Players returning to the Jackson Memorial High School boys lacrosse team in the spring of 2012 will have a little more bounce to their step when they compete in the Jackson Liberty High School tournament that will take place July 16-17 in Jackson.
More than 100 lacrosse teams are expected to participate.
“Kids told me jokingly after the Rumson game, ‘We’re starting up already,’ ” said Jackson Memorial coach Nike Caruso, referring to the Jaguars’ 12-3 loss to Rumson- Fair Haven Regional High School in the championship game of the 2011 Shore Conference Tournament.
Jackson Memorial (15-3) became the first Ocean County team to reach the Shore Conference Tournament championship game in the event’s seven years of existence.
Jackson Memorial recently had 24 players travel to West Chester, Pa., for a showcase against teams from as far away as Texas and Michigan, and Caruso expressed satisfaction with their performance. A showcase in Barnegat is scheduled for the end of the month.
“We want to play a higher level [of competition] in the offseason so that when we get in season, we’re used to it,” said Caruso.
Jackson Memorial graduated five players, and Caruso believes this is an important time for the new players to fit into the scheme of things.
“We are where we are because of our summer,” said Caruso, referring to last summer’s program. “I thought we could be successful and we rode the players as far as we could.”
The graduated players are U.S.A. Lacrosse High School All-American defender Brad Meier, who is going to Roanoke; midfielder Brian Specht, who is going to Stevens Institute of Technology; long stick midfielder Ryan Totem; defender Max Sunder; and goalkeeper Nick Adams, who never played in the nets before this past season.
Caruso believes the players’ commitment during the summer will help the Jaguars continue their success. Meier is the secondAll-American from Jackson Memorial. Tyler DiStefano was selected as an All- American two years ago following a career in which he scored 155 goals. DiStefano went on to Wesley College.
“I’m really happy with where we are,” Caruso said of the Jackson Memorial lacrosse program. “I’m excited. This is seven years in the making. I feel we can keep on doing this.”
Caruso acknowledges there are some big holes to fill on a team that stunned perennial Shore Conference Tournament finalist Christian Brothers Academy, 6-5, in the 2011 tournament semifinals.
As for the conference tournament’s championship game, the coach said, “Rumson outplayed us. They played a complete game.” In 2010, the Jaguars were 14-4. They were beaten in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals by Howell.
Caruso has begun looking for some answers in the summer workouts.
“Some guys are able to fill the holes, but you can’t replace those guys,” Caruso said of the players who have graduated.
But the coach said there is enough proven talent returning to get the Jaguars back to the Shore Conference Tournament championship game and to advance further in the state tournament.
Among the players expected back who can make things happen are attackmen Nick Wolf and Connor Cunningham, who will be seniors and made the All-Shore Conference First Team along with Specht and Maier, and Evan Farrar, who will be a junior. Wolf led the team in goals for the second straight year with 41, and Cunningham notched 39 goals and 21 assists for a team-high 60 points.
“We are bringing back everybody from the offensive side, and they showed they can score with anybody,” Caruso said.
Randy Royle, who will be a senior, has started the past two seasons.
Also due back in midfield are the Balsamo brothers, who will be juniors, Nick and Mike, who won face-offs, as well as Austin Letts, who will be a senior.
Caruso will miss Adams, who quickly learned on the job in goal. The coach said establishing a replacement in net “is a work in progress. We have young talent there.”
Nevertheless, the coach said it is a wideopen situation and that nothing is guaranteed in terms of starting assignments for the 2012 campaign.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Caruso said.
Jason Lynch, who coached Jackson Liberty High School’s boys lacrosse team to its best season ever at 8-8 this spring, is coaching the 360 Lacrosse travel seventhand eighth-grade team that will play in that age group in the showcase at Jackson Liberty this weekend.
Defensemen Walter Matthies and Christopher Stefanowitz, both seventhgraders from Jackson, are among the players on the team that draws from Monmouth and Ocean counties.
There also will be a fifth- and sixthgrade 360 Lacrosse team playing in that age bracket in the showcase,
Some Jackson Liberty players returning for next season are on the three older 360 Lacrosse teams that are playing in a showcase on Long Island, N.Y., this weekend. Defenseman Dom Legotte plays on the 360 Lacrosse freshman team, while midfielder Steve Quaranta and defenseman Markus Calabro are on the 360 Lacrosse varsity team. Goalie Max Leidenheimer is on the 360 Lacrosse Elite team.
There also are 24 players coming back on the Jackson Liberty team for next season who are playing in a summer league in Manasquan.