22/23 Varsity Lacrosse Press Guide

BARONS LACROSSE

BARONS LACROSSE

BUILT FOR BOYS

Blue Ridge School is a private, boys school like no other. We are one of the few allboys, all-boarding schools for grades nine through twelve in the nation. Our curriculum is tailored to an individualized learning model designed specifically for boys on their way to college. Our community is approachable and inclusive. Our campus is filled with adventure. We focus on building men of character, ready for college and beyond. And, despite our rigorous and competitive spirit, our environment is uniquely supportive. We have built Blue Ridge School that way for a reason—it’s how boys learn best.

CHARACTER-BASED CULTURE

Between grades nine and twelve, boys develop the traits they will take will take with them into manhood. So Blue Ridge School builds our curriculum, programs, and culture around cultivating men of character. We nurture their values and integrity. We teach—and demonstrate— awareness of personal responsibility and the impact we have on others.

We encourage teamwork, volunteerism, and a sense of community. We believe character is reflected in how you act when nobody is watching, so we plant the seeds of that in the form of teachable moments with each passing day.

BUILT FOR HOW BOYS LEARN BEST

Blue Ridge School’s curriculum, faculty, programs—even our all-boys, all-boarding environment—are designed for how boys learn best. To begin with, our curriculum leverages the project-based and relational learning models that are most effective with boys. Project-based learning goes beyond a lecture to include critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on work around the concept, immersing boys in the subject matter. Relational learning builds on the fact that boys learn best from people they connect with and feel are invested in them.

Our faculty members are trained experts in these models and are available to the boys 24/7 to ensure their success. Our programs are designed to emphasize the relational and project-based aspects of boy-centered learning. And our all-boys, all-boarding environment fosters the personal and

BARONS LACROSSE

collaborative interactions that make these models work. All of this is intertwined in a holistic approach that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. We are all-in on boy-centered learning, extending it into every aspect of our rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

OUR CAMPUS

BUILT FOR TEAMWORK

With recent division championships in basketball, football and lacrosse, the Blue Ridge School Barons are tough to beat. In fact, many boys have earned Division I & II college scholarships from playing here. But our athletics teams offer glory outside the playing field, too.

Our 18 athletic teams and outdoor programs are an intentional part of the overall Blue Ridge experience, developing knowledge and character as much as they develop fitness and teamwork. Our all-boarding environment deepens that experience, creating tight bonds between boys who learn, live, and play together. When you are together 24/7, you hold your team, culture, and the greater good above your differences—a critical lesson to bring into manhood. And with diverse sports to try, boys are sure to find at least one that creates lifelong fitness habits.

Everything about our 750-acre campus in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is built for boys. There are miles of trails for exploring; fields, courts, and venues to support over 20 competitive sports teams. A lake for fishing and kayaking; and vast expanses of green to explore while contemplating life.

2023 VARSITY COACHES

HEAD VARSITY COACH DOM STARSIA

with BRS since 2021

Dom Starsia is the varsity lacrosse head coach at Blue Ridge School. Previously, Starsia coached college lacrosse for 42 years, including 18 as an assistant and the head coach at Brown University and 24 years as the head coach at the University of Virginia. He retired from the college coaching ranks in 2016 as the winningest coach in NCAA Division 1 history. Starsia’s Brown team won Ivy League Championships in 1985 and 1991 and made five NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams at the University of Virginia made 13 NCAA semifinal appearances, won six ACC Tournament Championships and four Division 1 NCAA Championships in 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2011. He was selected as the ACC Coach of the Year eight times and won the Morris Touchstone Award as the USILA National Coach of the Year in 1985, 1991, and 2011. He was selected as the Field Turf National Division 1 Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2010. He presently serves in a leadership position on the Advisory Board of the Premier Lacrosse League and has authored a book I Hope You Will Be Very Happy.

Brown University, BA

ASSISTANT VARSITY COACH GEORGE MACKARONIS

with BRS since 2018

Prior to joining BRS, Mr. Mackaronis was an environmental education teacher at Free Union Country School where he also served as a physical education teacher, admissions coordinator, and camp director. He has experience as a lacrosse coach at both Monticello High School and the Covenant School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2011. He also attended Canterbury University, Christchurch, New Zealand in a study abroad program form 200920010.

