By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/8/15
Xavier Ritter attributed his success to gritty play today at the Victory Events National Showcase at Germantown Academy.
“I definitely feel good about my hustle. We were short on middies so I ran up and down the field a lot and I continued to hustle the entire time,” said the 2018 midfielder from Saint Peter’s Prep (N.J.).
Archbishop Wood’s Eric Bauer (2018 ATT), Saint Peter’s Prep’s Xavier Ritter (2018 MF)
Ritter was one of 10 players named MVPsin the annual showcase held in suburban Philly. The event featured Parisi Speed School Testing, positional training and drills, a college recruiting talk and three full-field games. Coaches from such Division I schools as Drexel, Princeton, High Point, Lafayette, Penn and Penn State attended.
“The competition was pretty tough, especially in the first game,” said Ritter. “Once our team got used to each other we started rolling and it started clicking on all cylinders.
“I learned how to compete at a higher level. It was really nice to play with top lacrosse players.”
Where is Ritter looking for in a college? “I want it to be somewhere I really want to go,” he said. “And I want a strong lacrosse program.”
Other MVPs:
Matthew Kirby, 2017 MF/FO, Cardinal O’Hara, PA
Tyler Thompson, 2017 MF, CE Jordan, N.C.
Stefan Evans, 2018 MF, Avon Grove, PA
Peyton McNeill, 2019 MF, Wilmington Friends, DE
Other MVP interviews:
Eric Bauer, 2018 ATT, Archbishop Wood, PA
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level?
Bauer: “The competition was pretty tough to adjust to. When I dodged I had to keep my head up and try to find the open guy. I felt it was making me a better player.”
What did you learn that will help you moving forward?
Bauer: “I learned dodging with my head up and trying to look off for the pass instead of just trying to beat my guy and getting a shot off. I also was looking for the slide and seeing who to throw to.”
What are you looking for in a college?
Bauer: “I am looking for a good education and a place that feels like home; and obviously a good lacrosse program.”
What do you leave here feeling good about?
Bauer: “I felt I shot pretty well. Some didn’t go in, but the goalies had some good saves. I also thought I fed the ball pretty well.”
Dan Bathon, 2018 MF, Bishop Shanahan, PA
Bishop Shanahan’s Dan Bathon (2018 MF), Haverford School’s Harrison Fellheimer (2018 G)
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level?
Bathon: “The competition really good really good. It was great to play with a bunch of people you’re not really used to playing with. You need to keep your head up, looking for the open guy. Your shot placement has to be a lot better overall. It was tough, but I got a lot out of it.”
What did you learn that will help you moving forward?
Bathon: “Keeping my head up and looking for the open guy; not being selfish, especially when playing with good guys or you’ll go right into a slide. I got a lot of IQ out of it.”
What do you leave here feeling good about?
Bathon: “I really felt like I did very well shooting on the run and getting off the dodge. I thought I showed my athleticism clearing the ball, and making the right decisions.”
What are you looking for in a college?
Bathon: “I want to get a good education and to keep improving my game at the college level.”
Harrison Fellheimer, 2018 goalie, Haverford School, PA
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level?
Fellheimer: “The level of play was very high. I had to face a variety of shots. I had to step up communication and to tell the defense where to go with such good players out there. I learned all the names (of my defense) and madee up some plays and executed them on the field.”
What did you learn that will help you moving forward?
Fellheimer: “Seeing a lot of different shots will help me.”
What are you looking for in a college?
Fellheimer: “I am looking for college where I will get a really good education – possibly Ivy League – and a place to play some lacrosse.”
What do you leave here feeling good about?
Fellheimer: “My communication with the defense and making shooters shoot form outside as opposed to inside. I got into the passing lanes, made them shoot from outside, keep them down the lane and turned them at the goal line extended.”
Luke Sabia, 2017 LSM/DEF, La Salle, PA
La Salle’s Luke Sabia (2017 LSM-DEF), Finn Campbell (2018 G)
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level?
Sabia: “It was pretty high level competition. It started out rough for our team; we were 1-1-1. First we lost, then we tied and then we crushed our opponent, 10-4. Our team got rolling.”
What did you learn that will help you moving forward?
Sabia: “I learned how to play offense more confidently, and to push the ball more.”
What are you looking for in a college?
Sabia: “A good education and something that fits my personality.”
What do you leave here feeling good about?
Sabia: “I put everything on the field and worked hard.”
Finn Campbell, 2018 goalie, La Salle, PA
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level?
Campbell: “The competition was really intense. The kids were going after it and I had to communicate more with the defense and make sure the middies were coming back.”
What did you learn that will help you moving forward?
Campbell: “I think I learned about how to help the middies come back on defense.”
What are you looking for in a colleg
Campbell: “I want a high education, somewhere that feels like home and somewhere I can play lacrosse.”
What do you leave here feeling good about?
Campbell: “My effort. I felt I put everything on the feld. I got to meet new people; that’s the point of the sport, go around and meet new people.”