The Adrenaline All American Games took place this past weekend at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The back-to-back games put an official stamp on the high school careers of a little over 100 standout western athletes. The girls’ game preceded the boys, highlighted by a plethora of goal scorers, incredible saves, and a South team victory. The results of the boys’ game swung the opposite direction, with the North team solidifying the 2019 title with an overtime win.
The mission of the Adrenaline AA game is to bring national attention to the western lacrosse player. With nontraditional pipelines growing for top NCAA programs, the western acknowledgment remains absent despite the equivalent level of college commitments. We are honored to provide a platform to boast the strength of western lacrosse and share with the world what these players have to offer.
It was an all-hands-on-deck event with top lacrosse media outlets including Lax All Stars, Inside Lacrosse, The Lacrosse Network, and US Lacrosse each having a hand in the promotion of these players as the best in the west. Tune in to Lacrosse All Stars and/or the Lacrosse Network Boys and Girls streams to see what the hype is all about. Thank you to Patrick McEwen (Inside Lacrosse, @LaxFilmRoom), Tari Kandermiri (@OfficialLaxGirl), and Jono Zissi (Adrln Recruiting Director), for providing play-by-play commentary for each of the games. Check out photos from the entire weekend here.
Despite losing the first draw in the girls’ game, the South pulled away in the second quarter, stretching the score to 11-3 at the end of the first half. The North regrouped and hit their stride by the end of the third quarter, bringing the game within one with less than seven minutes left. The fate of the game ultimately lay in the hands of the player who could gain possession and secure the rock. Maddie Barkate (Harvard) was a key ingredient at the draw and in the offensive end for the South throughout the game, earning herself the game MVP title. South was crowned the 2019 champions after a 16-13 win. Thank you to Charlotte North (Duke), Megan Carney (Syracuse, AA alum) for coaching the South team, and to Morgan Widner (Syracuse) and Courtney Andersen (Stanford, AA alum) for coaching the North team.
The boys’ game was a back and forth battle as a result of incredible goalie play between all 5 goalies. The overall skill and athleticism on both teams was balanced, with an impressive number of players getting on the board with at least one point. The offensive style on both ends featured a lot of assisted goals and some highlight reel plays. The North and South defensive rides showed their color with a fair number of turnovers as well. Eric Pacheco (Loyola) won the MVP award with his dominant play at the faceoff, especially in the second half and with his pivotal win in OT. Henry Carpenter (Penn State) put the final notch on the board for the 13-12 win over the reigning South champions. Thank you to Jay Sothoron (ESD Coach), Jason Gildea (SMU Coach), Rorke Denver (Syracuse, Western HOF), Paul Carcaterra (Syracuse, ESPN) and Peter Baum (Colgate, Western HOF) for coaching the victorious North team, and Andy Kay (MICDS Coach), Anthony DeMaio (Maryland, AA Alum) and Justin Anderson (UNC, AA Alum) for leading the South team.
At halftime, we honored another player in memory of Adrenaline AA alum, Jeremy Huber. Ian McKissick (Cleveland State) won the Huber award in recognition of his commitment to service and his ability to overcome adversity and maintain tremendous character.
All American festivities began Saturday evening with an exclusive banquet for the AA players and their families. Adrenaline CEO Alex Cade commanded the audience with the induction of the first ever Western Hall of Fame class, welcoming Rorke Denver and Peter Baum into the highest ranks of western lacrosse stardom. Naturally, Rorke doubled as our Keynote Speaker, inspiring the future collegiate players to strive for greatness. ESPN Lacrosse analyst, Paul Carcaterra, joined us on stage to share a little bit about his story and introduce his former Syracuse teammate who drove the show home. Rorke’s message to the players to continue on the path that they are on, both in lacrosse and in life, resonated with every attendee. Peter, Paul, and Rorke each provided a unique perspective to the game and the opportunities it has afforded them. Fortunately, we got it all on tape for you to formulate your own takeaways. Check it out here.