ASSISTANT VARSITY COACH JERRY FILLER

with BRS since 2022

Mr. Filler is the assistant director of college counseling at Blue Ridge School. Prior to joining BRS, he was assistant director of admissions at Vermont Academy. He lives on campus with his family and is a hall parent.

Norwich University, BS

Denison University, BA

BARONS LACROSSE

2023 VARSITY PLAYERS

Daleville, AL

Parents: Josh and Rochelle Nichols

Attending: Lindenwood University

Associated Club: Wasatch LC/Salt Lake

Summit

Ace enjoys photography, steak and spending time in Utah

Grand Blanc, MI

Parents: Chad and Star Hoewe

Nickname; Duece

Associated Club: True National Black Carson enjoys Honors Chemistry, spicy chicken alfredo and watching football with family and friends

Oshawa, Ontario

Parents: Steven and Carolyn Toll

Nickname; Toller

Associated Club: Evolve

Zack enjoys History, crab and hanging out with friends

BRODY

Surrey, British Columbia

Parents: Guy and Kathleen Burrell

Attending: Colgate University

Brody enjoys math, macaroni and cheese and spending time with family

HUDSON

Annapolis, MD

Parents: Matthew Miller and Kelly Fielden

Nickname; Huddy

Associated Club: True Florida Hudson enjoys Anatomy and hibachi

KOLBE

Waynesboro, VA

Parents: Stephen and Shelley Haug

Nickname: Hammer

Associated Club: Amped

Kolbe enjoys History, Chipotle, and quality time with friends and family

ACE NICHOLS ‘23

CARSON HOEWE ‘24

ZACK TOLL ‘24

BURRELL ‘23

MILLER ‘23

HAUG ‘23

BARONS LACROSSE

2023 VARSITY PLAYERS

Annapolis, MD

Parents: Noel and Melanie Dalton

Nickname: Ravioli

Noel enjoys History, sushi and driving

Attending Hampden Sydney College

Coquitlam, British Columbia

Parents: Steve and Robin Charboneau

Nickname: Charbs

Associated Clubs: Fusion West Lacrosse and Coquitlam Adanacs

Sam enjoy History, any food his mom makes and being with friends and family

Welland, Ontario

Parents: Randy and Leslie Arsenault

Nickname: Ars

Associated Club: St. Catharines Athletics

Aidan enjoys History, Nashville hot wings and hanging out with the boys

TRAVIS

Manchester, MD

Parents: Laura Waltrup

Nicknames: Travy Patty, Travinator

Associated Clubs: Zingos, Trilogy, Harlem Nationals

Attending: Frostburg State University

Travis enjoys Government, chicken alfredo and going to mixers

Dorchester, MA

Parents: Angel and Shahista Figueroa

Nickname: Fig

Associated Club: Harlem Lacrosse

Angel enjoys English, pasta and eating

KAYLE

Newcastle, Ontario Parents: Trevor and Lee-Anne Ryan

Nickname; Kayler

Associated Club: Evolve Elite

Kayle enjoys English, mashed potatoes and playing hockey

NOEL DALTON ‘23

SAM CHARBONEAU ‘24

AIDAN ARSENAULT ‘23

EPPS ‘23

ANGEL FIGUEROA ‘23

RYAN ‘24

BARONS LACROSSE 2023 VARSITY PLAYERS

Fredericksburg, VA

Parents: Dustin and Lisa Talkington

Associated Club: Virginia Lacrosse Club

Garrett enjoys Astronomy, curry and hanging out with friends

Oshawa, Ontario

Parents: Alex and Mary Ann Wheelans

Nickname: Cam

Associated Club: True FL

Cameron enjoys Chemistry, steak, hanging out with friends and traveling

Potomac, MD

Parents: John and Christine Fruehwirth

Nickname: Doug

Associated Club: DC Express

Logan enjoys Math, steak, playing lacrosse and hanging out with friends

BLAKE

Carmel, IN

Parents: Todd and Nichola Stephens

Associated Club: True Indiana

Attending: Wabash College

Blake enjoys guitar, crab legs and chilling with friends

BRAYDEN

Keswick, VA

Parents: Melissa Ragland

Nickname: Raggy

Assocaited Club: Hawks 25

