Written up last week after his big outing during a dominant win over McDonogh, the five-star Duke signee has done anything but slow down. On Sunday, McCarthy had two huge face-off wins in the final minute of a game where he secured the clamp, then raced downfield and deposited the ball in the back of the net, effectively scoring two game-winners sandwiched between a response from Taft, with those clutch goals producing a 9-8 win for the Fords . Those clutch time goals produced a 9-8 win for the Fords versus Taft. In that aforementioned contest against McDonogh, McCarthy went 11-for-18 and scored two goals. McCarthy owns quick hands and precise technique which enables him to win draws at a ridiculous clip. However, McCarthy is the top face-off prospect in the nation and the ultimate game-changer due to his ability to consistently score goals off those wins and thrive with his athleticism and all-around game.

When talking about the biggest X-factor in high school lacrosse, the discussion starts and ends with McCarthy, a consensus top-five recruit in the Class of 2024. A tenacious competitor and exceptional athlete, the Duke signee had already earned that billing, but on Tuesday, he backed it up, posting two goals on top of another yeoman’s effort at the dot. I had him down for an 11-for-18 day (which included two violations), and although he slowed down at the end and lost the final three draws, he did what he’s known to often do and scrapped one back after losing initially. The type of player who needs to be dragged off the field, he is any program’s dream because he does so much more than just provide extra possessions and is never a liability in any area of the game. Even when you know he’s going to the rack, very rarely is McCarthy able to be stopped. On his second goal of the game, he won it out the back, darted upfield, switched from his right hand to his left, and buried a shot from 10 yards out to give the Fords a 12-4 advantage.