Sussex Academy boys’ lax seeking first tournament win
The Sussex Academy boys’ lacrosse program would like to go dancing in May – not for prom, but in the DIAA state tournament. The Seahawks came out of the pandemic with back-to-back, double-digit win seasons before missing the playoffs last year with an 8-7 record.
“Our goal is to win the Henlopen South, have a winning record and just have fun,” senior Michael Hoffert said.
According to Seahawks coach Andrew Fox, that fun could include notching a program first.
“This school has never experienced a playoff win before,” Fox said, “The big goal for us now is to get a playoff win.”
Fox believes it will take hard work and accountability for his group to achieve its goals. He thinks sophomore goalie Jackson Hagy has a legitimate shot at first-team all-state. He noted Gideon Sammons made first-team all-conference last year as an eighth-grader, and Carter Nemcic, in the same class, made second team.
Sammons led the Seahawks with 14 goals in 2023 and Hoffert led the team in assists with eight. Nemcic tied Ben Warren, now a junior, for third on the team with six goals. Hagy picked up 76 saves as a freshman.
Hoffert, a midfielder, thinks chaos might be the Seahawks' ally come game time.
“The unsettled game is going to definitely benefit us,” Hoffert said. “Our speed up and down the field will be one of our strengths.”
Before the Seahawks can lay claim to a division or conference title, they’ll need to avenge a few losses from last year, in particular to their southern rivals.
“To start undefeated, you have to win the first game and then the second game,” Fox said, “We lost to Milford by one, so that’s a game a lot of kids will have a chip on their shoulders for; they want that one. We lost to Indian River twice last season, and that’s another thing I think was an unfortunate difference-maker in our season.”
Fox is relying on the leadership of his seniors, Michael and Andrew Hoffert, and Martin Cosgrove, plus the cohesiveness of the team and the impact of young players to flip last year’s losses into wins.
“This is a group that you hope to have every year,” Fox said “They’re really close, they’re friends, they’re competitive all the time on the field, and they just want the best out of each other.”
Sussex Academy will welcome Fox’s former school, Charter School of Wilmington, to Georgetown for their season-opener Wednesday, March 20. The Seahawks will attempt to avenge last year’s loss to Milford Wednesday, March 27. Redemption against IR could come at home Friday, April 12, or away Wednesday, May 8. The team will wrap up its season with Senior Night against Odessa High School Wednesday, May 15.