Brayden enjoys math, pizza and chilling with friends

SELORM

Bowie, MD

Parents: Vikki Kalitsi

Nickname: SLRM

Associated Club: History, ribs and cookouts

GARRETT TALKINGTON ‘24

CAMERON WHEELANS ‘24

LOGAN FRUEHWIRTH ‘24

STEPHENS ‘23

RAGLAND ‘25

KALITSI ‘23

BARONS LACROSSE 2023 VARSITY PLAYERS

Hoschton, GA

Parents: William and Heather Miller

Associated Club: Team 8

Jack enjoys History, pizza and lacrosse

Surrey, British Columbia

Parents: Rick and Sheryl Gill

Associated Club: Cityside Lax

Elijah enjoys chemistry, pizza and hanging out with his friends

Huntersville, NC

Parents: Donald and Kristen Gest

Associated Club: Next Level

Collin enjoys History, steak and eating good food

JACKSON REED ‘23

Corolla, NC

Parents: Daniel Reed and Samantha Scrivner-Reed

Nickname: Reeder

Associated Club: VB Rough Riders

Jackson enjoys beef stroganoff, hanging out at home and surfing

PAOLO

Corolla, NC

Parents: Luis Garcia Agresto and Meghan Agresto

Nickname: Big P

Paolo enjoys History, shrimp and hanging out with friends

ALEX

King George, VA

Parents: James and Sonya Aiken

Associated Club: True, VA

Alex enjoys computer art, pasta and watching movies

JONES-AIKEN ‘25

JACK MILLER ‘24

ELIJAH GILL ‘25

COLLIN GEST ‘25

AGRESTO ‘25

BARONS LACROSSE

2023 VARSITY PLAYERS

Surrey, British Columbia

Parents: Rick and Sheryl Gill

Nickname: Zay

Associated Club: Fusion West Isaiah enjoys chemistry, cake and hanging out with his friends

Baltimore, MD

Parents: William Scipio

Nickname: Will

Associated Club: Harlem Lacrosse Will enjoys Christianity, cheese burgers, listening to music in the car and eating out

Greenville, SC

Parents: Travis and Heather Priddy

Nickname: Yoppa

Wyatt enjoys art, steak and chilling with the boys

DIXON HAWKINS ‘25

Grosse Pointe Park, MI

Parents: Adam and Ann Hawkins

Nickname: Big Dix Dixon enjoys History, burgers and chilling with the boys

ISAIAH GILL ‘24

WILLIAM SCIPIO ‘23

WYATT PRIDDY ‘23

BARONS LACROSSE 2023 VARSITY TEAM

2022-2023 VARSITY LACROSSE

BARONS LACROSSE 2023 VARSITY TEAM

BARONS LACROSSE

HEAD OF SCHOOL

TRIP DARRIN

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

PARKER KIRWAN

ATHLETIC TRAINER

ALEC YOST

STUDENT COACH

MATTHEW NIZNIK ‘23

MANAGER

MATTHEW SINOR ‘23

MANAGER

ABDULLAH

ABDELFATTAH ‘23

BARONS LACROSSE 2023 SEASON SCHEDULE

BARONS LACROSSE

Sunday, December 4, 2022

7v7 Recruiting Showcase Lynchburg University

“Thanks to Coach Koudelka and his Lynchburg players for hosting a great event…small-sided games is definitely the way to go, especially in the fall…everyone is much more involved. Our Blue Ridge team finished the day 7-0, played a lot of lacrosse on a beautiful day!” Coach Dom Starsia

CREASE CLUB GIVING

The Baron Fund’s Crease Club provides essential support for all aspects of the Blue Ridge lacrosse program. BRS has made truly significant investments in financial aid, facilities and salaries to build the team this year, and the squad is primed to make a championship run.

The Crease Club’s mission is to provide the finishing touches both inside and beyond the operating budget, to give the 22-23 Baron squad the look and feel of champions!

All gifts to the Crease Club are fully tax deductible, and will be gratefully acknowledged publicly in the BRS Annual Report, in communications from the BRS Lacrosse Crease Club and at all home lacrosse games aand events. Your support of the Blue Ridge School Crease Club enables Coach Starsia and our team to achieve and represent at an elite level.

