By Tom Peace
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/16/15
COLUMBIA, Md. – Rock Lacrosse co-director Kevin Mayer had been trying to find the right way to honor his father’s memory ever since Frank Mayer passed away 15 years ago from ALS.
OJ Brigance speaks to the players at the Big 12 Tournament
“I had two brothers and we all played lacrosse and my father was a pretty massive lacrosse enthusiast who loved the sport,” said Mayer. “He was a big influence to me and my brothers and the loss was pretty devastating.
“It has taken me until 2015 to get my hands around stepping outside his loss and into doing something I wanted to do.”
Mayer’s dream of combining lacrosse for a worthwhile event to both honor his father and raise money for ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, came to fruition last weekend in the inaugural Big 12 Fall Lacrosse Invitational. The recruiting event featured 11 teams in the 2018 and 2019 classes from elite Mid-Atlantic and Southern club teams. Round robin games were held at Blandair Park and nearby Oakland Hills High in Columbia.
“I had been repeatedly asked because we have built a solid program to host events,” said Mayer. “I just haven’t had the bandwidth since our program is a non-profit. I was ready to do something and I was sitting with my wife one night and I decided I wanted to do a fall event.”
The Brigance Brigade Foundation was founded by former pro football star O.J. Brigance (who won championships with the Baltimore Ravens and CFL Baltimore Stallions) and wife Chanda Brigance after O.J. was diagnosed with ALS in 2007.
The final tally on what was raised will be announced later this week. The 2019 saw two undefeated teams: Blue Star (N.J.) and Sweetlax (N.Y.) while Sweetlax, Duke’s L.C. (PA) and the Long Island Jesters were 3-0 in the 2018 class.
Click here for the standings and scores.
Click here for the Big 12 website.
Below are the All-Stars selected from the event.
First Name Last Name Position Team School State Div
Ryan Albert D Orange Crush Westhill Not Provided 2018
Spencer Alston D/Lsm Madlax South Lakes Va 2018
Pj Argios M/Fo Long Island Jesters Kellenberg High School Ny 2018
Tommy Baker Lsm Sweetlax West Genesee (Ny) Not Provided 2018
Owen Broucqsault D Top Left Southcoast Wando Sc 2018
Joey Burnham D Dukes La Salle College High School Pa 2018
Michael Christiansen D Blue Star Rhs Nj 2018
Nicholas Cost M Twist Conestoga High School Pa 2018
Matt Dancsecs M Blue Star Roxbury High School Nj 2018
Matthew Delaney D Orange Crush Onodaga Ny 2018
Jacob Drennen G Sweetlax Geneva (Ny) Ny 2018
Stephen Edler D Blue Star Rumson Fair Haven Regional Nj 2018
Marshall Ellison A Iron Horse Jesuit College Preparatory School Of Dallas Tx 2018
John Geppert M Madlax Landon Dc 2018
Trevar Hall D Sweetlax Pittsford (Ny) Ny 2018
Grayson Hassell M Iron Horse Jesuit College Preparatory School Of Dallas Tx 2018
Tanner Hay D Sweetlax Victor (Ny) Ny 2018
Damain Hinton A C2C Allatoona Hs Ga 2018
Lad Howell G Top Left Southcoast Wando Sc 2018
Jacob Huerbin M Rock Loudoun Valley High School Va 2018
Carter Johnson D Madlax Landon Va 2018
Caton Johnson G Dukes Manheim Township Pa 2018
Luke Jones M C2C Westminster Ga 2018
Jack Keating A Madlax Gonzaga College High School Va 2018
Alexander Kilgour M Rock Central York High School Pa 2018
Jack Kimmel A Long Island Jesters South Side High School Ny 2018
Hunter Krauss M/A Dukes Emmaus Pa 2018
Sam Lambert M Sweetlax Victor (Ny) Ny 2018
