Towne Athlete Meet

TOWNE ATHLETE

Spencer Hanks

Arundel High School Soccer

By Tom Worgo I f Arundel senior Spencer Hanks had a nickname, it would probably be the finisher. Once Hanks takes control of the ball around a soccer goal, count on it finding the back of the net. That’s how good Hanks is, and he will play next season on a soccer scholarship at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where he has a legitimate chance to play right away.

“I think I only need one chance,” Hanks says of scoring. “I have been playing for so long, I don’t even need to put my head up.” Brash? Maybe, but Hanks’ stats back up his talk. He scored a whopping 30 goals this season, leading the Wildcats to a 14-3-1 record and their first Class 4A state semifinal berth in 32 years.

He also dominated as a junior and scored 21 goals to guide the Wildcats to a 10-5-3 mark.

“What he did better this year is finish opportunities, and worked on being quicker,” Arundel Boys Soccer Coach Mike McCarron says. “He worked on having a quicker release. When he had a scoring opportunity, he rarely missed.”

Hanks certainly got recognized for his stellar 2019 season. He was named the county’s Player of the Year for the second season in a row and earned United Coaches Soccer All-American honors.

“It’s very rare for someone

to have a season like he did,” says McCarron, who has coached at Arundel for 16 years. “He has such a love for the game and it shows every time he plays. His work ethic and technical ability to play with both feet separates him from a lot of players.”

Hanks broke two 33-year-old school records: scoring 30 goals and finishing his fouryear career with 71. But being named an All-American had a special meaning for him. He’s worked tremendously hard during his 13 years in soccer to get to this point.

“You really don’t think about it until it happens because it’s such a big honor,” Hanks says. “To represent Arundel at a national level is a very cool thing.” Hanks, a four-year varsity starter and two-time team co-captain, won’t knock opponents around much when he is trying to score. He is 5-foot-7-inches and weighs 145 pounds. He gets by on hustle, grit, speed, and determination.

“He is the best forward in the state,” UMBC Men’s Associate Coach Anthony Adams says. “He was getting double and triple teamed and opponents physically try to intimidate him and get in his head, but all he did was score goals.”

“He is a lot stronger than

people give him credit for,” he adds. “I grew up with a guy named Shane Dougherty, who played for Maryland and the Blast. Spencer reminds me a lot of him because of his size.”

The 17-year-old Hanks is thrilled to be going to UMBC. Georgetown University and the University of Maryland also aggressively recruited him.

“UMBC has a great program and I felt at home there,” Hanks says. “I really knew it was the right fit. And I love the fact that my friends and family can watch me play.”

When Hanks wasn’t playing for Arundel, he suited up for the top-notch Baltimore Celtic.

“I am sure everyone on the roster will play in college,” says Hanks, who balances competing for the Celtic in the offseason with participating in Unified Bowling in the winter and Unified Bocci in the spring for Arundel.

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