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Player of the Year - Brandon Brown, North Hagerstown (By Colleen McGrath/Staff Photographer / June 15, 2012) |
To say that the North Hagerstown boys lacrosse team had a tumultuous season might be putting it lightly.
To say that junior midfielder Brandon Brown was a calming influence on the Hubs would be putting it equally lightly.
In a year when the Hubs played several games without a head coach on the sidelines, Brown played the role of coach on the field and helped steer the Hubs through the bumpy terrain that was the 2012 season.
Brown is The Herald-Mail’s Washington County Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year.
“It was a tough season because of the problems we had early in the year,” Brown said. “Things sort of fell apart, guys were playing more for themselves than for the team. As a captain, I tried to step up and be a leader.”
The Hubs’ season got off on the wrong foot when Ron Williams, who was tabbed to replace Dave Tallant as North’s coach, left the program before the first game was played.
North was a ship without a captain for the first few games as JV and volunteer coaches filled in. Finally, assistant principal Todd Ullery took over and helped right the ship.
“Things started to turn around when Coach Ullery came in,” Brown said. “He put us in our place, told us where we were going to play and how we were going to play and we started playing our offense the right way.
“We definitely got our attitudes adjusted.”
One of the constants on the field was Brown, who ably quarterbacked the Hubs’ offense from his midfield position. He finished the season with 25 goals and 15 assists while winning 58 percent of his faceoffs. He was the top vote-getter at midfield in All-MVAL Antietam balloting.
The thing that didn’t show up on the score sheet – his leadership ability – may have been his greatest asset.
“I talked to our coaches a lot about the plays we were running. I’d draw things up with my club coaches and bring those in to see if they were plays we could run,” Brown said. “I would try to take charge and lead the team in practices and pregame, things like that.
“As a team captain, those were the things I was supposed to be doing.”
Brown said he is hopeful that North will have a new coach in place well before practices begin on March 1, 2013, so the Hubs will have a little more smooth sailing in his senior year.
“I think we’re going to be pretty good next year,” Brown said. “We have a few JV players coming up that are really good, a good group of rising seniors and a great goalie (Brian Davis).”
Joining Brown on the All-County First Team:
Freddie Funke, Boonsboro: Led the first-year varsity program at Boonsboro in scoring
Kyle Geblein, Smithsburg: Sophomore defender was a first-team MVAL Antietam pick.
Kevin Grimm, Smithsburg: Leopards’ top attack tallied 29 goals on the season and was an MVAL Antietam first-teamer.
To say that junior midfielder Brandon Brown was a calming influence on the Hubs would be putting it equally lightly.
In a year when the Hubs played several games without a head coach on the sidelines, Brown played the role of coach on the field and helped steer the Hubs through the bumpy terrain that was the 2012 season.
Brown is The Herald-Mail’s Washington County Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year.
“It was a tough season because of the problems we had early in the year,” Brown said. “Things sort of fell apart, guys were playing more for themselves than for the team. As a captain, I tried to step up and be a leader.”
The Hubs’ season got off on the wrong foot when Ron Williams, who was tabbed to replace Dave Tallant as North’s coach, left the program before the first game was played.
North was a ship without a captain for the first few games as JV and volunteer coaches filled in. Finally, assistant principal Todd Ullery took over and helped right the ship.
“Things started to turn around when Coach Ullery came in,” Brown said. “He put us in our place, told us where we were going to play and how we were going to play and we started playing our offense the right way.
“We definitely got our attitudes adjusted.”
One of the constants on the field was Brown, who ably quarterbacked the Hubs’ offense from his midfield position. He finished the season with 25 goals and 15 assists while winning 58 percent of his faceoffs. He was the top vote-getter at midfield in All-MVAL Antietam balloting.
The thing that didn’t show up on the score sheet – his leadership ability – may have been his greatest asset.
“I talked to our coaches a lot about the plays we were running. I’d draw things up with my club coaches and bring those in to see if they were plays we could run,” Brown said. “I would try to take charge and lead the team in practices and pregame, things like that.
“As a team captain, those were the things I was supposed to be doing.”
Brown said he is hopeful that North will have a new coach in place well before practices begin on March 1, 2013, so the Hubs will have a little more smooth sailing in his senior year.
“I think we’re going to be pretty good next year,” Brown said. “We have a few JV players coming up that are really good, a good group of rising seniors and a great goalie (Brian Davis).”
Joining Brown on the All-County First Team:
Freddie Funke, Boonsboro: Led the first-year varsity program at Boonsboro in scoring
Kyle Geblein, Smithsburg: Sophomore defender was a first-team MVAL Antietam pick.
Kevin Grimm, Smithsburg: Leopards’ top attack tallied 29 goals on the season and was an MVAL Antietam first-teamer.