Ryan Leonard A Rock Winston Churchill Hs Md 2018
Timothy Ley M Long Island Jesters Massapequa High School Ny 2018
Robert Lobello D Orange Crush Marcellus Ny 2018
Nick Losurdo A C2C Grayson Ga 2018
Jarrod Marenger M Twist Springford Senior High Pa 2018
Connor Mcculloch A Madlax Sssas Va 2018
Reid Mcdonald A Madlax Paul Vi Catholic High School Va 2018
Dante Poli A Twist Central Bucks South Pa 2018
Quinn Peters M Orange Crush Fayetteville Manilus 2018
Nathaniel Raeder M C2C Mount Paran Christian School Ga 2018
Mitchell Rothstein M Blue Star Haddonfield Memorial High School Nj 2018
Riley Seay M Top Left Southcoast Wando Sc 2018
Kevin Sheehan A Sweetlax West Genesee (Ny) Ny 2018
Michael Sisselberger M/Fo Dukes Southern Lehigh Pa 2018
David Sprock M Iron Horse Jesuit College Preparatory School Of Dallas Tx 2018
Andrew Taylor D/Lsm Rock Fallston High School Md 2018
Cade Thomas D C2C Woodward Academy Ga 2018
Zak Vanvalkenburgh M/Fo Orange Crush Fayetteville Manlius Not Provided 2018
Michael Venezia G Long Island Jesters Chaminade High School Ny 2018
Joe Walton M Twist Conestoga Pa 2018
Matthew Wroblewski M Long Island Jesters Mepham High School Ny 2018
Andy Andrews M Fca Gilman Md 2019
Andrew Arth A Blue Star George School Pa 2019
Jonathan Bender M Madlax St Stephen’S & St Agnes School Va 2019
Ricky Bokavich G Carolina Lite Lake Norman Hs Nc 2019
Jack Brennan A Sweetlax Irondequoit Ny 2019
Chase Buckwalter A Rock Westminster Md 2019
Bj Burlace D Annapolis Hawks St. Mary’S Md 2019
Patrick Collins D Carolina Lite Charlotte Catholic Sc 2019
Will Cory A Madlax Episcopal High School Va 2019
Ethan Cotter M Dukes West Chester Rustin Pa 2019
Kevin Curry M Carolina Lite Charlotte Catholic Nc 2019
John Danforth M Orange Crush Skeneatelas Ny 2019
Trevor Deubner A Blue Star Glen Ridge Nj 2019
Thomas Ehret M Blue Star Lawrenceville Prep Nj 2019
Logan Falconetti A Annapolis Hawks Salesianum De 2019
Brendan Flynn D Carolina Lite Ardrey Kell Hs Nc 2019
Robert Foster A Dukes La Salle College High School Pa 2019
William Godine M Fca Not Provided Md 2019
Grant Greenstein D Rock St. Pauls Md 2019
Michael Grogan D Madlax Not Provided Va 2019
Grooms Jack A Orange Crush West Hillis 2019
Matthew Gunty Fogo Fca Sidwell Friends Md 2019
Jack Harrison A Carolina Lite Country Day Nc 2019
Matthew Hill M Sweetlax Webster Thomas Ny 2019
Brandan Howell D/Lsm Dukes La Salle College High School Pa 2019
Ian Jacobs D Blue Star Princeton High School Nj 2019
Ryan Jones M Annapolis Hawks St. Mary’S Md 2019
Bryce Kearney D Madlax Potomac School Va 2019
Colin Kelley G Rock Marriotts Ridgehigh School Md 2019
Jacob Kelsey Fogo Sweetlax Brockport Ny 2019
Andrew Mapstone A Sweetlax Not Provided Ny 2019
Tim Marcille G Madlax Gonzaga College Hs Va 2019
Sam Miller M Sweetlax Geneva Ny 2019
Zach Neufang D Orange Crush Liverpool Ny 2019
Nicholas Pell Lsm Rock Mt. St. Joseph Md 2019
Bryson Rhee M Dukes Ephrata Hs Pa 2019
Liam Rosenthal G Dukes Blue Cb East Pa 2019
Bradley Santore M Annapolis Hawks Salesianum De 2019
Jack Sawyer M Fca Calvert Hall Md 2019
Robert Schain M Madlax Bullis Md 2019
Trey Schug D Orange Crush Cazenovia Ny 2019
Jacob Snyder D Fca Calvert Hall Md 2019
Jt Stirpe A Orange Crush Vestal Ny 2019
Max Stukenberg D Rock St. Pauls Md 2019
Joey Taylor M Dukes La Salle College High School Pa 2019
Aidan Tocco M Dukes St. Augustine Prep Nj 2019
Griffin Aslanian D Blue Star Westfield Nj 2019
Jack Koras A/M Fca Loyola Blakefield (8Th Grade) Md 2020