Scouting Fox boys lacrosse
Huntley boys lacrosse assistant coach Joe McCamant only got into the sport when his son, Sean, was 8 and his team didn't have a coach.
McCamant fell in love with the sport, coaching in the Huntley youth program for years before becoming an assistant on the high school varsity program six years ago under head coach and mentor Phil Ryan.
It's the love of lacrosse that kept McCamant going after a traumatic brain injury at work on Jan. 15, 2021 that resulted in 12 surgeries and removal of a part of his left vocal cord just so he could speak.
Today, you'll find him on Huntley's sideline for practice every single night. He may not have the powerful baritone he once had, but his passion makes up for it, according to current Huntley head coach Dominic Saccomanno.
"I've always said Joe is Huntley lacrosse," Saccomanno said. "He was invested in building up the youth and always coaching at the younger levels. He moved up to high school with them, and he's seeing the results of his hard work.
"He's always been on the kids about grades and extracurriculars and what it's going to take to get into college. He's been a father figure."
Make no mistake, though. Getting to this point has taken herculean effort.
McCamant returned to the program in April 2021, just a few months after his injury. He didn't coach his defensive unit, instead starting out by electing to sit in the stands and watch intently, before coming down to the field after games to point out ways to improve.
He didn't miss a game.
"It was difficult," McCamant said of those early-season days. "Because I would see my defense make mistakes that I knew I could correct easily."
The other part that was a major challenge was helping then-senior Sean McCamant bounce back after a difficult start to the season, for obvious reasons.
"I think playing last year was really tough for me, because I wasn't giving it my all," said Sean McCamant, who is a freshman defenseman for Lewis University. "I was more concerned about everything going on in my family. I wish I had given it more of my all."
Joe McCamant spent weeks in the bleachers, biding his time, and when the 2021 IHSA state playoffs rolled around, he was back on the Huntley sideline, which was a triumph over tragedy, of course, but also had a practical side as well.
"For the playoffs, it was amazing and great having him there," Saccomanno said "It drove the kids and pushed them hard. They thought they could do anything and beat anyone because he was there."
Added Sean McCamant: "When he came back, you saw all of us mentally and physically change. It was a huge impact. It basically felt like old times."
The Red Raiders sprinted past Barrington 15-5 in the sectional semifinal before losing a heartbreaker 8-5 to Lake Zurich in the final.
"It was hard for me, because I couldn't voice loud enough what I would like to see my defense doing," Joe McCamant said, "and our loss to Lake Zurich was humbling because I know we could have won that game had I had more time with my defense."
Spoken just like a veteran coach, which is why he was named IHSA Lacrosse Person of the Year for 2021. That was then, though. This is now, and it's fun again. "I love our senior class," Joe McCamant said. "I've been with them a long time and I've seen them grow in the game and improve their abilities. The next class, I've been with them since they were 13. "Coaching youth was an advantage I never expected, because I had input into how they learned and I know what to expect when they got to high school."
Fox boys lacrosse season preview
Top teams: Huntley, Geneva, Jacobs, St. Charles North, Hampshire.
Top players: Nico Andrews, Huntley, sophomore, attackman; Brady Mollsen, Huntley, senior, midfielder; Griffin Baker, Crystal Lake South, junior, long-stick midfielder; Jerod Sadler, Crystal Lake South, senior, midfielder/faceoff; Aiden Didier, Dundee-Crown, senior, goaltender; Cruz Sanchez, Dundee-Crown, senior, defenseman; Jackson Smith, Hampshire, senior, midfielder; James Borgardt, Hampshire, senior, midfielder; Joey Calabria, Marmion, senior, attackman; Blake Powers, Marmion, senior, long-stick midfielder; Zach Sietmann, Bartlett-South Elgin Co-op, senior, defenseman; Jake Sullivan, Bartlett-South Elgin Co-op, sophomore, goalie; Aiden Tutt, Batavia, sophomore, attackman; Padruig Roberts, Batavia, junior, goaltender; Evan Shockey, Geneva, senior, goaltender; Tyler Costello, Geneva, senior, attackman; Mario Cordon, Jacobs, senior, goaltender; Max Hudson, Jacobs, senior, attackman; Andrew Skifstad, St. Charles East, senior, faceoff; Alex LoFaso, St. Charles East, senior, midfielder; Dominic Cesarone, St. Charles North, senior, attackman-midfielder; Jack Raine, St. Charles North, junior, attackman-midfielder; Anthony Kempf, Cary-Grove, senior, defenseman; Colin Desmet, Cary-Grove, junior, midfielder; Grant Grabowski, Kaneland, senior, attackman; Breck Kirkwood, Kaneland, senior, attackman.
