The Mid-Atlantic Region preview, presented by LaxRecords.com features a four-part series. Part two looks at some of the big themes around the region.
Mid-Atlantic Region Preview: Pt. 1: Milestones | Pt. 2: The Big Picture | Pt. 3: Random Region Notes | Pt. 4: Top 10
Possibly the biggest story on the LaxRecords radar this season comes from Pennsylvania where state and national records could be reset.
Anthony Caporuscio from Crestwood (Pa.) already took over as Pennsylvania’s all-time leading goal scorer after his junior year, now the LeMoyne commit needs 119 points to tie Michael Sowers as the state’s all-time scoring leader. Caporuscio scored 154 points last season and 195 as a sophomore. Caporuscio was only the second player in state history to score more than 300 goals and he enters the season as the No. 18 player in history. It’s within his reach to become the nation’s all-time goal leader, needing 124 to tie Zed Williams from Silver Creek (N.Y.) with 444. Caporuscio scored 115 goals last season and 126 as a sophomore.
Going For Four
Calvert Hall (Md.) already made history last season after winning the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference title for the third consecutive season, but the Cardinals appear to be the favorite to win it all in 2020 as well. Head Coach Bryan Kelly returns 25 players, including 20 who already committed to play in college. The Cardinals leading scorer returns in Daniel Kelly, who could become the program’s all-time leading scorer by the end of the season. Sophomore attack Truitt Sunderland also returns with senior midfielder Cole Herbert.
Streaking
The Mid-Atlantic boasts the two longest active winning streaks in the nation.
Briar Woods enters the year with a 43-game winning streak after finishing 22-0 and winning the Virginia Class 5A state championship. The Falcons already have the longest reported streak in Virginia history as they enter the year. They are tied with three other teams with their 43-game streak and are among the Top 20. Another 22-0 season would place them among the Top 10.
Westminster (Md.) went 19-0 and won the Maryland Class 3A state championship to extend their winning streak to 37 games.
Bishop Shanahan (Pa.) capped the season with a 20-game winning streak and a PIAA AA championship. That streak ranks among the Top 15 streaks in Keystone State history.
Big Names, New Places
Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) finished 21-2 but will have a new head coach roaming the sideline this season after former coach Dave Giarusso was not retained. Ross Turco moves from assistant coach to the head role. Turco has head coaching experience at Peddie School (N.J.). Turco was an All-American attackman at Peddie and played collegiately at Denver.
John Nostrant takes over as head coach at Gilman (Md.) after 25 years and 492 wins at Haverford School. Nostrant is no stranger to the MIAA A Conference as he regularly scheduled games against the MIAA to start Haverford School’s seasons. Nostrant posted a 32-24 record against the MIAA since 2002. By LaxRecords count, Nostrant was the only Inter-Ac coach to have a winning record against the MIAA A Conference. The Greyhounds were 8-7 last season in Head Coach Brooks Matthews’ final year. Nostrant gets 23 seniors back from that team and boast 14 players who have committed to play in college. Sam King (Harvard), Jack Tortolani (Denver), Dutch Furlong (Bucknell), Jack Witherspoon (Syracuse), Jack Stuzin (Yale) and Tommy Martinson (Harvard) highlight some of the seniors returning to the lineup.
Brendan Dawson takes over at Haverford School (Pa.) after being an assistant last season. The Fords return 33 players and a baker’s dozen of college commits, including Brennan McBride (Harvard), Geordy Holmes (Maryland), Jack Leary (Georgetown), Michael Bozzi (Cornell) and David Graham (Ohio State).
Rick Brocato returns to the sidelines after a two-year hiatus, this time to coach at his alma mater, Towson (Md.). The long-time St. Paul’s (Md.) head coach has 241 career wins, needing nine to reach 250. This is the first time Brocato has been the head coach of any team other than St. Paul’s. He also spent time as an assistant coach at Kent Denver (Colo.) and Boys’ Latin (Md.).
Brandon Creech takes over at Briar Woods (Va.) after former coach Marty Young led the team to a 23-0 season and a 43-game winning streak. The Falcons lost 18 seniors to graduation, but return 15 from the 5A State Championship squad. The defense should be a strength with seniors Ryan Nixon, Baylor Hunt, Eric Hamilton, and Danny Collins returning.
Ryan Tucker takes over the Norfolk Academy (Va.) program from Tom Duquette who is Virginia's all-time wins leader. Duquette spent 38 seasons at Norfolk Academy and won 560 games. Tucker is a Gilman alum who will face his old program for the first time as a head coach on March 14.