The first session of the Baltimore Summer Kickoff took place from Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 16 at the St. Pauls School in Maryland.
The teams participating were an impressive group featuring players from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 classes from all over the country. The event, run by High Point head coach Jon Torpey and his outstanding staff, showcased some excellent talent.
Here are five players that stood out among the 2014 class and some others who made an impression.
BALTIMORE SUMMER KICKOFF SESSION 1: FEATURED FIVE (2014):
1. JOHN (JACK) BEARE
(Dallas, TX/Episcopal Dallas):
Position: Attack
Class: 2014
Club Team: Iron Horse
Overall: A smaller player, Beare showed impressive finishing ability throughout the day. He plays with great tenacity, and exemplified great hustle on ground balls. An All-Star Game participant, he showed great handle inside on a shovel-shot goal in that game. Most impressively for us, he did the small things well that usually go unnoticed like hustling to the box for substitutions and riding hard on every play.
From the Notebook: Finisher. Great handle inside. Knack for the goal. Hustler. Engaged.
Commitment: Notre Dame
*For more on Beare, including his highlight video, check out his SportsRecruits.com profile here
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2. TANNER GRIFFIN
(Loveland, OH/Loveland High School)
Position: Defense
Class: 2014
Club Team: Cincy Royals
Overall: Griffin was outstanding defensively, causing numerous turnovers in the games we saw him play. While putting the ball on the ground, he did not do so at the risk of foot position, playing sound defense and not throwing home-run checks. A pure athlete, Griffin wasted no motion and was not a window-washer, instead keeping his stick active with checks on ball carriers. He was also able to get the ball up and out very effectively.
From the Notebook: Takeaway guy. Active stick. Hard checks. Athlete. Good position defender. Not getting beat to cage. Sits well on attackers first move.
Commitment: Hofstra
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3. ALEX ROBINSON
(Silver Spring, MD/Bullis):
Position: LSM/Defense
Class: 2014
Club Team: Bullis
Overall: A tremendous athlete, Robinson was all over the field Saturday. He has an outstanding stick, picking up ground balls and handling the ball in transition with ease. Defensively, he covered a lot of ground effortlessly, and showed tremendous closing speed to shooters near the top of the box. He also got involved offensivley; at one point beat a double team and took the ball right to the cage in a game during the day, and he scored a goal in the All-Star game Saturday night.
From the Notebook: Wow athlete. Fast. Moves effortlessly. Outstanding stick. Handles like he plays with a short stick. Offensively-gifted LSM reminiscent of P.T. Ricci/Brian Farrell.
Commitment: Georgetown
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4. WILL SHEEHAN
(Towson, MD/St. Pauls School)
Position: Midfield
Class: 2014
Club Team: Greene Turtle 2014
Overall: A tall, athletic player, Sheehan is a do-it-all midfielder who has a tremendous stick. He displayed good dodging ability from up top, able to get a step down the alley and get his body turned toward the cage. He has a hard, accurate shot with good mechanics on the run, using his hips to generate power. A fast player, he also showed good off-ball presence and the ability to finish inside with both hands.
From the Notebook: Fast. Dodger. Great shot. Right/Left with ease. Plays well without ball. High IQ.
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5. AIDEN BURNETT
(Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick)
Position: Midfield
Class: 2014
Club Team: New Jersey Lacrosse Club
Overall: A big, strong midfielder, Burnett stood out in each game we watched him play. While he did not participate in the All-Star game, he would have been on our ballot. He displayed a good, hard and accurate shot when dodging from up top. He also showed two-way ability, and was a one-man clearing machine. On multiple occasions, he took the ball coast-to-coast, flashing solid top-end speed to go along with his size.
From the Notebook: Big. Physical dodger. Good size and speed. One-man clear multiple times. Hard shot.
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Others who made an impression:
T Moyer, A, 2014 (Baltimore, MD/Boys Latin): Moyer is a small attackman who uses his quickness to his advantage. He also plays tough, sticking his nose into scrums for loose balls. Moyer is a High Point commitment.
Ben Randall, D, 2014 (Mason, OH/Mason High School): A big, physical player, Randall has ideal size and a strong, athletic frame. He moves his feet well defending, and opens his hips well to run with dodgers. Randall has an excellent stick, and was impressive getting the ball off the ground and legging it upfield.
William Stowe, D, 2014 (Dallas, TX/Highland Park High School): Stowe showed tremendous lacrosse IQ throughout the day, consistently making intelligent plays and taking smart chances. He was excellent off-ball, timing slides extraordinarily well when he saw the back of the attackers helmet.
Michael Rexrode, D, 2014 (Leesburg, VA/Loudon County High School): Rexrode was constantly involved in the action. He played solid position defense, and caused plenty of turnovers throughout the day. Rexrode stood out in a All-Star game loaded with promising defenseman, which with the group assembled is high praise.
For our Featured Five from the 2015/2016 Classes, click here