In 2022-23, the Crease Club will support these items and much more:

New Uniforms (H and A- 35 jerseys/shorts)

Apparel and travel bags for new players (12)

Travel buses for the NC and VA Beach trip

Team Meals/Snacks/Drinks

Q Collar concussion prevention for team*

The Crease Club 2022-3 goal is to raise $75,000. Once budget and additional needs are met, surplus funds will provide a meaningful infusion into a separate $240,000 capital project which will bring a new video scoreboard to Alumni Field.

Crease Club

Giving Levels

Member: $25

Sponsor: $300

VIP: $1000

Patron: $2500 Scan

“Blue Ridge gave me an opportunity to build a solid foundation and get the recognition I needed to follow my dream to play lacrosse professionally.”

Chase Fraser ‘17

Neumann Lacrosse MVP

PLL Chaos attackman

NLL Buffalo Bandits offense

BARONS LACROSSE IN THE ‘70’s

They are among those thought-provoking questions that are asked often in sports. Could an athlete from the past outscore, outhit, outrun or out-defend a modern-day athlete? Could a team from the good ole days beat a team from the 21st century? While the athletes themselves typically regard such questions as folly, we observers of sports over the years still enjoy pondering the what if’s. Much has been made of the recent success of the Blue Ridge School lacrosse program – rightfully so. But there are some 1970’s Baron lacrosse players and teams that deserve recognition, too. One can’t help but wonder…

Lacrosse first arrived on the Blue Ridge campus in 1968 thanks, in part, to the generosity of the father of Charlie Edmunds ’68. Coach Emory E. Jones led the team to an undefeated season that first year, and lacrosse would enjoy its first full varsity schedule in 1969. Coach Bob Knauff then took over the lacrosse leadership in 1970. Having played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins, he brought with him a sound understanding of the game. John Young, who learned a thing or two about lacrosse as his assistant starting in 1971, remembers, “Bob loved the game, respected and honored the tradition of good sportsmanship (insisting upon it from every player) and proved to be a very even-tempered coach. He was admired and respected for his knowledge of lacrosse and his temperament. Bob had inherited a pretty rough and tumble set of guys who had won their games largely due to aggressiveness and determined abandon. Bob added disciplined play and skilled execution to their performance.”

An old BRS lacrosse Story from 1968. Our first lacrosse coach was Emory Jones. He and his asst. lived in DAR. During a Biology class Coach Jones said “ I need many of you to help start in the spring with a new sport called Lacrosse”. The year before my roommate from NC and I from Atlanta, helped start Wrestling, Carl Frye was our first coach. I asked Locke “Have you heard of this?” He shook his head NO. We agreed we would continue with Track, shot put and discus. Mark Burton sat behind me and being from Maryland whispered “You get a stick to hit the other team”. Locke (William “Locke” Allison, III) was already grinning as we both raised our hands. The next year i was co-captain with David Rankin.

In the early 70’s, Coach Kanuff was already developing college-caliber lacrosse players. One of them was Chris Hupfeldt ’73. Chris was captain of the team and earned all-league honors as an attackman before continuing his lacrosse career at Washington College. John Young adds, “Chris was a remarkable school leader who also became an outstanding attackman under the guidance of Bob.” The stage was now set for even greater success in the mid and late 70’s.

Enter Rodney Rullman, who took over the program in 1976. Rodney was actually hired while he still had a few hours to complete at UVA in 1975. His responsibilities that first year included being a Health teacher, Upper East dorm parent, head varsity lacrosse coach, assistant football coach and athletic trainer. Rodney remembers that Coach Knauff and Coach Dick Glover had done a great job of bringing in some excellent athletes from Maryland and North Carolina as well as several from Virginia to play lacrosse and wrestle. He knew he was lucky to have inherited many quality players.

That team, in fact, had finished 11-1 the season before and had been awarded the State Championship since there was no tournament that year. In Rullman’s first year as head coach in 1976, the Blue Ridge lacrosse players lost only to eventual Prep League Champ St. Christopher’s and to Charlottesville High School in the TILT Final at Scott Stadium. Who were these athletes making waves in the lacrosse world? In addition to Chris mentioned above, names such as Billy Moore ’75, Jimmy Moore ’75, David Townsend ’75, Vern Daniels ’76, Lewis Scharff ’76, Hunter Francis ’77, Jonathan Green ’77, Monty Hill ’77 and Scott Parrish ’77 emerge. Athletes such as Charlie Bailey ’77, Gan Benedict ’77, Jim Butterworth ’77, Lee Duckett ’77, Jonathan Green ’77, Michael McGiffin ’77, John Payette ’77, Pat Randolph ’77, Andy Weaver ’77, John White ’77, Gene Binda ’78, Chip Chapman ’78, Mark Pace ’78, Dutch Swab’78 and Kyle Trent ’78 were either additional starters or skilled relievers. In fact, Michael, all 6’3” and 190 lbs. of him, loved playing in the crease as a second-line guy.

