2020 LACROSSE CAPTAINS HAVE LAST WORD

By Meredith Bower

The boys’ lacrosse practice in John McDonogh Stadium on the eve of the 2022 MIAA championship game ended as usual with “the last word”—a reflection from the team captains. But much to the surprise of the 36 varsity players, the words of advice were not from their teammates but rather from three 2020 captains whose senior season was sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in the day, Coach Andy Hilgartner reached out to alumni Scott Cole, Dane Swanson, and Jackson Bonitz to see if they could make it to the final practice of the season—a gesture that would benefit both the former and current players. The three jumped at the opportunity. (A fourth captain, Gable Braun ’20, who was playing for the University of Virginia in the NCAA tournament, was unable to join them.)

“They are a huge part of our program and our school, and I didn’t want them to feel like we’d forgotten them,” Hilgartner says. He went on to explain the significance of their lost season: the last time McDonogh won a championship lacrosse title was in 2016, and for four years the players from the class of 2020 hoped to earn it back. Although their senior season got off to a good start with two wins, it came to an abrupt end.

2020 teammates Jackson Bonitz, Dane Swanson, Scott Cole, and Cody Ince celebrate the Eagles championship victory at Navy-MarineCorp Stadium.

“I thought we had one of our best teams that year and then COVID canceled the season,” Hilgartner recalls. “The players still have a feeling of emptiness and disappointment from losing out on the year.”

Cole, who now plays for Lehigh University, agrees saying, “COVID was obviously devastating for us because we had such a talented team.” He adds that he and the other 2020 captains planned to focus on the culture of McDonogh lacrosse. “We wanted to be inclusive and wanted everyone to be completely committed to our goal of winning a championship.”

The leadership style of the 2020 captains was not lost on this year’s senior leaders: Hugh Brown, Johnny Cool, and Aiden Hurdle. They recall as sophomores receiving text messages from their captains during the COVID lockdown encouraging them to continue training despite the loss of a season. Brown, who will be playing at Loyola University next year, says, “We all went into this year with the goal of having an impact on the underclassmen the same way they [the 2020 captains] impacted us. They were great leaders on and off the field,”

Although the 2022 Eagles were ranked No. 1 by The Baltimore Sun early this spring, Cool, who looks forward to playing at Ohio State next year, describes the season as a roller coaster with some big wins and tough losses. But as Hilgartner tells his players, “Progress is not just a straight line. There are ups and downs. We just need to keep moving in the right direction.”

The long-time coach says he was confident that the team’s ability, attitude, resilience, and commitment would get them to the finish line. Going into the 2022 playoffs, fifth-seeded McDonogh beat Archbishop Spalding to advance to the semi-finals where they faced top-ranked Boys’ Latin—a team they lost to in the 2021 MIAA Championship game. The Eagles bested the Lakers by a point to advance to the final round of the playoffs. Two days later, Hilgartner turned to the former captains.

The invitation to speak to the varsity players came at just the right moment for Bonitz and Swanson whose Naval Academy schedules are tightly regimented. “We usually don’t have the opportunity to get off the yard,” says Bonitz, referring to their rare afternoon of leave.

The three alumni, who had not been on McDonogh’s field since their season was cut short, say they were honored to be asked to give “the last word,” and simply encouraged the players to enjoy the moment. Speaking specifically to the seniors, they advised, “You have one more opportunity to play, don’t take it for granted. Soak it in. Be thankful for the opportunity to be part of the program, and enjoy every minute of the game.”

The following evening, a warm Friday in late May at the historic Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, the Eagles faced off against St. Mary’s before a frenzied crowd of McDonogh students from all divisions, current and past parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and rivals who were now fans. Cool and his teammates heeded the advice of the 2020 captains. “I kept thinking it’s my last time riding the bus, my last time in the locker room, my last time warming up,” he says. “I decided not to be stressed out, to take a deep breath, and enjoy one more game with my best friends.”

From the sidelines, Hilgartner watched as his players won the MIAA title by a score of 14-8. He believes the visit from the 2020 captains not only gave the team confidence, but it also relaxed them. He says, “They were focused on the important things and not the hype of the game.”

Hurdle, who is joining Bonitz and Swanson at the Naval Academy, reflects, “The Classes of 2020 and 2021 were the reason we won the championship. They laid the foundation when we were younger.”

Speaking on behalf of the 2020 captains, Cole adds, “The team deserved every bit of their success this year. It was so rewarding to watch them win because even though we may not have had the chance to win a championship our senior year, it made us happy knowing we at least had an impact on the guys who did. We did our best to leave McDonogh lacrosse better than we found it and hope that everyone who comes after us will do the same.”

Several weeks after the 2022 MIAA Championship game, Andy Hilgartner was named The Baltimore Sun Boys Varsity Coach of the Year. He spoke to a reporter about their season and his players’ commitment saying, “They didn’t need a wake up in a sense of somebody screaming at them or putting them on the end line and making them run. What they needed was us, as coaches, to demonstrate to them that we’re going to make adjustments to get back on track and that we weren’t wavering in our faith in them.”