He didn't pout or complain about calls after his team's 16-6 loss to Parkside in Wednesday's Class 2A-1A boys lacrosse state title game.
Instead, Liberty coach Andy Cunningham chose to view the Lions' first-ever trip to the state finals as a starting point for his junior-dominated team.
"I think it's a big step for the program," said Cunningham, who took over the team this spring after Liberty got knocked out in the semifinals each of the past two years. "We'll take this and build from it. Hopefully, it won't take three times to get back."
Despite two goals each from Holt Skovron and Matt Latham, Liberty (15-5) never was in contention after falling behind 8-0 in the first 6:39.
"I don't think our defense was ready to see that," said Skovron, adding that the second half was about saving face. "If we were going to lose, we weren't just going to roll over."
After falling behind by as much as 12, Liberty did manage to regroup, finishing the game by scoring four of the final six goals.
It wasn't a victory, but for Cunningham, it was something to build on.
"I think we're going to learn from this experience," said Cunningham, who returns 23 underclassmen next season. "Now we're going to have some reasons to come back here."
Falcone honored
Winters Mill midfielder Amber Falcone on Wednesday was named one of 12 members of a prestigious regional All-Star team.
Falcone, who led the Falcons in scoring (55 goals, 21 assists), draw controls and ground balls, was picked for the Regional High School All-Tewaaraton Team for the Baltimore-Washington area. Winners were chosen by a selection committee from a preseason watch list of 50 girls.
Though selected as a defender, Falcone was recruited and signed by the University of North Carolina as a midfielder, and also was heavily recruited as an attack.
"She's just a complete player," said Winters Mill coach Courtney Vaughn.
Other local players on the team included Anastasia Adam (Severn), Megan Bosica (Mount Hebron), Megan Del Monte (St. Paul's), Caitlin McFadden (Notre Dame Prep), Katie Monaghan (Archbishop Spalding), Bridget Noon (St. Mary's), Samantha Schrum (St. Mary's) and Kerry Shea (Seton Keough).
A banquet honoring the players will be held Thursday in Washington.
South Carroll wins
South Carroll came away with the only Carroll championship at last weekend's Region VII tennis tournament at Harford Community College.
Stephanie Scurci and Sarah Weisse gave the Cavaliers a title when they scored a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Melissa Wallace and Alissa Thayer from Westminster in the finals of girls doubles. This was the second week in a row that the South Carroll duo beat the Westminster pair in straight sets. Scurci and Weisse had won against Wallace and Thayer in the county tournament finals - after losing to them during the regular season.
Stephen Romeo and Joe Batista of Century also made it to the finals before losing. They also had won the county championship the week before.
Chris Brown from Liberty won the county title, but he also lost in the region final. However, all of these players qualified for the state tournament at Maryland that was scheduled for this weekend.
The regional tournament changed this year as Carroll schools were shifted to a region that included Harford and Cecil County schools. That opened the door for five Carroll players to qualify for regionals from the county tournament, instead of the usual two.
Duel to remember
County rivals Liberty and South Carroll took part in a historic pitchers' duel in the Class 2A West regionals on May 16.
South Carroll's Dan Gerjets threw 131 pitches in a 10-inning complete game, outlasting Liberty's Rob Mathias, who also pitched into the 10th, in the Cavaliers' 3-2 victory.
Gerjets retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced, including the final 16, and earned the win when sophomore Matt Greene doubled to right to start the inning, then pinch runner Terrence Gray scored on Scott Miller's RBI single to right.
"Dan was pitching so well and got better as the game went on," said Cavaliers coach George Richardson. "It was just a real pitchers' duel - a classic high school baseball game."
South Carroll lost to Century in the regional semifinals.