Coach Rullman recalls his first interactions with Monty, Lewis and Hunter. “My assistant coach was Rick Beach, a former teammate of mine at Virginia. He was in charge of the offense, and I coached the goalies and defense. However, I no-

BARONS LACROSSE IN THE ‘70’s

ticed on the first day of practice in my rookie year at Blue Ridge that a blond-haired, baby-faced midfielder by the name of Monty and a very, very quick attackman by the name of Lewis should probably change positions. Rick fortunately agreed with me. Monty eventually became an All American attackman at UNC, and Lewis became an All American Middie at Salisbury State. Then there was this big, tall goalie by the name of Hunter. He was a dream athlete for me. He learned very quickly and became a remarkably successful high school goalie. He went on to a fabulous career at UNC.”

Hunter remembers that the 1977 squad was still the team to beat. That team tied for the Prep League Championship with both Woodberry Forest and St. Christopher’s. On graduation day that year, Hunter recalls hustling from the ceremony to restring both goals for the TILT semi-final championship against St. Anne’s. “We handled STAB fairly easily that day. In fact, we never lost to STAB while I was at Blue Ridge, but it was obvious that they were building a program that would last.” That 1977 squad lost to a very tough Albemarle High School team the following day in a championship game that was inadvertently televised by ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

So…were these lacrosse athletes from the 70’s really that good? To the extent that playing at the next level is an indication of athletic prowess, one must admit that they were. Billy Moore played at Maryland, Jimmy Moore at NC State, David Townsend at Randolph Macon (sixth in the country his sophomore year in average goals per game, co-captain his junior and senior years), Vern Daniels at Virginia, Lewis Scharff at Salisbury (named D3 Middie of the Year twice), Hunter Francis at UNC, Jonathan Green at Washington College, Monty Hill at UNC and Scott Parrish at LeHigh. Gan Benedict, Michael McGiffin and Andy Weaver went on to play club lacrosse at Elon College.

Rodney recalls fondly, “I had a wonderful experience with the lacrosse program and the Blue Ridge community as a whole. From time to time, I run into a player or two or even play against them in adult tournaments. When I see them, I simply scratch my head and remember how young I was when I first arrived on campus.” Michael McGiffin, adds, “Coach Rullman took a bunch of young men of various skill levels and taught us the game we all loved. His great sense of humor always kept us laughing during study hall or class.” Perhaps Hunter Francis sums up BRS 70’s lacrosse the best. “Monty Hill and I were very proud of the experience we had and the legacy we left behind. To this day, I run into old Woodberry Forest, Episcopal, St. Chris and Norfolk Academy players who comment that our teams were a pain in the butt to play, that we were sooooo good and very physical. I always take these comments as compliments.”

Though the lacrosse players from the 70’s and their counterparts from more recent years might deflect comparisons, wouldn’t it be wonderful to see such a game played. Just how would David Townsend ’75 stack up against Tyler Pace ’13? No doubt they would both give it their all and shake hands afterwards as proud graduates of the School. As the lacrosse program at Blue Ridge moves forward, it will certainly continue to appreciate those athletes in the early days of the School as well as more recent alumni who have laid an impressive foundation of tenacity and success.

BARONS LACROSSE 2010-2015

Many sports programs experience ebbs and flows over the years, and the Blue Ridge School lacrosse program has certainly been no different. Many highs and lows and in-betweens have occurred since the Barons’ first full season back in 1969 with Emory E. Jones as the coach. Other lacrosse coaches such as Bob Knauf and Rodney Rullman led BRS lacrosse teams to very successful seasons in the 1970’s.

Just a few of the notable players from that era are Billy Moore ’75, Jimmy Moore ’75, David Townsend ’75, Verner Daniels ’76, Lewis Scharff ’76, Hunter Francis ’77, Jonathan Green ’77, Monty Hill ’77 and Scott Parrish ’77. Each of these players went on to play for such schools as Salisbury, Washington College, LeHigh, NC State, Maryland, UNC and UVA.