Season skinny: It was a whale of a season last spring for Geneva, which went 10-0 in the DuKane Conference and fashioned an 18-2 mark overall, getting all the way to the sectional final. The bad news for opponents is six senior starters return, including defender Alex Porter, who bounced back from a diabetes diagnosis last spring and will play football and lacrosse at North Central College next year. ... Jacobs coach John Bigler points to a tough Fox Valley Conference as a true mettle-tester for his crew, which went 14-4 overall last spring and 6-2 in the FVC. "Our conference is always pretty tough, as a lot of the players around the league compete in a variety of off-season travel leagues," Bigler said. His crew, Huntley, Hampshire, Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge are all candidates for the title. ... Speaking of Cary-Grove, the Trojans will have senior defender Anthony Kempf back after tearing his ACL at the end of last season. "The injury meant he missed his senior football season last fall, so it's good to see him healthy and playing again," coach Zac Cheatle said. ... Andre Carriere is in his first year at the helm of Kaneland, and says, "Our coaching staff feels very confident in this season." It should be; Kaneland has five returning seniors, including attackmen Grant Grabowski, Breck Kirkwood and Ethan Abordo, along with goaltender Matthew Slou and defenseman Nick Parilli. ... Huntley went 14-3 overall last year and went 6-0 in the FVC, and made it all the way to the sectional final. The Red Raiders graduated only three seniors, with just two having contributed heavy minutes. Factoid: Seven players are committed to playing in college, with that many waiting for their stock to rise before committing, according to coach Dominic Saccomanno. Brady Mollsen, a transfer from Jacobs, will be one to watch. ... Junior midfielder Joe Ready is ready to help contribute to Crystal Lake South's fortunes despite playing in just one game in his high school career. He's "talented athlete with good stick skills and a nose for the goal," coach Jim Krol said. "We're really looking forward to seeing what he can contribute to our team." ... Keep your eye on Dundee-Crown netminder Aiden Didier, who will return for his final varsity season, an accomplishment because he's been the starter since he was a freshman. "Aiden is very passionate about his role on the team," coach Kyle Loftus said. "He will rally the guys at our high and low points and will leave an impression on this team even when his time at Dundee-Crown is done." ... A set of five brothers and four four-year varsity players will buoy Hampshire this spring, including midfielders Jackson Smith and James Borgardt, defenseman Sam Lim and goalie Matt Innes. Now add in newcomer brothers Nate and Ryan Jensen - midfielder and defenseman, respectively - and the Whip-Purs will be a tough out ... There are 15 new players for Marmion that have limited lacrosse experience, but don't get the impression that coach Angelo Carbonara is low on talent. Quite the opposite - senior Joey Calabria is a four-year starting attackman, while seniors Jacob Morcos (midfielder), Jacob Bottarini (defenseman) and Blake Powers (long-stick midfielder) all return. ... Bartlett and South Elgin have combined to form a co-op program, and will be led by Mike Colaianne. As you'd expect, there is plenty of talent between the two schools to make a deep run in the state playoffs. "The whole program has done a great job of adjusting quickly and is starting to create a great culture," Colaianne said. "There is a ton to be excited about with this program for not only this year but also going forward." ... This spring will be a growth campaign for Batavia. The 2020 season that was canceled by COVID-19 saw 22 graduate, and last spring the program had only 23 players. But this season, the Bulldogs return 21 players and have added 10 newcomers, many with experience. "This year will hopefully put Batavia lacrosse on a sustainable, upward trajectory toward a conference championship in the near future," said coach Scott Williams. ... Over at St. Charles East has a strong freshman class, many of whom have been playing together since the youth ranks. That will help give the Saints an even greater opportunity to advance past the sectional final, where it wound up last year. Senior faceoff Andrew Skifstad will lead this team. At North, former coach Kyle Pepich has stepped down, and has been replaced by assistant coach Devin Peurach. Peurach has a handful of returnees, but the one to watch is senior midfielder Anthony Priami, who injured his spleen a year ago, "but we're glad to have him back," Peurach said.