the field."
A football player and a first-team lacrosse player last spring, Baxter finished the season with 47 caused turnovers and 71 ground balls.
Adam Friedman, Howard.
While the offense led the county with 322 goals, the Howard defense was just as efficient. Friedman, a four-year starter and team captain who never missed a game, was the key to the unit that allowed an average of 4.05 goals per game.
"He was our communicator, our coach on the field and our top defensive guy for the past two or three seasons," coach Creighton said. "He guarded every teams top attacker, and did it with major success."
His dominance showed in the state championship game when he shut down the state's all-time points leader, Churchill's Louis Dubick, by holding him to one goal. Friedman, a Monmouth University commit, finishes as the Lions' all-time leader in caused turnovers.
Matt Leone, Mt. Hebron.
As Mt. Hebron's top defender, Leone often guarded the opponent's top attackman and was a big reason why the Viking defense allowed fewer than six goals per game this spring. "Overall, he is a tough kid," coach McCarthy said. "He is physical and fearless. He never wants to lose at anything."
The three-year starter began the season strong and dominated his strong opponent from Glenelg Country School. "Matt stepped up in the first few games and showed me that he was ready to become a leader on the defense someone I could trust," coach McCarthy said. "He dominated his matchup versus Glenelg Country and listened to the defensive coaches about his positioning."
Marshall McGlone, Howard.
A three-year starter, McGlone was one of the hardest workers over the past four seasons, said coach Creighton. "He has been a leader in our offseason strength and conditioning program," he said. "His length and athleticism allowed him to shine in 2015."
Trailing South River 3-1 at halftime of the state semifinal game, McGlone took over the game on the defensive end that turned the momentum to the Lions' favor.
"He simply wreaked havoc in the middle of the field and caused a number of turnovers which resulted in fast break goals for us," Creighton said.
McGlone, who will play for Salisbury University, finishes his career second on the Lions' all-time list in caused turnovers.
Kevin Wilson, Centennial.
A leader on and off the field, Wilson did a little bit of everything for a Centennial squad that struggled to find it's groove this spring. A four-year starter and two-year captain, Wilson, who will play at Washington College, was a dominant one-on-one defender for several seasons and was "definitely the best player I've ever coached," coach Nick Kellinger said.
"His technique is almost perfect. He had the ability to win first-time ground balls and spark transition," Kellinger said. "His decision-making with the ball was always impeccable, and he hardly had any turnovers. ... He did it all, from communicating on defense like a coach on the field, to scoring goals at important moments, we could always count on Kevin."
Goalie
Casey DuBois, Mt. Hebron.
Since transferring to Mt. Hebron prior to his sophomore season, DuBois, a team captain, has been one of the top goalies in the county for two straight seasons. His save percentage of 71.8 led the league and set a school record. "Casey is very driven. He accepts nothing but perfection, and he holds his teammates accountable," coach McCarthy said. "He is our coach on the field."
In overtime against Glenelg in the region semifinals, DuBois fought through four minutes of offense from the Gladiators, and finished with 19 saves in the win. Though he didn't play his best against Howard, DuBois held opposing offenses to 10 goals or fewer in every other game this spring.
Collin McClelland, Howard.
The only first-team player that will return for Howard next spring, McClelland broke out in his first varsity season. His save percentage of 68.3 was second in the county.
"He made saves he was supposed to make, and many others that he probably should not have made," coach Creighton said. "He just simply made some great saves."
He made the biggest save of the season in the region semifinal against Westminster. Howard up, 8-7, with 1:30 left on the clock, McClelland made a save on a point-blank shot that proved to be the final chance for the Owls. He also made 16 saves in a dominating performance in the title game against Churchill.
Co-Coach of the Year
Jimmy Creighton, Howard
Keith Gonsouland, River Hill
Assistant Coach of the Year
David Smith, Wilde Lake
All-American
Scott Bruner, Howard
Casey DuBois, Mt. Hebron
Academic All-American
Sam Smith, Atholton
Bob Scott Award
Brady Kinner, River Hill
Man of the Year
Jim Long