Coach of the Year

Boys Lacrosse

Tano Arrogancia

Pikesville

Eight years of coaching reaped rewards for Arrogancia and his Panthers this season. They went 16-1 for the school's first state title - in the Class 2A-1A - and finished the year ranked No. 8 in the area.

The Panthers won their final 11 games, including their second win of the year over Baltimore County rival Towson. Pikesville never had defeated Towson in lacrosse prior to this season. In its 17-7 rout of Southern-Anne Arundel in the 2A-1A final, attackman Andrew Schwartzman set a state record for goals in a championship game (seven), and attackman Calib Miller eclipsed the record for points in a game (seven) with four goals and three assists.

Also defeating 3A-2A champion Fallston in overtime, Pikesville put Arrogancia (45-46 career entering the season) over the .500 mark for his career at 61-47.

Bryan Bradford

Fallston

The Salisbury State-bound midfielder was the backbone to the 3A-2A state championship Cougars team that owned victories over 4A-3A state champ Dulaney, 4A-3A runner-up Arundel and Howard County power Mount Hebron.

Bradford had 17 each in goals and assists and a school-record 200 ground balls and won 80 percent of his faceoffs over the course of the season.

Bradford was brilliant offensively and defensively, winning 21 of 27 faceoffs in a 15-8 rout of Mount Hebron, containing Dulaney's Bryant Will in a victory over his team, and scoring four goals, two assists and winning 14 faceoffs and scooping eight ground balls in the state title win over South River.

Drew Habeck

Severn

The North Carolina-bound attackman helped the Admirals to one of their best seasons in nearly a decade as they reached the MIAA A Conference semifinals and the No. 4 ranking in the area.

Habeck had 44 goals and 12 assists (135 goals, 50 assists in his career) and scooped 45 ground balls. The first-team All-State selection had three goals and an assist in a season-opening, 9-6 win over Washington D.C.-area power Landon, that team's only loss.

Habeck had three goals and an assist in a 10-9 win over Anne Arundel County rival St. Mary's, two goals and three assists in an upset of McDonogh, and five goals in a 16-3 rout of county rival Severna Park, last spring's 4A-3A state champ.

Kyle Harrison

Friends

It takes a lot to win the praise of an opposing teammate, but Harrison did that, as St. Mary's defender, Ted Turnblacer, called him "one of the two best players in the league with [McDonogh's] Jed Prossner."

Harrison's play alongside teammate Benson Erwin helped the Quakers in upset wins over Severn and Calvert Hall. The Johns Hopkins-bound midfielder finished the year with 28 goals and 24 assists, scooped more than 100 ground balls and won 90 percent of his faceoffs.

The three-sport athlete earned all-league honors in lacrosse, soccer and basketball. "He is the most accomplished three-sport athlete the school has had," said Friends athletic director Jon Garmen.

Mitch Hendler

Boys' Latin

Many MIAA A Conference coaches considered Hendler the league's premier defender. Hendler was more effective than anyone in containing McDonogh's Jed Prossner, and he outscored Dulaney's Bryant Will in a victory over Will's two-time 4A-3A state championship team.

Hendler also shut down his opponent in a victory over Yorktown, N.Y.

Hendler, who helped the Lakers reach the conference tournament quarterfinals, averaged four ground balls per game. He will play lacrosse next spring for the U.S. Naval Academy.,

David Misler

Pikesville

Misler's leadership and take-away skills made him perhaps the best defensive player in public schools this year and helped him earn All-American honors. Bound for Duke University, the four-year starter anchored the Panthers to the 2A-1A state championship after a 17-7 rout of Southern of Anne Arundel County. Coaches in Baltimore County unanimously voted Misler one of the best four players in their league.

Misler, who scooped 386 ground balls, directed the Panthers' defense and always covered the No. 1 offensive player from opposing teams. He will play lacrosse at Duke University.

J.D. Nelson

Gilman

Nelson was one of the main reasons Gilman beat all but one league opponent through the regular season despite having returned only one starter from last spring's MIAA A Conference champ.

He scored 19 goals to go with seven assists, but scooped 163 ground balls and won 70 percent of his faceoffs. Headed for Cornell University, Nelson had one of his best games in scoring two goals, with three assists and a team-high eight ground balls, and winning 18 of 26 faceoffs in a 13-11 victory over McDonogh.

Nelson "was, without question, the MVP of the league," said one league coach. Nelson also played football and wrestled.

Blake O'Shaughnessy

Boys' Latin

O'Shaughnessy transferred from Colorado, a state whose lacrosse is nowhere near the level of Maryland. So a big question was whether he could raise his game to match the level of players in the MIAA A Conference, considered the nation's most difficult high school lacrosse league.