Calvert Hall adds another MIAA A Conference lacrosse crown in convincing fashion

by Derek Toney

The anticipated showdown of the MIAA A Conference’s lacrosse power players Friday night never materialized and was instead a rousing coronation.

Hail Calvert Hall. The Cardinals are again the last team standing in the nation’s premier boys high school league after a 14-8 victory over McDonogh School in front of an estimated 3,200 fans at Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium.

“I can’t even speak right now, I’m so elated,” said Cardinal senior attack Jack Williams. “We worked so hard, September to May…it just means so much and to have it all culminate in winning a championship, I’m so happy.”

Nine players scored Friday for The Hall (13-3 overall), with sophomore Adam Heuston earning the title match’s Most Valuable Player honor with four goals. Hut Perdew finished with two goals and two assists and Connor Sullivan tallied twice.

In winning its record seventh MIAA A title Friday, Calvert Hall became the first program to repeat twice. The Cardinals authored the first three-peat (2017-2019).

The Cardinals had their finest performance of the spring Friday, leading by as many as eight goals against a McDonogh squad they outlasted, 14-13, during the regular season.

After rallying in the second half in Tuesday’s semifinals against Loyola Blakefield at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Calvert Hall was confident when it left its Towson campus late Friday afternoon for the bus ride to Stevenson.

“Everybody was kind of doubting us a little bit, but Loyola was a great team, a great rival and a tough matchup for us,” said Cardinals coach Bryan Kelly, whose team was the playoffs’ top-seed, “but I felt like we were on all cylinders tonight.”

The “process” has been the mantra for Calvert Hall’s dynastic run. The Cardinals methodically rendered McDonogh helpless midway through the third quarter Friday.

It started at the X where Calvert Hall neutralized Eagle star face-off specialist and Notre Dame recruit Cieran Sweeney. McDonogh, which scored 16 goals (most in a MIAA A final four match since 2019) in its win over Archbishop Spalding Tuesday, had five through three quarters Friday.

Cardinals junior goalie Nick Neavin, whose stop in the waning seconds preserved victory Tuesday, finished with 12 saves Friday.

“It came down to preparation…our scout team, I think, is one of the best in the nation,” said Cardinals senior defensemen Cole Hottle. “Our offense was firing, our pace was excellent.”

After McDonogh scored its first goal to tie the game in the first quarter, junior shortstick defender Micha Morozov started a fast break that ended with a Sullivan strike.

Off a restart, Sullivan found a cutting Jaxson Snellbaker who converted as the first quarter buzzer sounded. Williams’ unassisted tally gave the Cardinals a 8-2 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Eagles appeared ready to mount a second half comeback with a goal 10 seconds in. The momentum didn’t last as Calvert Hall junior Michael Steer’s unassisted tally made it 9-3.

Heuston followed with a natural hat trick, including two man-up scores for a stunning 12-3 advantage with 7:01 left in the third quarter.

Chants of “Start the buses” and “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” started ringing from the Calvert Hall student section in the stands.

“We always knew we were capable of this,” said Heuston. “Every quarter we just put in 100-percent effort and don’t give up.”

T.C. Goodman matched Heuston with a game-best four goals for McDonogh (13-4). Hunter Metz added a goal and an assist. The Eagles were poised for a fourth MIAA A crown in five seasons Friday at Mustang Stadium, just a 10-minute ride from their campus.

Then came the opening face-off.

“They (Calvert Hall) did a great job…we knew we needed to clear the ball and didn’t do a great job,” said McDonogh coach Travis Holmes, whose team was the No. 2 seed. “The more possessions you give them, the more opportunities they have.”

It was nonetheless a memorable season for the Eagles with Holmes taking the helm after Andy Hilgartner left for Georgetown Prep after 17 seasons and four MIAA A titles during the offseason.

“The cool thing for me is I saw some of these kids grow up from freshmen to seniors, being an assistant coach before, and my heart hurts for the seniors. No one believed we’d be here, but we were, and I give all the credit to the kids,” said Holmes, a former two-sport star athlete at McDonogh. “They put the work in from Day 1, but it just wasn’t our night.”

On April 21, Calvert Hall lost at home to St. Mary’s. The following Monday, Kelly brought in a team performance specialist and issued a 21-day challenge.

The Cardinals, who returned just three starters from last year’s championship game’s starting 11, aced their final test Friday. Six starters among 33 letter winners are set to return for a chance at another three-peat next spring.

“I think our kids learn from failures and that’s what you learn in life,” said Kelly, who guided his alma-mater to its seventh title Friday. “I always tell the kids when you look at the Grand Canyon, there’s no growth at the top of the canyon, growth is in the valley. Every part of our program has been built off of five key failures…we just introspect, look back and redo.”