Prep trio showcase their skills at USA Lacrosse National Combine

Aug. 8—John Jefferys Morton Jr. — known by one and all as Deuce Morton — went to Maryland last week with a simple philosophy: if he could hold his own at St. John's Prep lacrosse practices defending against über-talented teammates Jimmy Ayers and Jake Vana, then he could likely do so against other top shelf attackmen and midfielders his own age from across the country.

Morton, a long pole, as well as Vana (midfield) and Ayers (attack) were all in Sparks, Md., home of USA Lacrosse, after being selected for its three-day National Team Development Program.

The event, which featured the nation's top 117 players in the U16 and U18 age groups, went over everything from on-field instruction and training, nutrition and recruitment tips, strength training and sport psychology training to help them plan for playing at the next level and beyond.

Of the initial group, 22 players from both the U16 and U18 combines will be chosen to represent their country as USA Selects and face off against international foes while competing for the prestigious Brodgen Cup on Oct. 14-16 back in Maryland. Vana did so a year ago with the U16s.

"It was unlike anything I had taken part in before," said the 16-year-old Morton, a Manchester-by-the-Sea resident who, like Vana, was part of the U16 combine. Both will be juniors at St. John's Prep this fall.

"Being around all those top notch athletes was awesome, and you couldn't help but learn so much from playing against them and what the coaches were telling us. It's definitely made me a better player."

Always a way to improve

The 6-foot, 185-pound Vana, a three-sport star at St. John's (soccer, hockey), said it felt good to get out and participate at the Combine after having missed two previous showcases this summer while letting a hand injury he suffered late in the regular season of the Eagles' eventual Division 1 state championship run heal further. He took part in one showcase in College Park, Md., then got his cast off right after that and has felt fine ever since.

The Boxford native has also been going to 'Prospect Days' at schools such as Princeton, Harvard and Yale (and will attend another one at Brown Monday). They are run by the lacrosse head coach and staff at each institution, where Vana and others get the opportunity not only to meet them and learn about the school and lacrosse program, but also play in front of the coaches.

Having scored 28 goals to go with 20 assists this past high school season, Vana was an automatic choice to attend this year's NTDP Combine after making the USA Selects a year ago, and relished the opportunity to do so again.

"For me, it's given me a lot of confidence to know I can play with the best, scoring goals and making plays," said Vana, a National Honor Society student who carries a stellar 4.33 GPA. "But it also shows me my weaknesses and what I need to work on to improve. Guys expose things here that I can get away with in high school, so it's great to learn that about yourself in order to improve."

The fact that the coaches not only grade players on their play during drills and scrimmages but also give tips throughout and emphasize where there's room for improvement also helped to self-motivation Vana.

"They'd use an example like Paul Rabil and how he was so good as a middie in college (at Johns Hopkins), but they he got to the pros and was even better because he made himself better," said Vana. "Hearing something like that makes he realize you can always improve something about your own game."

'Monumental' improvement

Ayers, an 18-year-old from Hamilton and the reigning Salem News Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year after scoring 55 goals and 84 points for the state champs, was back at the National Combine for a second straight summer. He's hoping to make the U18 Select team that will play for the Brodgen Cup in October, and was pleased with how the three days in Maryland went.

"There are so many great players there feeding you the ball and making plays," said Ayers, who had multiple goals in a few of the scrimmages. "I liked that you're always being evaluated during drills and the scrimmages not just on scoring, but also on hustle plays, riding plays, going for ground balls, the things that every coach wants and that can make a difference in a game."

Already ticketed for Johns Hopkins University, Ayers felt as though he's improved his overall game from this time a year ago and plays with more confidence, something he hopes translated during his time in Maryland.

Unlike Ayers and Vana, Morton wasn't a varsity superstar this spring; the Eagles' senior-laden defensive corps saw him playing most of the season with the junior varsity (although he did net one varsity goal against Catholic Memorial). But the 5-foot-9, 155-pounder has obvious skills and they came out at a regional qualifier he attended, which led to a spot at the National Combine.

Morton, who was part of golf and lacrosse state championships at St. John's during the 2021-22 school year (as were Ayers and Vana, who played on the Prep's Division 1 hockey state champs as well), said seeing how the Women's National Team trained and approached the game while he was in Sparks was another huge motivator for him.

"I was super excited when I got notified about going to Maryland," said Morton, who has attended St. John's since he began middle school. "I wanted to try and put myself in a position to do the things I feel I'm good at, like having the ball in my stick. So on a clear or on a ground ball, I want to pick that ball up, show off my foot speed and stick skills. Off-ball communication is key, and I tried to use that to make me stand out."

"Deuce's improvement has been monumental this summer," said Vana. "You can really see it in his game how he's gotten bigger, stronger and more skilled."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do for us on defense next season," added Ayers. "He can really play."

Contact Phil Stacey

@PhilStacey_SN

Contact Phil Stacey

@PhilStacey_SN