In more recent years, such greats as Andrew Barber ’01, Chazz Woodson ’01, Brett Newgaard ’07, InWoo Chung ’08, Miles Herbst ’08 and Quinn Magner ’08 have gone on to play for Wingate University, Brown University, University of Massachusetts, Team Korea, Randolph College and Virginia Wesleyan respectively. At the time of this writing in 2015, twenty-eight BRS student/athletes have been given the chance to play lacrosse beyond their high school years since 2010.

The 2010 season began with a coach new to Blue Ridge School and, in fact, straight out of college. Nic Bell had just graduated from Brown. His lacrosse credentials were impressive. He immediately inspired his players that first year to play with a winning attitude as they finished the season 14-4. Two seniors from that 2010 squad – Matt Delmonico and Michael Carlini – would earn a chance to play for Seton Hill and Guilford respectively.

He followed up that season with a 16-3 campaign in 2011, and he was definitely developing young men into college players. Jared Capner went to Florida Tech, Mitch Cavallarin to Hampden-Sydney and Kody Te Kanawa to Dowling. Blue Ridge lacrosse was indisputably on its way back.

Coach Bell recalls two players, in particular, who had a significant impact on the program – Matt Delmonico ’10 and Tyler Pace ’13. “Matt opened up the pipe line to other Canadian players. He was and still is a remarkable young man and happens to also be a super sportsman. He was our leading scorer in 2010. Tyler was a three-year guy who became an All-American while here. Both players have had successful college careers.”

Coach Bell turned over the reins of the Blue Ridge lacrosse program to Kyle Gardner in 2012. Kyle had been Nic’s assistant during the 2011 season. Though Blue Ridge had experienced great success, victories over two significant opponents had still not occurred in quite some time. One of those opponents was Woodberry Forest. Under the leadership of Coach Gardner, Blue Ridge scored victories over Woodberry in both 2012 (11-10) and 2013 (14-8).

The other opponent was St. Anne’s-Belfield. A victory over the Saints nearly occurred in 2011, but the Barons came up just short in overtime 16-15. The following year, however, Blue Ridge would earn the opportunity to play St. Anne’s twice. On April 17, the Saints would once again be victorious 8-7. Now Blue Ridge would have to earn the right to play STAB again.

They did just that by playing Christchurch on the Seahorses’ home field in the quarterfinals of the state championship. Blue Ridge came out strong and looked as if they might run away with it. Then a ninety-minute weather delay nearly did in the Barons’ efforts. Christchurch quickly gained the momentum after the delay and closed the gap. It was Dave McSkimming who put Blue Ridge back on track in the 4th quarter with his tenacious one-on-one defense against Christchurch’s top player. The Barons sealed the deal with a crafty man-up play in the waning moments of the game.

On May 18, Blue Ridge would face their cross-town rival in the state championship semi-finals. It, too, was played on St. Anne’s home turf. Kyle has this memory of the game. “Truthfully, we came out sluggish, allowing STAB to go up 2-0 early in the game. We quickly got our feet back under us and more importantly found our competitive spirit as we headed into half time still down a couple of goals. The guys came out in the 2nd half firing on all cylinders. Tyler Pace was the guy who came up big in the 4th quarter as he put two goals away late in the game. And then Cory Takahara sealed the game with a great clearing effort off of a loose ball in our defensive end to seal the game 7-5 in our favor.

Watching our guys celebrate the win after leaving it all on the field will forever be a memory that I hold on to, and I’ll always be honored to have been a part of it.”

The team bonded in ways in 2012 that many teams hope to but very few accomplish. Seniors Tanner Fisher, Dave

AN IMPRESSIVE FIVE-YEAR RUN

McSkimming, Cory Takahara, Nick Voso and Jack Hamer as well as juniors Tyler Pace, Chase Frasier, Quinton Pavan and Jared Arntzen insisted on team unity, and it paid off.

Nine senior members of the 2012 team made it to the next level -- Tanner at Chestnut Hill, Dave at Seton Hill, Cory at Seton Hill, Nick at Berry and Jack at Virginia Wesleyan as well as Spencer Achtymichuk at Saint Leo, Garrett Chan at Queens, Patrick Googe at Ferrum and Andrew Risse at Randolph College.

