Nick Campana commits to
D2 St. Leo University MORE Nov. 2008
Paul De Bord commits to
D1 Towson University MORE Nov. 2008
Sean McGushin commits to
D1
Bellarmine Univ. MORE Nov. 2008
On a Honor Roll
In a season marked by remarkable accomplishments, the Varsity added a number of individual honors to its list of 2010 achievements. Senior Chad Ellis again has been named All American, All State 1st team and All Conference 1st Team. Attaining those honors as a 2009 junior was a rare feat; repeating as only the third Illinois player to gain back-to-back All-American acclaim) is truly special. Senior Ben Dvorakhas been named All State 1st Team and All Conference 1st Team.This
is the first time StC has had two All State 1st Team players. Seniors Dom Imbordino and Pat Killeen and junior Pat McGushin have been named All State 2nd Team and All Conference 1st Team. The five All-State selections are the most ever awarded StC, and ties a state record for most 1st- and 2nd-team All State selections in a single season from one team. Finally, senior Taylor Coughlin and juniors Trace Evans and Brian Sullivan were named All Conference 2nd Team. Also, four of these seniors competed in the Class A 2010 Illinois All-Star Game on June 10. Taking their place among
the elite seniors in the state were Ben Dvorak, Chad Ellis, Dom Imbordino and Pat Killeen. As a team, the Varsity this season secured its third undefeated conference championship title in the past four years. The 6-0 mark gives Head Coach Andy Thompson and his staff -- including Asst. Coach Brian Prodoehl, who was also here in the 9-0 2007 season -- a Conference record of 29-1 over that span, and an overall mark of 66-16, including four straight appearances in the State Final Four.
The Class of '10 is now our most recruited group of players ever. Eight current seniors have now been recruited to Division 1, 2 and 3 lacrosse programs. Since 2007, 19 StC players have been NCAA recruits, including seven to D1 teams. And for the sake of the joke, can we agree that parts of Aurora are east of St Charles? Thank you. (Photos: Holly Watson-Evans)
Taylor Coughlin
D1 Mercer
Georgia
Ben Dvorak
D1 Bellarmine
Kentucky
Pat Killeen
D1 Siena
New York
Cooper O'Brien
D3 Aurora
Illinois
Chad Ellis
D3 Carthage
Wisconsin
Dom Imbordino
D1 Ohio State
Ohio
Billy Rawson
D2 Pfeiffer
S. Carolina
Tyler Thomas
D3 Aurora
Illinois
Congrats to Varsity Middie Ben Dvorak,
King of the recent StC North Prom
Varsity Goalie Pat McGushin is headed this summer to the prestigious Jake Reed Nike Blue Chip Camp in Maryland, one of just twelve rising senior goalies nationwide so chosen for the elite camp (organizers say that over 90% of campers go on to play D1).
Senior Chad Ellis has been selected by US Lacrosse to compete in the 2010 Champion High School Showcase in Orlando this July. Only 96 players are selected nationwide for this elite camp, which takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Field. Chad also has been named to the 2010 LaxPower All-Western Region Boys' High School Team. He joins a very select group of just 12 Attackmen on the squad.
The Chicago Bears' recent coaching changes brought a familiar face to town: Mike De Bord, uncle of freshman Will and alums Paul and Brett De Bord.
Coach De Bord comes to the Bears from the Seattle Seahawks, having also coached at Michigan and Central Michigan. He becomes the Bears Tight Ends Coach, which is good news for those of us with Greg Olsen (and now Brandon Manumaleuna) on our fantasy squads.
On the weekend before Christmas 2009, seven StC players travelled to Naples, Fla., to compete in the inaugural U19 Holiday In Paradise tournament as part of the Players Indoor squad. The team, which included Taylor Coughlin, Trace Evans, Colin Haley, Dan Morawski, Jesse Nagelberg, Marcus Stammen and Brian Sullivan, ran the table on its way to a 5-0 mark and the tourney championship. "The team played great all weekend long," says Taylor. "The defense kept every team we played under four goals and every offensive player scored. Everyone did a great job of 'keeping their heads' when times got rough and we won the title with class." D-pole Trace Evans also lauded his fellow, non-StC defenders. "Our LSM from Oak Park scooped up dozens of ground balls and our keepers were awesome." Right: Colin Haley eludes a Team Crease middie in the title game. Photo by Holly Watson-Evans
DuPage Conference coaches on Wednesday awarded All Conference honors for the first time ever to JV and Frosh-Soph players. First, Second and Honorable Mention teams were named. St Charles put 10 players on the JV teams (including five on the First Team), and six players on the Frosh-Soph teams (including three on the First Team). Congratulations to all StC players who earned these honors.
