Team of the Year

Kinnelon

Since it was #1 in the entire state the past two seasons, it was hard to imagine that Mountain Lakes wouldn't earn this honor this year.  But Kinnelon took this award fair and square from the Lakers, beating them twice in three meetings on the field.

Given little acclaim before the season, and after suffering two gut-wrenching early-season losses, the Colts broke into the spotlight with their 8-4 triumph over Mountain Lakes in April.  That win suddenly turned Kinnelon into a juggernaut, as they posted several impressive wins over the ensuing weeks.

That run ended with a 13-6 loss to Mountain Lakes in the Morris County semifinals.  So when the two teams met once again in the state Group I semifinals, most observers expected the Lakers to emerge victorious.  Again, the Colts defied the experts, posting a stunning 8-6 win.  Days later Kinnelon won another dramatic game, topping Chatham 11-9 in the Group I final to win its first ever state lacrosse title.

A team without many big-name players but a never-say-die attitude and a true belief in its own abilities, Kinnelon had a season to remember and is deserving of the JSN Boys' Lacrosse Team of the Year award.

Player of the Year

Chase Winter, Mountain Lakes

This was an extremely difficult award to pick, as many local players had fine seasons but no one clearly stood out.  We went with Winter, a Mountain Lakes midfielder who did many things for the Lakers.

Winter scored 24 goals this season and led the Lakers in assists with 32.  He also ranked second on the team in ground balls.  He was a member of the Tournament of Champions-winning Mountain Lakes teams of 2007 and 2008, and was named an All-American this season.  Winter will be going to play lacrosse at one of the nation's collegiate powerhouses, Johns Hopkins, in the fall. 

Coach of the Year

Kevin Kelly, Kinnelon

Tug McGraw said it best:  "You gotta believe."  Coach Kevin Kelly was able to get his Kinnelon squad to believe that it could compete with the elite lacrosse programs of New Jersey.  And they did just that in a remarkable and unexpected season.

It wasn't a smooth ride all year.  The Colts endured two difficult one-goal defeats early in the season and things could have gone the other way.  But Kelly convinced his team it could beat Mountain Lakes, and once they did, Kinnelon became one of the best teams in the state.

The Colts will have a tough act to follow next year, but the program appears poised to stay near the top for a while to come.  And a lot of it is thanks to Kevin Kelly, the JSN Boys' Lacrosse Coach of the Year.

Boys Lacrosse Notes

A HISTORIC FIRST:  Mountain Lakes coach Tim Flynn became the first lacrosse coach in New Jersey to reach 500 wins when his team beat eventual Group IV state champ Bridgewater-Raritan in late April.  The only varsity mentor in school history, Flynn has helped make the Lakers a perennial contender for the #1 ranking in New Jersey.

POURING IN THE GOALS:  Montville's Alex Martello ranked fifth in New Jersey in scoring this year, scoring 75 goals and adding 43 assists.  Martello, who plays on club teams with some of the top guns from Mountain Lakes and other schools, helped the Mustangs to a share of the Rizk Division title and a first-round state playoff victory on their home field before they lost to eventual Tournament of Champions winner Summit.

CONTINUED GROWTH:  Lacrosse continues to spread across New Jersey and is flourishing within the JSN coverage area.  Second-year program Pequannock reached the state tournament for the first time, and DePaul also made its first state appearance after a breakthrough 13-4 season.  And another local school will join the lacrosse ranks next year when Lakeland plays its inaugural varsity season.   -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now