Damien Davis

He was 13, a tenacious kid with an athlete's build and a chip on his shoulder. A lacrosse coach at St. Ignatius Loyola liked the fire in the youngster's belly but wondered about his attitude. The coach asked around and got an answer. Two years earlier, the boy had witnessed the drive-by shootings of his father and uncle. Both men died. "That [incident] showed me how tough and resilient a lot of these children are," said Damien Davis, the coach. It's kids like that whom Davis wants to reach.

He was 13, a tenacious kid with an athlete's build and a chip on his shoulder. A lacrosse coach at St. Ignatius Loyola liked the fire in the youngster's belly but wondered about his attitude. The coach asked around and got an answer. Two years earlier, the boy had witnessed the drive-by shootings of his father and uncle. Both men died. "That [incident] showed me how tough and resilient a lot of these children are," said Damien Davis, the coach. It's kids like that whom Davis wants to reach.

As a defensive end on McDonogh's football team last fall, Joe Rosenbaum might have tried to drill Gilman running back Damien Davis if given the chance.But in wrestling last winter, Rosenbaum sought Davis' counsel against a common opponent.Today at 4 p.m. on Gilman's lacrosse field, the two seniors will be directing their respective defenses in a matchup of the area's top-ranked teams. Rosenbaum leads No. 1-ranked McDonogh (17-2) against Davis' No. 2-ranked Gilman (10-3) in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference regular-season finale for both teams.

Onlookers often find the beauty of Damien Davis' game in his wide array of takeaway checks, his galloping runs through midfield and his unrelenting pursuit of ground balls. But even in lacrosse, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the aspects of Davis' game most pleasing to Princeton coach Bill Tierney are more subtle. Take Saturday, for example. Davis, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior defender out of Gilman, held Georgetown's Steve Dusseau, the likely winner of college lacrosse's top honor - the Tewaaraton Trophy - to a goal and an assist in Princeton's 14-13 NCAA quarterfinal win. A conservative Davis relied on his brains and his positioning, often forcing the Hoyas' sniper into the teeth of Princeton's quick-sliding defense.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Damien Davis will be only the third freshman defender in 13 seasons to start for Princeton when he comes to Homewood Field for tomorrow's season opener at No. 3 Johns Hopkins. But Davis always has had the tendency to dive right in and go after things. Reginald Davis calls Damien "the most independent and fearless" of his four children, including James, 22, Alex, 21, and Allison, 13. Marilyn Davis recalled how 2-year-old Damien, longing to follow his father to work, set out on a two-block trek, all alone, before friends brought him home.

Onlookers often find the beauty of Damien Davis' game in his wide array of takeaway checks, his galloping runs through midfield and his unrelenting pursuit of ground balls. But even in lacrosse, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the aspects of Davis' game most pleasing to Princeton coach Bill Tierney are more subtle. Take Saturday, for example. Davis, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior defender out of Gilman, held Georgetown's Steve Dusseau, the likely winner of college lacrosse's top honor - the Tewaaraton Trophy - to a goal and an assist in Princeton's 14-13 NCAA quarterfinal win. A conservative Davis relied on his brains and his positioning, often forcing the Hoyas' sniper into the teeth of Princeton's quick-sliding defense.

The Maryland Bay State select team, a squad comprising the best male high school players from around the state, will take on an all-star team from England at 4 p.m. today at McDonogh School.The contingent, which defeated New York's Hudson Valley All-Star team, 34-7, last month, is led by All-Metro players Damien Davis (Gilman), Owen Daly (McDonogh), Dan Lamonica (Boys' Latin) and Joe Rosenbaum (McDonogh).Pub Date: 7/15/98

Heavyweight Mike Faust scored a technical fall over Jameel Day to clinch 13th-ranked Gilman's 29-28 upset of sixth-ranked MIAA A Conference rival McDonogh before 500 fans last night at McDonogh.Down, 28-24, Gilman's Damien Davis (189) pinned Steve Clare with 14 seconds left to set up Faust. Also pinning for Gilman, which won its 13th straight against McDonogh (6-1, 0-0), were Jared Bentz (119) and J. D. Nelson (135). Franco Gould (145) and Tim Webb (152) won decisions.The match was tied at 18 when McDonogh's Andy Seal (160)

BETHESDA -- Landon's David Taylor said his team's offensive strategy against third-ranked Gilman yesterday was simple: Keep the ball away from Greyounds defenseman Damien Davis."

