By Tom Peace

It was a night to remember. All of the preparation and work that went into planning and organizing the Mason Dixon Showcase had paid off on Tuesday night at York College of Pennsylvania.

Fans filled the bleachers, the concession stands were hopping and up to about 50 college coaches lined the sidelines to get a glimpse of that talent on the field.

Lacrosse is an ever growing sport in different pockets of the country. Exposure from college coaches and respect from the lax community is still being gained and earned for most areas. One of those areas is the Central Pa, most notably the public school athletes in that region of Pennsylvania.

The area hotbeds in Baltimore and Philadelphia get most of the attention and rightfully so. But Central Pa, after what was on display last night, can’t be ignored anymore.

Event leader Frank Corto, who is originally from Baltimore and went to St. Paul’s School, has been on a mission to get the kids in Central Pa the respect and attention they deserve.

If you ask a college coach what one of the secret ingredients they look for when recruiting a high school athlete is if they have a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove and theirs plenty of those kids in Central Pa.

Their were two divisions for the 2019 age group and 2020/2021 age group as the Central Pa selected all-star teams battled a selected group of all star public school kids from Maryland.

The Central Pa team won both games, scoring 17 goals in both contests. Both games featured some tremendous talent on both sides. And here are the athletes who stood out the most from the Mason Dixon Showcase.

Mason Dixon Showcase 2020/2021 Game Final: Central Pa 17, Maryland 12 @MasonShowcase @Big12Lacrosse pic.twitter.com/BzxsRolM0F

— peace lax blog🥍 (@PeaceLaxBlog) June 13, 2018

Mason Dixon Showcase 2019 Game Final: Central Pa 17, Maryland 5. @MasonShowcase @Big12Lacrosse pic.twitter.com/ozujUhQend

— peace lax blog🥍 (@PeaceLaxBlog) June 12, 2018

2020/2021

Dominic Corto, York Suburban (Pa.), Attack, Rock Lacrosse Club — Dominic is a nifty attackman who dodges well and creates offense when he has the ball. He’s also excellent off ball too and is always making his defender work. Corto has good foot speed and a good motor.

Austin Sipes, York Suburban HS (Pa.), Attack, Rock Lacrosse Club — Sipes has visions of playing Towson University one day and boy does this young man have a shot on cage that resembles Tigers great Ryan Drenner. Sipes made some big plays Tuesday night.

Michael Stank, Red Land (Pa.), FO/M, Rock Lacrosse Club- Stank was crushing faceoff wins right out of the gate in the 2020/2021 game. This young man does a nice job getting to the ground ball after pushing the ball out on the draw. Plus he can hustle.

Tyler Garfinkle, Franklin (Md.), Midfield, Team 91, Garfinkle had a nice goal against the Central Pa group. Good stick skills and has a strong and lean frame. Can play 2-way midfield and isn’t afraid to throw his body around.

Tyler Dunn, South Western (Pa.), FO/M, Gonzo Lacrosse. Dunn is an excellent lacrosse player with tremendous upside. Love the way this kid hustles and gets after it. Dunn is someone to watch this Summer.

Elijah Duck, Hershey (Pa.), Defense/Long-Stick Midfielder, Duck is a impressive LSM who can deliver some nasty checks and create turnovers. Another player to keep an eye on this Summer.

Connor Kernan, Susquehannock (Pa.), Goalie, Dukes. Kernan held his own when he got his time to protect the goal. Quick hands. Stopped some difficult shots high and low.

Eddie Newman, Manheim Township (Pa.), Attack, Rising Sons, Newman played well and got off some decent shots. He dodges well and can shot with both his left and right hands which is what recruiters want to see.

Connor Covey, Westminster (Md.), Midfield, Rock Lacrosse. Covey was one of the best 2020’s in Maryland this past season. Guiding Westminster to a state title. The rising senior has an Arsenal of shots on cage. Covey has the goods to be the next big star to come from Carroll County.

Ben Mann, Manheim Township (Pa.), Midfield, Rising Sons, Mann is a strong kid who is athletic. Good fundamentals. Can play 2-way mid. Mann was liked by many of the college coaches.

2019

Mark Sickler, Hershey (Pa.), Attack— Sickler is committed to Army, the rising senior displays an amazing shot on cage and is a leader on and off the field. The younger kids in the area view Sickler as a role model. In my opinion, Sickler is one of the best players, in the 2019 class, in the country.

Chandler Hake, York Catholic (Pa.), Attack, Team 91 MD, Hake made some smart plays. Wasn’t lazy off ball. Loved the way Hake carried himself on and off the field as a leader type. Has potential and will get better.

Kohl Wesner, Hempfield (Pa.), Attack, FCA Maryland. Many of the college coaches on hand were raving about this kid. Wesener has Division 1 potential and will have a solid summer season.

Blaze Hake, Central York (Pa.), Goalie, Rock Lacrosse. Both of the Central Pa teams had solid goalies. Blaze was a brick wall most of the time he was in the game. Good mechanics and he is vocal which is good to see as a recruiter.

Eli Workinger, Red Lion (Pa.), Midfield, Rock Lacrosse CLub — One of my favorite players from the Showcase. His name speaks for itself. The kid works his tail off on the field. Making plays and shoots the ball with authority (which I love). A big body midfielder with tons of upside. And he has excellent LaxIQ.

Ryan Fahs, Central York (Pa.), Attack, Team Maryland, Fahs was another kid that stood out right away. Always hustling and is a leader on the field. You can build a team around this kid.

Justin Shocker, York Suburban (Pa.), Defense, Chaos, Shocker did some good things. I want to see this kid play more this summer. He’s an animal on the field. But he’s still a little green and will get better. Shocker is a smart kid and he will be a huge get for any college that lands him.

Jalen Stanton, Century (Md.), Midfield, Rock Lacrosse CLub, Stanton is probably one of the best athletes in the state of Maryland. The Century Star has good stick skills and he moves the ball on transition. Stanton is another player to watch this Summer.

Tate Wasson, Palmyra (Pa.), Defense, NXT, Wasson is Committed to Delaware. And when you see this kid play it’s evident why he’s going D1. Wasson dazzled all game showing off his footwork and stick skills. Keep an eye on this kid.

Ian Callinan, Catonsville (Md.),Goalie, Rock Lacrosse. Callinan was another player that a lot of the colleges coaches liked. Playing for team Maryland in the Showcase, Callinan saw some great shots and made some incredible stops.