It was like many of the backyard sessions — Nick Wynne finding his older brother, Zach, who made one quick dodge past a defender before firing a pinpoint shot to the top shelf.
Only this time, the stakes were higher.
This goal came in double overtime, in front of family and friends, and it proved to be the difference for the Glenelg boys lacrosse team in a big home win against Fallston last year.
The Wynne brothers quickly found each other to celebrate and their teammates soon followed. Over the roaring crowd, Glenelg's announcer Steve Zito — at his improvisational best — was safely heard loud and clear: "Wynne to Wynne for the win!"
It's almost unfair to ask the Wynne family to pick its favorite lacrosse story because there are so many to choose from over the years.
But the one above stands out the most because the entire clan shared the moment. Father, Brian, and mother, Karen, were in the stands with younger brothers, Mikey and Kevin. Older brother, Josh, made it back from college just in time to see the fantastic finish.
It was Zach's last home game of his senior year, so grandparents were there, too.
"It's a memory we'll have forever," Karen said. "After the game, coach [Josh Hatmaker] came over to me and said: 'I'm sure glad you had all these boys.'"
When Josh Wynne transferred to Glenelg from Loyola as a junior in 2005, Hatmaker knew he was getting a highly skilled player. He also heard that Josh had younger brothers, but no idea how many.
Now, Hatmaker is thankfully well aware.
Josh Wynne went on to enjoy two fine seasons, finishing with 83 career points and helping the Gladiators reach the state semifinals in the first one. Zach racked up 173 points in three seasons, was part of a state championship team as a sophomore and then led the team in scoring last season as a senior. Nick, now a junior with 136 career points, was second in scoring last year behind Zach and is now the top scorer this season with the No. 7 Gladiators (14-1) primed for a run at a state title after last's year runner-up finish.
Who has the second-most points on the team this season? That would be Mikey, who has 55 as the first Wynne brother to make varsity as a freshman. Kevin is in the seventh grade and certain to make his mark in the coming years.
Every Wynne plays up front like their father did when he was an All-American attackman at Salisbury University. All possess trademark competitiveness and a fine understanding of the game. They score goals, dish out assists and do anything else it takes to win games.
"All four of them to this point have made a tremendous impact on the program," said Hatmaker, whose Gladiators won their fourth straight Howard County championship and added the District V title on Tuesday. "Not only are they great kids, they're tough, skilled, they listen and set the example for the others. That consistency, when you go from brother to brother to brother, is pretty special."
Each Wynne has brought his own unique abilities to the lacrosse field. Josh, who is set to graduate from Lynchburg (Va.) College in May, was a physical presence with a heavy shot. Zach, now playing at Howard Community College, combines finesse and feisty play. Nick is extremely quick, dodges with the best of them and has a sneaky shot. Mikey has taken qualities from all of his older brothers and has immediately thrived on varsity.
"When I was little, I used to go to all of their games to see how they played and I've based my game off that," he said. "And then after the games, they'd talk to me and teach me. They all had different styles of play. Some were bigger, some were faster and it helped me out a lot."
For all the differences, the Wynne brothers also share a number of constants: If toughness is No. 1, then the drive to succeed is No. 1A.
"Our Dad coached us and it's always been if you get knocked down or whatever, you get right back up and make something happen to help your team. It's all about the team winning," Zach said.
The countless hours in the backyard provided the foundation. The competition was often fierce, but there was never much individual rivalry when they took their skills to the field at Glenelg. That didn't mean that they didn't all still badly wanted to win the game of 'H-O-R-S-E' they regularly played, picking a corner of the goal and challenging the next brother up to come within three inches.
"It's lacrosse all the time," Nick said. "It can get intense and it's good competition that makes us better. We don't worry about the individual stuff — it's always pretty much been how the team does."
Worrying about the individual stuff the Wynne brothers bring is left for opposing coaches, something Mount Hebron coach Mike McCarthy has grown used to.
"They want the ball in their stick when it's crunch time and they're never afraid to make a play," McCarthy said. "Glenelg has had a number of other quality kids, but [the Wynne brothers] have always drawn our No. 1 and No. 2 defensemen. If you can contain one or maybe both of them, you can have a chance to win. But if you don't, you have no chance. They just wear you down."
From brother to brother, valuable words get passed down as each one makes their way to varsity or prepares for a big game. Zach yelled at Nick for not getting him the ball when he was open from time to time and now it's Nick's turn to occassionally bring similar demands on Mikey. But the basic message over the years is basic: Play hard, play your game and have fun.
"It can be tough following in the footsteps, but it helps because you always try to be better so it makes you work that much harder," said Nick, the only brother to get to play with two others on varsity [Zach and Mikey]. "I love playing with my brothers. It's awesome and I can't really explain it. It's just special."
None of the Wynne brothers can tell you how many goals and assists they may have in a given season; it's not a priority. Hatmaker guesses this season's duo — Nick and Mikey — have connected on at least 40 goals.
"It's noticeable when you see them play together," Hatmaker said. "There's moments when you're watching and you sit there and think: 'They've done that a thousand times in their backyard.' They just make it their own game sometimes."
The connection has kept Zito plenty busy in the press box: "Goal scored by No. 1 Nick Wynne, assisted by No. 2 Mikey Wynne. We have another Wynne to Wynne for Glenelg!"