Sewickley Academy boys lacrosse roster loaded with underclassmen keeps moving forward

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, May 5, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Sewickley Academy’s boys lacrosse team is extremely young. It may be the youngest squad in the WPIAL.

There are no seniors listed on the 2024 team roster, and defenseman Caleb McAdams is the lone junior.

“My expectation for the team this year is that we continually improve, day by day,” coach Sam Futrovsky said. “Our mantra this season is to ‘keep moving forward.’ For us, we are a very young group that is working hard to rebuild and bring this program back to prominence.

“As the season progresses, our measurement of success will go beyond the scoreboard. We will be looking to see how well we are learning and developing. Can we make better decisions with the ball and understand the game at a higher level? Right now, it all about creating a strong foundation and growing as both lacrosse players and people.”

The Panthers squad is dominated by underclassmen, including 10 freshmen and five sophomores.

The sophomore class is represented by Jack Carlson (GK/D), Chase D’Antonio (MF), Niko Frazzini (MF), Luca Peluso (MF) and Blake Wilmot (LSM/D).

Jacob Bloom (ATT), Umberto Bonham (D), Jack Bruno (MF/ATT), Valentino Cercone (MF), Jacob Donesec (MF), Cooper Jackson (MF/ATT), Dylan Kapur (D), Arjun Kathju (LSM/D), Nicholas Neavin (GK) and Elijah Stephan (MF) are freshmen.

“We have a small roster of 16 players,” Futrovsky said. “Everyone has a critical role, and we truly rely on each individual. We have a good group of eighth graders coming up next year, and the future is incredibly bright.

“In the coming years, we will be able to look back on and appreciate what this group of players on the 2024 lacrosse team have done to pave the way for those that follow. Any future success can be attributed in part to the work being put in and the belief that this current group has.”

Employed as a sports performance & wellness coach at Sewickley Academy, the 35-year-old Futrovsky is in his second season as the boys lacrosse coach. He originally is from Gaithersburg, Md., outside Washington D.C.

He has been coaching lacrosse since 2012 and has an extensive background in the sport both as a coach and player.

“Lacrosse has given me so much and taken me all over the world,” Futrovsky said. “Coaching it is one way I try to give back and grow the game.”

The Panthers have a long history of success in boys lacrosse, starting in 1979. Sewickley won a WPIAL title in 2010, and was MSLA champion seven times between 1979-1991.

“Last year, I stepped in just days before the season began,” Futrovsky said, “and have been working to create a dynamic culture about what it means to be Sewickley Academy lacrosse player.”

Competing in lacrosse at Sewickley is a true learning experience both on and off the field.

“We spend time reading each week about how to be better people and teammates,” Futrovsky said. “We are reading parts of James Kerr’s book ‘Legacy’ about 15 lessons in leadership focused around the New Zealand rugby team. It is all about bringing the boys closer together and helping them to be better people, how well I know each of them and how well they know each other.

“I believe the higher character we have individually and collectively, the greater we can develop and perform on the field.”

Tags: Sewickley Academy