Andrew Faraone scored the game-winning goal off a dish from Andrew Lucas with 2: 57 left, and top-ranked Gilman's defense withstood three more possessions by visiting and No. 2 St. Paul's to take a tense, 12-11 lacrosse victory yesterday.Just 22 seconds into the game, St. Paul's All-Metro attackman Conor Gill was knocked unconscious and lay motionless for about five minutes after scoring the first goal of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference game.But by halftime, an official from Greater Baltimore Medical Center reported that Gill was expected to recover after an overnight stay.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Damien Davis will be only the third freshman defender in 13 seasons to start for Princeton when he comes to Homewood Field for tomorrow's season opener at No. 3 Johns Hopkins. But Davis always has had the tendency to dive right in and go after things. Reginald Davis calls Damien "the most independent and fearless" of his four children, including James, 22, Alex, 21, and Allison, 13. Marilyn Davis recalled how 2-year-old Damien, longing to follow his father to work, set out on a two-block trek, all alone, before friends brought him home.

As a defensive end on McDonogh's football team last fall, Joe Rosenbaum might have tried to drill Gilman running back Damien Davis if given the chance.But in wrestling last winter, Rosenbaum sought Davis' counsel against a common opponent.Today at 4 p.m. on Gilman's lacrosse field, the two seniors will be directing their respective defenses in a matchup of the area's top-ranked teams. Rosenbaum leads No. 1-ranked McDonogh (17-2) against Davis' No. 2-ranked Gilman (10-3) in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference regular-season finale for both teams.

BETHESDA -- Landon's David Taylor said his team's offensive strategy against third-ranked Gilman yesterday was simple: Keep the ball away from Greyounds defenseman Damien Davis."

A 3-2 decision by state champ Tony Russo of Calvert Hall over Blair Academy's two-time National Prep runner-up Jody Giuricich was among the highlights of yesterday's 16th annual Gilman Duals.The 145-pound Russo began the day by avenging last year's 2-1 loss to Giuricich, and later, scored a first-period pin and a technical fall. Russo was joined in victory by teammates Chris Knox (112) and Sean Ireland (160) in going unbeaten.Knox, Russo and Ireland earned gold medals for winning their weight classes, along with Gilman wrestlers Damien Davis (189)

Heavyweight Mike Faust scored a technical fall over Jameel Day to clinch 13th-ranked Gilman's 29-28 upset of sixth-ranked MIAA A Conference rival McDonogh before 500 fans last night at McDonogh.Down, 28-24, Gilman's Damien Davis (189) pinned Steve Clare with 14 seconds left to set up Faust. Also pinning for Gilman, which won its 13th straight against McDonogh (6-1, 0-0), were Jared Bentz (119) and J. D. Nelson (135). Franco Gould (145) and Tim Webb (152) won decisions.The match was tied at 18 when McDonogh's Andy Seal (160)

Recent history hadn't favored Baltimore's No. 1-ranked teams against the Washington area, and top-ranked Gilman's coaching staff made that known to its players before yesterday's 44-0 shutout win at St. John's from the District of Columbia.Count them. Loyola. St. Mary's. Dunbar. Mount St. Joseph. McDonogh. City and Poly. Seven No. 1's in Baltimore during seasons where they lost to D.C. area teams since 1990."We were told that Baltimore teams struggle down here," said Brian Lewis, whose team plays host to Landon of Bethesda, ranked No. 18 by The Washington Post, on Sept.

No. 6-ranked Gilman did all the necessary damage against visiting Boys' Latin in the first half yesterday, racking up 234 yards of offense, scoring on all four possessions and building a 28-0 lead in an eventual 28-14 non-league win.It didn't take long afterward for the focus to shift to the Greyhounds' next week's rival, No. 5 Poly, which has out-scored its first two opponents by a combined 79-0."

A 3-2 decision by state champ Tony Russo of Calvert Hall over Blair Academy's two-time National Prep runner-up Jody Giuricich was among the highlights of yesterday's 16th annual Gilman Duals.The 145-pound Russo began the day by avenging last year's 2-1 loss to Giuricich, and later, scored a first-period pin and a technical fall. Russo was joined in victory by teammates Chris Knox (112) and Sean Ireland (160) in going unbeaten.Knox, Russo and Ireland earned gold medals for winning their weight classes, along with Gilman wrestlers Damien Davis (189)

The Maryland Bay State select team, a squad comprising the best male high school players from around the state, will take on an all-star team from England at 4 p.m. today at McDonogh School.The contingent, which defeated New York's Hudson Valley All-Star team, 34-7, last month, is led by All-Metro players Damien Davis (Gilman), Owen Daly (McDonogh), Dan Lamonica (Boys' Latin) and Joe Rosenbaum (McDonogh).Pub Date: 7/15/98

Andrew Faraone scored the game-winning goal off a dish from Andrew Lucas with 2: 57 left, and top-ranked Gilman's defense withstood three more possessions by visiting and No. 2 St. Paul's to take a tense, 12-11 lacrosse victory yesterday.Just 22 seconds into the game, St. Paul's All-Metro attackman Conor Gill was knocked unconscious and lay motionless for about five minutes after scoring the first goal of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference game.But by halftime, an official from Greater Baltimore Medical Center reported that Gill was expected to recover after an overnight stay.