First team
Gable Braun
McDonogh, junior, faceoff specialist-midfielder
» Three-year starter dominated faceoffs, winning 225 of 327 (70%) to consistently secure possession for the No. 5 Eagles (12-5)
» Equally adept at playing ahead or behind the whistle; won 17 of 21 faceoffs in pivotal win over No. 2 St. Mary’s during playoff march
» North Carolina commit led the team in ground balls for the second straight season with 106
» Said McDonogh coach Andy Hilgartner: “Gable’s intense competitiveness filtered through the entire team. Perfectionist at his craft, he worked outside of normal practice time throughout the season to improve.”
Blake Gable
Boys’ Latin, junior, defenseman
» Three-year starter excelled with added responsibilities this season; asked to cover top attackmen in leading a defense that yielded eight goals per game
» Consistently brought smart play, tremendous footwork and decisive instincts to make standout plays on defense
» North Carolina commit finished the season with 39 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers
» Said Boys’ Latin coach Brian Farrell: “Blake was a difference-maker for our team this season. We put him on the opposing team’s top threat in every game and based a lot of our defense on him winning his matchup.”
Michael Harmeyer
Severna Park, junior, attackman
» Three-year varsity player scored a staggering 99 goals to go with eight assists to lead the No. 8 Falcons (19-1) to their fourth straight state crown
» Lightning-quick dodger and pure finisher scored three or more goals in 19 games; totaled nine goals in state tournament wins over Churchill and Howard
» Committed to Virginia; goes into senior season with 136 goals and 15 assists for career
» Said Severna Park coach Dave Earl: “Mikey’s performance this season was something to remember. He has the ability to break his defender down at any moment. He was covered by the opponent’s best defender every game and always rose to the challenge.”
Colin Kelley
Marriotts Ridge, senior, goalie
» Four-year standout, two-year captain and All-Metro second-team pick last season makes the jump to the first team after leading No. 12 Mustangs (14-2) to Howard County crown
» Set program marks in career saves (608) and wins (49) after going 14-2 with 122 saves for a .710 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average this season
» Mercer commit played major role in two Howard County titles and program’s first state championship last season
» Said Marriotts Ridge coach Tony Incontrera: “Colin has been a constant with our program the past four years. He was always a great goalie, but he has grown as a leader each season. Colin consistently made the big saves in big situations.”
Daniel Kelly
Calvert Hall, junior, attackman
» Three-year varsity player, captain finished with 42 goals and 30 assists for 72 points to lead the MIAA A Conference champion Cardinals in scoring
» Steadying influence with uncanny game sense; registered three or more points in 14 of 15 games played and had seven goals and three assists in two playoff wins
» North Carolina commit takes 123 goals and 69 assists into his senior season
» Said Calvert Hall coach (and Daniel’s father) Bryan Kelly: “I think he was our leader on the field in every aspect of getting everybody where they needed to be. And he just had this ability to put the ball in the back of the net when we needed it most.”
Jack Koras
Loyola Blakefield, junior, attackman
» Three-year varsity player, captain thrived in new role on attack to lead the No. 4 Dons (10-7) with 46 goals and 28 assists
» Midfielder in first two seasons, brought high-end athleticism, toughness and power with precise shot
» Maryland commit scored at least one goal in every game this season with a standout four-goal, two-assist performance against McDonogh
» Said Loyola Blakefield coach Gene Ubriaco: “We needed a No. 1 guy on attack and he filled that void for us wonderfully. He’s an extremely tough competitor who only knows how to go at one speed — all in all the time.”
Grant Mitchell
Calvert Hall, senior, midfielder
» Four-year varsity player (freshman season in Georgia), captain and repeat first-team selection added layers to his game each of his three seasons with Cardinals
» Area’s most dynamic offensive midfielder had 32 goals and 21 assists, improved drastically at the defensive end
» Ohio State commit enjoyed three-goal, two-assist performance in title game; finished with 111 points (67 goals, 44 assists) in three years at Calvert Hall
» Said Bryan Kelly: “Once we got into league play, Grant shifted into fifth gear — he was ready to go. … The other aspect of his game is he really became a very good, strong defensive midfielder. He’s a complete player and always had some big goals when we needed them.”
Jack Sawyer
Calvert Hall, senior, attackman
» Four-year varsity player, captain scored 39 goals and added 28 assists in helping the Cardinals to a third straight MIAA A crown
» Showed a knack of stepping up in biggest moments; registered three or more points in 14 games with one-goal, five-assist performance in title game
» Maryland commit started career at midfield and finished with 81 goals and 52 assists
» Said Bryan Kelly: “He’s got great hands — can go right or left equally well. He’s an outstanding dodger and he always plays within himself. What I love most is he’s a competitor, so if we’re struggling, he tends to dig down deep and makes something happen.”
Will Tominovich
St. Mary’s, junior, defenseman
» Came into the season with one career varsity start and emerged as the area’s top newcomer on defense
» Leaned on agility, tenacity and smart positioning to consistently win one-on-one challenges; anchored a defense that yielded under eight goals per game in going 8-2 in MIAA A play
» Collected 52 ground balls, had 18 caused turnovers and contributed four assists
» Said St. Mary’s coach Victor Lilly: “He takes the top attackman out of the game. It’s his footwork and he’s an exquisitely smart lacrosse player with the angles he takes on the field to cover ground.”
Mason Woodward
St. Paul’s, senior, defenseman
» Three-year varsity player, captain brought versatile defensive skills and leadership to No. 7 Crusaders (10-6)
» Game-changer totaled 78 ground balls, 33 caused turnovers, two goals and six assists this season
» Marquette commit played close defense, long-stick midfield and as a wing on faceoffs, typically covering the opponent’s best player
» Said St. Paul’s coach Trey Whitty: “Mason has the ability to completely change a game, whether that be through relentless ground ball play, his riding ability, locking down a key opponent or sparking the offense. And while that is all valued, his biggest impact was his leadership.”
Editor’s note: Because of the selection of Co-Players of the Year, The Sun chose 10 first-team players instead of the usual 11.
Second team
Jackson Bonitz, McDonogh, junior, defenseman
Parker Byrd, Calvert Hall, senior, defenseman
Logan Covey, Westminster, junior, goalie
Michael Doughty, Glenelg, senior, attackman
William Godine, Gilman, senior, midfielder
Ian Krampf, St. Mary’s, senior, attackman
Bubba Love, Westminster, senior, attackman
Connor Madsen, Patterson Mill, senior, midfielder
James Maher, Severna Park, senior, attackman
Jake Snyder, Calvert Hall, senior, defenseman
Cameron Spencer, Boys’ Latin, senior, attackman
Alex Wicks, St. Mary’s, junior, midfielder