Spotlight Notebook: St. Seb’s 2030s, Prep School Gems and More

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going through my notes from The Spotlight before covering another event, it was apparent that while there was tons of talent in that setting, there were several names that were worth highlighting to some degree, even if there wasn't enough to fit into full eval blocks. So, it felt fitting to bop around a little bit and cover a few different storylines and players, keeping in mind that we'll have even more coverage coming from Mike Campanile in the days to come. <br><br>— There's been plenty of buzz surrounding the rise of the Clippers, particularly their 2030 group, and several players caught my eye at the event. That included Jayden Kenney, whom we featured in Friday's piece on MIAA and WCAC standouts. While the local schools did a nice job recruiting the '30s, a promising offensive weapon headed out of state, with Kiski School (Pa.) snagging AJ Crawford out of Annapolis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's every bit of 6-foot-1, so your eyes tend to go right to him at a 2030 event that's full of players who, understandably so, have yet to hit growth spurts in most cases. From there, Crawford is exceptionally talented, and he can flat-out move. He's smooth as can be and is armed with a downright nasty release that had goalies struggling to read. Crawford's shot on the run was a thing of beauty, and he was among many Maryland 2030s who thrived on Saturday in that department. What a get for Kiski he is. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>— Sticking with this theme, New Yorkers and Marylanders rarely leave the state for school, but we've seen more exceptions in recent years. The 2027 class has several examples, including a Top 100 goalie who left Long Island for Lawrenceville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Named Goalie MVP at the event, Salisbury School's Luke Rochford transferred from East Islip, where he earned All-Suffolk and Rookie of the Year honors after stopping nearly 60 percent of shots and making 193 saves as an eighth grader. A fiery lefty with eye-popping talent, Rochford was dialed in all weekend, handling mid-range and long-range shots as well as anything in tight (though we missed Sunday's action). From what I saw and all I've heard about him, he clearly has the tools to excel at the high school level and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's also telling that potential competition for playing time wasn't a deterrent, as Salisbury already has a Colgate-bound 2027 keeper and a Michigan-bound 2028 in the fold. Given the program's track record of developing elite goalies like Logan McNaney and Dash Lamitie, Rochford seems comfortable being patient. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if he pushes his way into the picture sooner rather than later, and it's just a matter of when. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— St. Sebastian's (Mass.) head coach Mike Silipo has a heck of a group in the Class of 2030. After a lengthy run as a Boston University assistant, Silipo took over the Arrows last year, and one of his most productive players was an eighth grader (who wasn't even at Spotlight). Still, everywhere you looked in Wilmington, a St. Seb's kid was making plays and showing promise. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To me, Declan Sullivan made a strong case as the most impressive netminder on Saturday, gobbling up nearly everything that came at him and excelling out of the cage, too. Elsewhere on defense, Tucker McDonald showed impressive cover ability and outstanding stick work, executing one of the cleaner nuggets you'll see on one particular occasion. <br><br>Attackman Keegan Kennedy — all 6'3 of him —   was excellent, and he seems to have reclassed as a '31. Midfielder Mac Shanks looks the part was one of the better offensive players I saw, getting back to the middle of the field and uncorking some head-turning shots, so my guess is he could be a problem in the ISL, too. Lefty Ryan Adams made some plays on offense that caught my eye, and did some nice things in the riding game. While unassuming, midfielder Wick Luczkow also got on the stat sheet a few times. <br><br>— A few miscellaneous player notes, going all over the map: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Part of a promising crop of Cali 2030s, Santa Margarita Catholic's Aiden Gee made a splash, showing off his burst and well-rounded offensive game. He's incredibly athletic, gets to his spots with relative ease, then shoots it at an impressive clip. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pelham Memorial (N.Y.) lefty attackman Ford Fairback looks like he could turn into a good one. The younger brother of former Princeton midfielder Liam Fairback, he's got pop and excellent skills, shooting it well from the wing and beating his man off the end line or from above the cage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There may have been bigger and more polished cover defenders, but Pittsburgh's Andrew Miller just kept on making his presence felt with his motor and grit. The North Allegheny product just plays super hard and provided great help defense in addition to doing the little things well. He appeared to win his coaches and teammates over, and kids like that are super valuable in showcase settings and in general. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How about Cannon Griffith? Another Pittsburgh kid, he's now at Georgetown Prep and playing with Next Level. He looks the part at 6-foot-2 and thrives with both a pole and a shortstick, which drew my attention given how well he fared with both. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->