Pat Mull loves a good cliche.
The Fallston boys lacrosse coach often tells his players to “leave it better than you found it.” He’s a “Jimmy’s and Joe’s over X’s and O’s” kind of guy. “Work smarter, not harder,” too.
The adage of having to “find your next [fill-in-the-blank player]” has gotten plenty of use in the last couple years with the high level of talent passing through the program.
“But for some of these guys,” Mull said, “Jacob [MacMillan] being one of them, they’re irreplaceable. You can’t replace a kid with the skillset and the knowledge and the drive that he has. … Graduating a kid like him, it’s gonna be a tough one to swallow.”
Even in a Fallston program that has sustained success to the tune of three state titles the last four seasons, MacMillan is an outlier, etched into program lore.
The senior attacker signed to play at Randolph-Macon College was once one of four freshmen to find a spot on the Cougars’ varsity roster. He was the only one to establish a day-one role during Mull’s first season. MacMillan now graduates with the third most points (255) and assists (170) in school history and as The Aegis 2024 boys lacrosse Player of the Year.
MacMillan’s work ethic that sprung such a decorated high school career started out of necessity. He picked up a stick in fourth grade because his older sister played, his older brother was considering it, and all his friends had been playing for years.
MacMillan just wanted to catch up.
He’ll say the player he became today, who Mull describes as “very methodical, very consistent in doing the right things,” is a product of the coaches along the way.
First came his uncle, Keith Hunsinger, who coached Fallston rec. Hunsinger paved a foundation of lacrosse knowledge. He taught the youngsters the basics and fundamentals of the game. By middle school, MacMillan started playing for Zack Karantonis, father MacMillan’s classmate, Owen Karantonis. Zack and Torre Kasemeyer, who played at Syracuse and briefly helped coach at Calvert Hall, developed MacMillan’s shooting and dodging skills.
“Being able to score and feed,” MacMillan said, “those two were super instrumental.”
MacMillan took a lot of that home with him. In sixth grade, his dad constructed what would become a place of refuge. He spiked wooden pillars into the ground of their backyard and connected them by a bunch of big boards. “I was always playing wall ball,” MacMillan said. “The first two years, majority of it was just so much wall ball learning the basics.”
Fallston’s staff introduced the more nuanced approach that makes MacMillan so effective today. They nurtured his understanding of offensive schematics. They helped open his mind to new layers of the game.
Baltimore native and former Furman long stick midfielder Myles Cohen was another trainer involved during MacMillan’s high school career.
“All the coaches in the past,” MacMillan said, “are still very instrumental with me now. My uncle, Owen’s dad, Coach Kassemeyer, [Cohen], I still talk with them very frequently.”
Each of those coaches had a hand in MacMillan’s success at Fallston. The kind of success that when trying to pinpoint a memorable performance, Mull said, “I don’t know if there was one shining moment, as opposed to just like, everything was shining.”
Thinking back on such special moments from his four-year career, MacMillan’s mind first went to his freshman spring. Fallston was shorthanded for a big matchup against a tough North Harford team. MacMillan got stripped a few times. He repeatedly turned the ball over.
Then he netted the equalizer, sending them to overtime, and minutes later buried his first game-winner.
“That was really cool as a freshman just overcoming the other things throughout the game but being able to finish like that was a huge confidence booster,” MacMillan said. “I think from that point on, there was just more confidence when I was playing. I think that game was a huge help for it.”
There was a similar season-defining moment his senior year against rival Hereford. That’s a scheduled dogfight circled on their calendar every season. Fallston had been playing well but unable to find the back of the net. Nick Nikola buried one to send them to OT. Then it was MacMillan, once again, playing the hero with a game winner.
“He’s had countless games where he stepped up huge,” Mull said. “Last year, I think he scored four goals against C. Milton Wright, which we needed desperately. This year, he scored three against them, which we needed desperately because that’s a really good defense.”
Mull’s favorite cliche, always telling his team to “leave it better than you found it,” is widely applicable. Leave that classroom better, he’ll say. Or that bus. More broadly, leave the program better.
What MacMillan accomplished and impressed on his successors spares no doubt that he leaves Fallston lacrosse better than he found it.
All-Area first team
Cole Bravo, Havre de Grace, senior, attacker
The York College commit scored 28 goals and tallied 10 assists while grabbing 41 ground balls and causing 12 turnovers for the Warriors.
Jackson Harcarik, John Carroll, junior, attacker
Harcarik led the Patriots attack with 30 goals, while handing out eight assists this season.
Chris King, Fallston, senior, attacker
The four-year starter scored 37 goals with 12 assists to lead the Cougars in scoring this spring. Mull said his energy and passion are perhaps his best qualities, making him the team’s emotional leader.
