This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/09/2016 12:00 AMJon Brophy had a breakout campaign for the Warriors’ boys’ lacrosse team this spring. A junior, Jon increased his offensive output and took on more leadership responsibilities from his demanding midfielder position that covers the most territory on the field.
Midfielders have a difficult job in a fast-paced sport like lacrosse since they play both offense and defense and need to thrive in transition play. Jon worked hard throughout the offseason to improve his stamina, stickhandling, and passing skills by participating in summer leagues, overnight camps, and college showcases. Jon’s extra effort paid off as he saw his goal total climb from 15 as a sophomore to 28 this past season and he also flourished with setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities by dishing out 21 assists—way up from the two he had last year. All totaled, Jon finished the year third among the Warriors in goals scored and second for total points.
“I’m really not a goal scorer. We have guys who lead the team scoring. I’m more the guy who does the dirty work for the team,” Jon says. “My favorite thing is to get my teammates involved. I like to get them excited to play the game and the best way to do that is for them to score. Everybody has more fun playing when they score goals, so I try to be a facilitator out on the field and get the guys excited to play lacrosse.”
Jon’s ability to patrol all ends of the field, recognize what to do in various situations, and anticipate opponent’s moves also helped him finish third on the team with 59 ground balls. It’s an important, yet underrated stat that takes into account steals, face-offs won, and loose balls secured.
“Jon Brophy was one of our key players on offense and a leader on the game and practice field this year,” says Valley Head Coach George Hudson. “Jon really never got outworked on the field and was a player I could count on to make a key play for us on offense or defense.”
The Warriors finished the regular season at 8-8 and qualified for the Class S State Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Haddam-Killingworth with Jon recording two assists. Two of Jon’s biggest performances this year came in wins against Cromwell. First on April 14, Jon scored four goals when Valley beat the Panthers 13-3. Then on May 10, he scored twice and had a season-high four assists in a 19-8 Warriors’ win. Another one of Jon’s best all-around games came against eventual Shoreline Conference champion Old Lyme as he tallied two goals with three assists in a 13-8 defeat. With his team putting together respectable seasons the last few years, Jon believes that Valley can improve next year and reach their goal of capturing the conference title.
“We are only losing two seniors off the team this year and we have a lot of guys who can come in and fill those spots. It should be a good year for us as we have a lot of skilled players back and some of the other teams in the league are losing some really good players,” says Jon, an Essex native. “Coach Hudson is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had and he’s like a great friend, so I know he’ll put us in position defensively to do the job. On offense, we had a year to grasp the new concepts and I think we can go far as long as we work hard as a team.”
Jon’s belief in his teammates and coaches is strong and the feeling is mutual. Coach Hudson knows that Jon is going to play a key role on next year’s squad and that his work ethic and leadership will be essential to any success the Warriors have.
“Jon had a great season and we look for him to take more of a leadership role next year and to build off the momentum that he had this year,” Coach Hudson says. “Jon is growing to be a great lacrosse player. He is one of our hardest workers during practices and games. We look for him to initiate our offense and look for him to start the transition from defense.”
Jon will continue working on his lacrosse skills this coming summer and, in the fall, he plays on Valley Regional’s boys’ soccer team, for which he’s also a midfielder. Still, as much as he enjoys both sports, Jon’s greatest passion remains lacrosse.
“My cousins were my biggest influence and they played lacrosse at Newtown High School, which is a big lacrosse school. They went on to play in college and I would like to do that, as well,” Jon says. “I love the team aspect of lacrosse, playing with my friends and interacting with the coaches, while we’re all working towards the same goal, which is to win Shorelines.”