Will 2017 be a Winning Season for the Cavaliers in the MIAA-A conference?
Archbishop Spalding will be led by large senior class.
Could this be the year that the Archbishop Spalding boys’ lacrosse team catches lightning in a bottle and has a winning season?
The two seasons the Cavaliers have watched their fellow Anne Arundel County mates have successful seasons in the MIAA-A conference.
In 2015, St. Mary’s went all the way to the championship game and won the title.
Last season, Seven made people take them seriously as the Admirals had a huge postseason run by defeating St. Paul’s on the road in the first round. And then battling Boys’ Latin in the semifinals.
So it’s not unthinkable that Spalding can’t do the same this season. The Cavaliers have invested in winning lacrosse just like their neighbors did.
The Cavaliers hired a guy in Brian Phipps three-years ago, who is familiar with playing in the MIAA (Severn) and has played at the highest level. Phipps was an All-American goalie at the University of Maryland. And currently plays in the pros for Major League Lacrosse team,the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
Phipps feels this years team is ready to take that next step. “We have a veteran group with a ton of guys returning from last year. They’ve learned the ropes and it’s now their time to be the senior leadership. They’ve made the leadership and the value of lacrosse important to them. We’ve noticed the commitment and the desire to competitive from them. The movement has started to want to compete with the big boys (of the conference).”
The Cavaliers went 6–12 last season and haven’t had a winning record since 2013.
Archbishop Spalding will have close to 20 seniors to rely on this season to provide that senior leadership that Phipps was alluding to.
Attackman Brett Baucia and midfielder Max Sherwood will provide a spark on offense- both are bound for UMBC in the fall. Also keep an eye out for Dillon Pierpoint (In Photo) on the midfield. Pierpoint is committed to Washington College.
Phipps says the defense will be the strength of the team this season. Phillip Turner (Holy Cross) and Corey Gaines (UMBC) will be two defenders that should give opposing offenses fits.
In the past the Cavaliers would be in awe of the players they’d have to go up against from the Boys’ Latin’s and the McDonogh’s of the conference. Now the senior class is ready to go toe to toe with those teams.
The way the players carry themselves, the body language, and they way they talk during practice, Phipps says it’s a business-like feel to the team this year. Practices are taken a bit more seriously.
Will this Archbishop Spalding team be something special in 2017? It’s going to be interesting to see.
The conference thrives when the Anne Arundel area teams are competitive with the Baltimore County area teams.
The Cavaliers have begun their season with a 12–6 victory over Hill School (PA) on March 18. And Archbishop Spalding now gets set to play a tough Georgetown Prep team on Tuesday.
