BOSTON, Mass. — Isaiah Davis-Allen, captain of the Chesapeake Bayhawks, has been named the Cascade David Huntley Man of the Year for the 2020 season.

The award is named in honor of David Huntley, a former Major League Lacrosse (MLL) coach, and it recognizes the individual who has best demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, professionalism, and service to their community. It is one of the highest honors a lacrosse player can receive.

Huntley grew up in Toronto, Ontario, before being recruited to play at Johns Hopkins. He helped lead the Blue Jays to consecutive NCAA Championship wins in 1978 and 1979 and was a three-time All-American. In 1979 he won the McLaughlin Award, recognizing the top midfielder in the country. (An award MLL legends such as Gary Gait, Ryan Powell, Max Seibald, Kevin Crowley, C.J. Costabile, and 2020 David Huntley Man of the Year finalist, Zach Goodrich, have received.) Huntley also played internationally and was a member of Team Canada’s gold medal-winning 1978 World Lacrosse Championship team.

Huntley began his storied career as a professional lacrosse coach in the inaugural season of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (a predecessor of the National Lacrosse League) in 1987 when he served as the Philadelphia Wings general manager and coach. In an assistant capacity, Huntley also coached the Bayhawks, Team Canada, Loyola College in Maryland, and Calvert Hall College. As a head coach, Huntley lead NLL’s Philadelphia Wings from 2008-2010, MLL’s Toronto Nationals from 2009-2010, and MLL’s Atlanta Blaze from 2016-17.

Huntley passed away in 2017, in 2018 Major League Lacrosse established this award in his honor. Last year’s recipient was Nick Marrocco of the Boston Cannons. Isaiah Davis-Allen is the third recipient of this award.

“Isaiah’s impact in our sport continues to grow,” MLL commissioner Alexander (Sandy) Brown said. “While consistently a top player league-wide, it is Isaiah’s achievements off of the MLL field that resonate with so many. He aims to serve a purpose beyond himself, whether it’s service, coaching, or leading this sport into a more inclusive and opportunistic future. Isaiah’s leadership qualities came to the fore this year, and I would like to extend my congratulations to him for being named the 2020 David Huntley Man of the Year.”

Within the league, the short stick defensive midfielder continues to lead discussions on how to create new opportunities for minority players and lacrosse players of all ages and backgrounds throughout the communities MLL serves.

Outside of MLL, Davis-Allen plays as a defenseman for David Huntley’s Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. He has spent the past three years as a coach for Nation United Lacrosse, an organization that strives to support participation in lacrosse across ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic boundaries. With a desire to leave the game better than he found it, Davis-Allen also serves as a Clinic Instructor for Next Level Spartans, a lacrosse club prioritizing player development and character formation.

“Getting to share a locker room with IDA for the past four years has been great,” Bayhawks goaltender and Maryland native Brian Phipps said. “He’s dynamic in every sense of the word. Everything that he’s doing for the lacrosse community, the Maryland community, and our team is so impactful, and I don’t think there’s a better choice for this award.”

“The entire Chesapeake Bayhawks organization is extremely proud of IDA for being named the Huntley Man of the Year,” Bayhawks president Mark Burdett said. “I played against Hunts in college, lost a championship and a rib to him. He was relentless on the field as both a player and a coach, but he did more to move the needle in our sport than most have. He cared deeply about the game and what it could offer to young players, in terms of growth and opportunity. IDA embodies all Hunts hoped to see from a player; a fierce competitive nature, a passion to see the sport grow, and an unwavering dedication to his community to facilitate that growth. I applaud the lacrosse community in recognizing IDA for all of his hard work.”

The Springfield, Va., native attended St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes before entering the University of Maryland. The two-time lacrosse team captain continually invested in his community and was recognized by winning the Senior CLASS Award in 2017. Davis-Allen tirelessly served in Prince George’s County, introducing young Black boys to lacrosse. Davis-Allen has also served his community through reading to children at local schools, volunteering at Johns Hopkins Hospital and coaching for Blackwolf Lacrosse Club and SYC Lacrosse Club.

“Isaiah is a phenomenal leader and community member,” Bayhawks head coach Tom Mariano said. “He is paving the way for young Black men in lacrosse and truly is a role model for all of us.”

Davis-Allen works full-time as a Project Engineer for Buch Construction. In his free time, he works to diversify the sport. He coaches for Nation United, a club that fields elite-level lacrosse teams encompassing mostly minority players as their mission to inspire more diversity within the game of lacrosse. With a desire to leave the game better than he found it, Davis-Allen also serves as a Clinic Instructor for Next Level Spartans, a lacrosse club that prioritizes player development and character formation.

“IDA is the best teammate and he deserves this award for all the hard work he does for our game,” said Nick Manis, midfielder for the Bayhawks. “We’ve played together for eight years now, and through all of these years he somehow makes it seem easy to give his time, his expertise and himself to others in the community. IDA was the right man to be named the David Huntley Man of the Year.”