Cougars Will Rely Heavily On Senior Leadership

Posted

By John Singleton
Chesapeake finished 7-8 under head coach Rodney Beres in 2010, including a season-ending 7-5 loss to a formidable Arundel squad. It was a fiercely contested first round playoff battle against an experienced opponent with a potent offensive unit. It also revealed a glimpse into the character of this year’s returning players, a group of seniors with an abundance of talent, especially on defense.

“This season we will be looking for our defense to be our strength behind our senior goalie and third year starter Mike Brennan, and senior defensemen Patrick Michalski, Rutger Souder and Harrison Smith,” explained Coach Beres, who is entering his third season with the Chesapeake boy’s lacrosse program. “Another three year starter junior Jason Crane and sophomore transfer Conner Kipke should provide a big lift.”
Despite the defensive prowess of the Cougars this year, Beres has always been an offensive-minded lacrosse strategist. He graduated from Archbishop Curley in 1986 where he led his team to a victory in the MSA championship, while leading the state of Maryland in scoring with 61 goals and 60 assists. As a result he received a full athletic scholarship to UMBC where he played attack and midfield for four years. Upon graduation, he was selected by the Baltimore Thunder, a professional indoor lacrosse team, for his offensive proficiency.
“Our offense will be led by three year senior starter Justin Kestler, along with seniors John Dewling, Tim Caropreso, Andrew Beres and Adam Bellarin,” added the coach. “And I expect sophomores Brendan Duerr, and Josh Smith to make contributions as well.”
A total of 65 students tried out for the boys lacrosse program this spring and 30 will play with the varsity and another 30 on the JV squad.
The Cougars routine includes a 50-minute study hall before practice, which runs every day after school from 3:00-6:00pm and includes plenty of conditioning, stick work, and ground balls. Practices on Saturdays can begin as early as 8:00am, so there is no time for late Friday nights.
Coach Beres stresses his players keep their priorities in line. He’s proud of his team’s cumulative GPA last year – approximately 3.5 - and expects his players to represent themselves and their school with their best conduct at all times.
The regular season kicks off with a bang on March 25 at cross-town rival Northeast High School, which finished with a 7-11 record last season. Beres points to the Old Mill Easter Tournament in late April as a particularly exciting weekend of lacrosse action.
To learn more about the Cougars schedule and upcoming season, visit www.chesapeakeathletics.org.
“We are really looking forward to working with all the returning players and some of our new players who will fill some roles lost from last year’s graduating class,” summarized Beres, who is active in the Pasadena community where he makes his home. “There will be a lot of opportunities for some of the younger players to make an impact this season.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here