JV All Conference
Frosh-Soph All Conference
Andrew Jurewicz, 1st Team
Kevin Acton, 1st Team
Spencer Motley, 1st Team
Alec Irvine, 1st Team
Cooper O'Brien, 1st Team
J. Michael Wagner, 1st Team
Mitch Potts, 1st Team
Zach Chapman, 2nd Team
Misha Zaderej, 1st Team
David DiFiglio, 2nd Team
Colin Haley, 2nd Team
Matt O'Brien, 2nd Team
Marcus Stammen, 2nd Team
Tyler Thomas, 2nd Team
Jimmy Ingold, Hon. Mention
Paul Wempe, Hon. Mention
This year's annual Tyler Caruso Memorial Concert on May 28 again helped to raise funds for the Tyler Caruso Scholarship Foundation, a past benefactor of the Club. The event commemmorates Tyler, brother of Cam Caruso '08 and son of Marilyn and Tony Caruso, who died suddenly in 2002 at the age of 17. Young as he was, he'd already made an impact on his school, St. Charles East, and on his community, and the annual concert honors his memory and encourages other young people to be similarly involved. MORE
Paul De Bord receives Foundation grant
Senior Middie Paul De Bord is one of several 2009 Tyler Caruso Scholarship Foundation recipients.
The honor was announced at the recent St. Charles East Senior Awards Night.
Read about Paul here.
Junior middie
Spencer Swarts recently earned a Competency Award at the
DECA International Career Development Conference 2009 in Anaheim. Through its high school and college programs, DECA "develops future leaders in marketing, management and entrepreunership." Spencer's project? How to run a lacrosse retail store.
Senior middie
Paul
De Bord is the focus of writer Jay Schwab's feature story
in a recent issue of the
Kane County Chronicle.
Senior Day was Saturday, May 9, between games of the StC vs Hinsdale Central doublebill. Following the JV's 8-6 win and just prior to the Varsity's 14-7 victory, our eight graduating seniors, their parents and escorts were introduced and honored. All save one of the eight have been four-year members of the Club, and all have contributed in so many ways to the Club, both on and off the field, during their time with us. Thank you, Seniors. And best wishes and good luck.
Varsity names 2009 Co-Captains
Paul De Bord
Ben Dvorak
Sean McGushin
Alek Szmajda
The varsity recently electedits 2009 Co-Captains: • Senior Paul De Bord, headed to D1 Towson University • Junior Ben Dvorak, a unanimous 2008 First Team All Conference selection • Senior Sean McGushin, a 2007 and 2008 First Team All-Conference selection, and headed to D1 Bellarmine Univ. • Senior Alek Szmajda, headed to D3 Carthage College
Photo by Dennis McGushin
Senior Alex Szmajda headed to D3 Carthage College in Fall
"It's great to finally have a player from St. Charles," says Carthage College Head Coach Dave Neff, who will welcome senior attackman Alek Szmajda to the Kenosha, Wisconsin, school this Fall. Alek is the fourth St Charles senior to commit to play for a NCAA program in the Fall. Earlier, Nick Campana, Paul De Bord and Sean McGushin also announced plans. Last year, his first on the varsity, Alek's five goals and two assists ranked seventh on the team in both categories. His sophomore year, he started at attack for a JV squad that went 10-1 in conference play and 15-4 overall. Alek has also been a member of several offseason tournament teams, including this past summer's Players Indoor Centre U19 Elite team, which took third place at the Vail Shootout. "I think one of the nice things about Alek is that he has a familiarity with [other recruits] that were with Coach Stolzer and Coach Thompson this past summer on the Players Indoor Vail team," says Coach Neff. "[Current Red Men] Spencer Curley, Alex Rearick, Kyle Honn, Brian Teschke and George Sikes were all teammates with Alek.. "It's an exciting class," says Coach Neff, who was the St Charles Head Coach in 2005 and 2006. "We'll be bringing in twelve to fifteen
players, and we have had players turn down
schools like Kenyon and Denison and choose Carthage." Congratulations, Alek!
Evans-Erickson Academy is now open
For months, the younger boys in his neighborhood had been asking soph d-pole Trace Evans (back row, left) to teach them how to play lacrosse. So, in August, Trace and fellow soph Greg Erickson (back row, right) gathered up their own equipment as well as items from the Club's stockpile of used equipment, and conducted their own backyard lacrosse camp. It was intended to be a one-week camp, but proved so popular that Trace and Greg extended it to two weeks.
StC Quartet Battles Blue Lions, Crabs and Bears
Quite a weekend it was for Head Coach Andy Thompson (bottom, 2nd from left) and '08 varsity players (left to right) Brian Sullivan, Sean Brogan and Alek Szmajda, who were part of the Players Indoor Sports Centre U19 Elite team that took third place at the recent Vail Shootout in Colorado. The squad went 4-2, losing only to the eventual tourney champs and eventual
runner-up. "This was certainly a trip to remember for all our guys," says Players Coach Paul Stolzer. "In addition to some great lacrosse [there was] a whitewater raft trip down the Eagle River and a black bear confrontation in a parking garage." Sean Brogan, who safely negotiated that "confrontation," also was one of just three middies named to the All-Tournament team. "They only took 12 players out of the 200 or so players in the tournament," says Coach Thompson. "Sean had a great tournament and deserved the recognition."
Stephen Colbert -- and Sean
Brogan -- know all about bears.
St. Charles High School Boys Lacrosse Club
PO Box 83, St Charles, IL 60174 • stclacrosse@comcast.net • 630.513.8711
Senior Chad Ellis again has been named All American, All State 1st team and All Conference 1st Team. Attaining those honors as a 2009 junior was a rare feat; repeating as only the third Illinois player to gain back-to-back All-American acclaim) is truly special.
Alek is the fourth St Charles senior to commit to play for a NCAA program in the Fall. 
