Beacon and Mariner lax teams start season with promise
The Cape Henlopen High School boys’ lacrosse team has a long line of championship banners in the Cape gym, and Beacon and Mariner middle schools are looking to be a continuous feeder system to add to those accolades.
Beacon Middle School welcomes back the coaching staff of former Cape All-Americans Joey Vavala, Corey Mahoney and Mark Tappan. All three have championships under their belt from playing for the Vikings. Jim Affeldt, a former goalie at Salisbury University, also lends his expertise to the program.
Beacon, which won all four games on its schedule last season, starts off with big guns Hank D’Ambrogi, Brax Medd, Jake Truitt and Mikey Frederick on offense. The defense is held down by long poles Sean Wick, Owen Dorman and Finn Forcucci. Carson Kammerer returns between the pipes for Beacon.
“We are lucky at Beacon because most of our team has played through the Atlantic Lacrosse Club,” said head coach Joey Vavala. “Our goal is to help prepare players for success in high school by teaching them the needed work ethic, skills and lacrosse knowledge.”
After a Wednesday, March 22 scrimmage at the Kent County Rec-Kesselring Turf Field, Beacon will open the season Monday, April 3, at Easton Middle School.
Mariner is also being led by two strong coaches who have a long list of winning records in high school and college. Head coach Tom Pickard graduated from perennial powerhouse Cortland State, where he played defense for the Blaze. His assistant, Kyle Orton, was an All-American at Cape and led his team to a DIAA State Championship in 2014.
This is the third season of competitive lacrosse at Mariner. Pickard is looking to improve on their 3-3 record of 2016.
“Our expectation is to have a successful season by having a winning record, and have every athlete on the team pass all their courses,” said Pickard. “We want to expose more students to lacrosse. Ultimately, the middle school programs were created to allow students to try something new and help prepare these athletes for high school. Hopefully this will better the Cape school district as a whole.”
On the offensive end, Mariner shows Blake Gipko, Gabe Best, Will Bragg and LB Harrington, while the defense is held down by Landon Best and Jahden Davis.
Laci Dixon is impressing the coaches during the preseason.
“Laci’s doing great in goal,” said Pickard. “She’s making good decisions and making some good stops.”
After a Wednesday, March 22 scrimmage at the Kent County Rec-Kesselring Turf Field, Mariner will open the regular season at home Monday, March 27, with Postlethwait Middle School.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