In 2013, Blue Ridge once again found itself in a playoff run but was on the bubble. It would take a victory over St. Christopher’s to solidify a spot as one of the top eight teams. The Barons were on the wrong end of a lopsided score as the first half drew to a close. To make matters worse, BRS’s “stud face-off guru” Jared Arntzen went down with an ankle injury. The outlook for the second half was grim. In stepped second-string long stick middie Hunter Lyle. He took over at the face off and simply couldn’t be beaten. Those possessions allowed Blue Ridge to score five goals in the last three minutes of the game to close the gap.

Kyle has this additional memory. “The final tally of the game came off of a big defensive stop by a pair of freshmen – goal keeper Sam Ross and close defender Noah Jessey. This gave Tyler Pace the opportunity to race the ball down field, draw the attention of all of the St. Chris defenders and finally find Cal Tanner wide open off a beautiful feed from behind the cage. Cal scored his fourth goal of the game just as the last second clicked away, and the score read 16-15 in our favor.”

During that scoring frenzy, Kyle is fairly certain that every Blue Ridge player on the field touched the ball and meaningfully contributed to the final outcome of the contest. “It’s one of those games that every player on the team will reference later in life as an example of never giving up or losing hope no matter how grim the situation. Keep competing. You never know what could happen.”

Members of the Class of 2013 who went on to play college lacrosse include Tyler at Denver University, Jared at Hampden Sydney, Chase Fraser at the University of the District of Columbia, Tyler Klarner at the University of Massachusetts and Quinton Pavan at the University of the District of Columbia.

Just last year, eight members of the Class of 2014 signed on to play lacrosse at the following schools: EJ de la Torre at Young Harris College, Ian DiSesa at Randolph College, Dima Ferreira at Mars Hill, Rylee Marsh at Coker College, Elliott Moore at Eastern University, Max Morgan at Queens, Cal Tanner at Belmont Abbey and Travis Ward at Curry College. Bryce Carter, current senior, has already signed to play for Queens next year.

Cal is finding early impressive success at Belmont Abbey. He started in his first collegiate season and was one of the leading scorers among freshmen. His team was ranked as high as in the top 15 in the nation this season. He gives a great deal of credit for his success to his coach and the facilities at Blue Ridge. “EJ, Dima, Rylee and I are getting tons of playing time as freshmen. Coach Gardner gave us consistency and structure, something that the School provides in general. No matter the weather, we had practice, even if we had to be inside. Coach always created opportunities for us to improve our games. Many high schools do not have an indoor facility to compare with the BRS field house, and we took full advantage of it. We also practiced in the fall, which other schools usually don’t do.”

Cal’s successes this season have been mentioned several times in the Blue Ridge Alumni Lacrosse Facebook group. Alumni Relations Director Rory Bosek ’04 and other interested alumni frequently update this group with news about our graduates’ continued success in lacrosse.

A recent visit to the group revealed that Nic Voso in his cage position garnered Defensive Player of the Week honors during this past season with Berry. The team upset first-place Sewanee in overtime 11-10 as he stopped twelve shots and posted a 54.5 save percentage. Also, Dima Ferreira and his Mars Hill team recently won the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Championship. Other alumni who have been mentioned in recent posts are Garret and Max at Queens, Rylee at Coker, Quinton at the University of the District of Columbia, Andrew at Randolph and Jack at Virginia Wesleyan.

Because of coaches such as Nic Bell, Kyle Gardner and current head coach John Hetzel, the Blue Ridge lacrosse program is thriving. Next year’s players will benefit from practicing and playing on the new turf field, which is currently being prepped as part of Phase One of the Baron Athletic Complex. All indications are that the future for lacrosse at BRS looks more promising than ever.

But we are also built for character education. For traditional values, lifelong bonds, and global citizenship. From independent, entrepreneurial thinking and e ective communication to cultural appreciation and outdoorsmanship, boys come here to prepare for college. They leave prepared for life.

STUDENT FACULTY5:1RATIO FOR BOYS GRADES 9-12

750 ACRE CAMPUS

180 BOYS FROM 19 COUNTRIES

AT BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL, WE ARE BUILT FOR HOW BOYS LEARN BEST.

Are you interested in purchasing ad space? Please contact John Hetzel at jhetzel@blueridgeschool.com for more information.