McDonogh lacrosse gets it done, again

by Derek Toney

As he watched his McDonogh lacrosse teammates celebrate with classmates and family Friday evening on the turf on Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Max Allen fought back tears.

“It’s futile to put into words…the level of commitment of these guys is unbelievable,” said Allen, a long-stick defender. “From September, getting up at 4 a.m. for morning practices, coming in on weekends to watch film and lift (weights), getting in extra film sessions during the week, going to practice everyday whether you’re tired or sick, you give it a 100-percent all the time. All roads lead to here.”

The path ended with a piece of history for Allen and the Eagles, who defeated Boys’ Latin, 14-12, in the MIAA A Conference title game in Annapolis. Sophomore attack Hunter Metz scored four goals for McDonogh (15-3 overall).

The Owings Mills school put together another stirring second half rebirth this post-season, becoming the second team to claim three consecutive championships in what’s widely regarded as the nation’s top high school boys lacrosse league. 

“We’ve been tested throughout this whole year, a lot of ups and downs…this team is battle-tested,” said Eagles senior attack Luke Miller. “It’s really nothing.”

Trailing, McDonogh scored three times in the final two minutes before halftime, then overwhelmed Boys’ Latin in a 15-minute second half stretch. Miller, who will play for defending national champ University of Notre Dame next spring, had three goals and two assists and junior Brendan Millon had a first half hat trick and three second half assists.

The Eagles join Calvert Hall (2017-19) as the ultimate last team standing in the grueling MIAA A.

After sharing a long embrace with his son, Jake, a junior attack, McDonogh coach Andy Hilgartner was humbled. 

“It’s hard to put into words…incredible gratitude to be here, to be able to coach these guys, to be around the families, the commitment these players made,” said Hilgartner. “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”

A week ago, McDonogh’s season was seconds away from ending, down two goals at home to Loyola Blakefield in the quarterfinals. The Eagles won, 7-6, in double overtime.

In the semifinals Tuesday at Navy, McDonogh trailed Spalding by three goals midway in the second quarter. The Eagles stormed back in the second half for a 10-9 decision.

Hilgartner said a 10-9 regular season overtime loss to Spalding was the turning point.

“What gave me confidence that this moment could happen was after the Spalding game, the next day just the renewed commitment by our guys,” said Hilgartner, who guided the Eagles to a fourth MIAA crown in his 16 seasons at the school. “There was no panic and seniors said they weren’t going down like this…We really turned the corner and made a night like this possible.”

McDonogh was down 6-5 late in a furious opening half before Metz came out with a ground ball near the front of the goal and flicked it low past Boys’ Latin goalie Will Ohnmacht, tying the game with 2:01 remaining before halftime. The Eagles got possession off the ensuing faceoff and junior midfielder Eli Schaller got free and converted a rip shot for the lead. 

With 9.2 seconds left, Metz got a crossing pass from Miller by the crease and easily deposited the ball into the goal. McDonogh got possession to start the second half, and Schaller, a Maryland commit, finished a pass from Bogue Hahn. 

The Eagles led 10-7 after Blake Resnick’s unassisted tally, but Parker Hoffman won the ensuing faceoff for Boys’ Latin (14-3) and Connor Sydnor finished, bringing the Lakers within two goals. Hoffman, a North Carolina recruit, helped Boys' Latin win six of nine faceoffs in the third quarter.

But the Lakers put the ball on the ground and McDonogh made them pay. After getting a clear, Allen sent a pass to senior midfielder Chase Green, who gave the ball to Millon. Millon passed off to Metz for the finish.

Metz came free from behind the goal and put another shot into goal for a 12-8 advantage before off another McDonogh ground ball pickup, Miller finished a pass from Millon in transition.

Millon, the nation’s top player in the Class of 2025 by Inside Lacrosse, said despite losing performers like AJ Marsh (Navy), last year’s consensus Player of the Year in the Baltimore area and Mac Christmas (Duke).

“We would be nothing without our defense. They’ve stepped up an unbelievable amount this year,” said Millon, who’s committed to Virginia. "Those guys have brought nothing but success."

Three years ago, Millon helped start McDonogh's run, scoring as the buzzer sounded as the Eagles defeated Boys' Latin in the semifinals. Last year, McDonogh ended the Lakers' season with an overtime decision in the semifinals.

It was only fitting that the final game of the 2024 MIAA A season would feature Boys' Latin and McDonogh, who've met in the postseason 13 times in the last 14 full seasons (no season in 2020 due to COVID-19). The teams' last title game battle was in 2005 with McDonogh winning its first MIAA A championship.

The latest chapter in the rivalry Friday started out like a blockbuster action movie. The first five possessions resulted in scores as the Eagles, courtesy of Millon's hat trick, led 5-3, just 10 minutes into regulation.

The Lakers, looking for their first title since 2021 (defeated Spalding in the final after beating McDonogh in semifinals), got back-to-back goals from Matt Higgins to gain the lead, 6-5, with 7:41 left in the second quarter. Higgins, a junior attack, finished with three goals and an assist.

It would be the only lead Friday for Boys' Latin, the No. 1 seed. Senior attack Spencer Ford had three goals.

Lakers coach Brian Farrell said his team was unable to recover from McDonogh's third quarter onslaught.

"When you're not winning ground balls and not stopping them, it's hard," said Farrell, whose team scored three unanswered goals late in regulation. "There was a three-play sequence...we had a chance to make a play in the middle of the field and we didn't, they executed and scored."

Farrell felt for his 21 seniors who wanted to atone after falling short in the semifinals the past two seasons.

"I'm very proud. This is obviously disappointing because they care so much and wanted it so bad. They've worked their butts off since November to be here," said Farrell. "It was a bad game on our part and I take full responsibility. We could've done better game-plan wise, we could've done a better job executing."

Friday's win gives McDonogh six MIAA A crowns, most all-time. The MIAA started in 1994 following the dissolution of the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) and held its first lacrosse championships in the spring of 1996.

St. Paul's was the last team to win three straight MSA A titles (1969-1971).

All season, McDonogh didn't talk publicly about winning a third straight MIAA A championship, but the players admitted it was in the back of their minds.

"We just wanted one for our seniors, but as it inched up, we wanted to make history," said Miller.

"To do it three years in a row and not have a drop off in commitment is so special and to do it with my best friends makes it so much cooler," said Allen, who's next headed to Georgetown. "I'm going to remember this forever."

The McDonogh lacrosse team made history Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis with its third straight title and sixth overall, most in league history.