Devin Trzeciak, Bel Air, senior, attacker
Trzeciak netted 29 goals with eight assists in his senior season for the Bobcats.
Justin Eckman, C. Milton Wright, senior, midfielder
The senior midfielder netted 33 goals on 100 shots with 10 assists and 25 ground balls.
Nick Howes, Perryville, senior, midfielder
Howes frequently stuffed the stat sheet for the Panthers. His final line for the season was 42 goals, 29 assists, 44 faceoff wins, 87 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers.
Dougie Kolb, John Carroll, senior, midfielder
Kolb was a key member of the Patriots midfield, tallying 11 goals with eight assists on the year.
Nick Nikola, Fallston, senior, midfielder
The three-year starter netted 11 goals with 15 assists this season. He’s a dynamic playmaker, affectionately nicknamed, “Skates,” for how often he can make opponents look like they’re slipping on ice. Nikola was one of Fallston’s best dodgers.
Ian Swartzendruber, Fallston, junior, midfielder
Swartzendruber’s growth into his senior season was a touchstone for Fallston repeating as state champions. He scored 31 goals and tallied 13 assists, offering a stout physical presence.
RJ Wilhelm, Patterson Mill, senior, midfielder
Wilhelm was a physical midfield presence for one of the top teams in Harford County. He finished with 43 goals and 11 assists.
Nathan Shutt, North Harford, sophomore, faceoff
The Hawks underclassmen won 73% of his faceoffs. Only twice this season did he win fewer than he lost. His most notable performance was a 79% faceoff rate against Towson.
Ian Wilson, Fallston, senior, SSDDM
Wilson recorded four goals, five assists and 35 ground balls this spring. Mull termed him one of Fallston’s most valuable contributors and an unselfish presence on the field. Wilson was also the Harford County recipient for the USA Lacrosse Bob Scott Award, recognizing a senior player who goes above and beyond in service to his team, school and community.
Dylan Sander, C. Milton Wright, junior, LSM
Sander caused 43 turnovers and scooped up 59 ground balls. He scored four times and assisted the same amount.
Owen Conway, Bel Air, senior, defense
Conway grabbed 42 ground balls with 32 caused turnovers this season, complemented by nine total points. The Bobcats senior was also one of two USA Lacrosse All-Americans in Harford County, voted on by area coaches.
Hayden Goscinski, C. Milton Wright, senior, defense
The senior backbone of the Mustangs defense had 72 ground balls and caused 55 turnovers. He also scored twice and assisted twice this spring.
Owen Karantonis, Fallston, senior, defense
The four-year starter and three-time All-Aegis selection scored three goals while finishing with 35 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. He has over 100 ground balls and caused turnovers over the span of his high school career. Karantonis was the de facto middle linebacker for the state champion Cougars.
Owen King, Fallston, junior, defense
King recorded 37 ground balls, caused 27 turnovers and scored once this season. He has become one of Fallston’s most vocal defensive leaders and is often charged with quieting the opposing team’s top scorer. King also received USA Lacrosse All-Academic honors, one of two student athletes in the county recognized.
Adam Shefcheck, Patterson Mill, senior, defense
Shefcheck scooped up 36 ground balls, caused 18 turnovers and totaled nine points for the Huskies.
Sean Catalano, Patterson Mill, junior, goalie
Huskies coach Ryan Arist called Catalano a “difference maker on our team without a doubt.” The junior made 130 saves on the season.
Rory Jenkins, Harford Tech, junior, goalie
The Cobras goalie made 203 saves with a 65.7% save rate.
All-Area second team
Chace Allen, Aberdeen, junior, attacker
Matt Bechtel, Patterson Mill, senior, attacker
Carson Gebhard, Patterson Mill, senior, attacker
Gavin McCullough, C. Milton Wright, senior, attacker
Zach Brown, C. Milton Wright, senior, midfielder
Gage McKenna, Fallston, senior, midfielder
Wyatt Molyneux, Havre de Grace, senior, midfielder
John Okougbo, Aberdeen, junior, midfielder
Drew Pape, Patterson Mill, senior, midfielder
Logan Rogers, Havre de Grace, sophomore, faceoff
Aiden Whitmore, C. Milton Wright, senior, SSDM
Cooper Savelle, Fallston, sophomore, LSM
Naythan Wlodarczyk, Patterson Mill, senior, LSM
Kyle Ashman, C. Milton Wright, junior, defense
Joey Bolesta, Fallston, senior, defense
Brandon Stepp, C. Milton Wright, senior, defense
Zach Warfield, North Harford, senior, defense
Dan Hickling, Perryville, senior, goalie
Landon Mills, Fallston, senior, goalie
