Local lacrosse rising seniors Skippy Clary, Alex Slafkosky and Brandon Kendrick celebrated their selection to the Free State All-Star teams by helping defeat two Long Island teams on a hot, humid evening last week at Johns Hopkins University.

Clary and Slafkosky, both Catonsville residents, played for the Maryland Select White team that dismantled the Long Island Express, 17-8, on July 18.

Kendrick, an Arbutus resident, helped lead the Maryland Select Red Team to a 14-11 victory over the Long Island Empire.

Clary, a rising senior midfielder at Catonsville High, scored three goals against the Express on legendary Homewood Field.

"I figured I would just take it to the goal and see what happened, and it worked out pretty well," Clary said. "I was just feeling quicker."

Three days and five lacrosse games later, the legs were feeling the effects of a sizzling summer of lacrosse playing for four all-star teams and his Baltimore Elite Club team.

Clary continued his all-star venture by playing another game on Saturday morning for the Free State squad and two in the afternoon for the adidas public schools Maryland team.

Among his teammates were Catonsville High's Nikko Gurnsey, Mike Zwingelberg and Alan Rondon.

A day later, he played two more games for the adidas stars that finished third or fourth in the tournament and were eliminated by the adidas private school stars, 7-4.

"I'm ready to go to the beach," said Clary, who plans a few weeks of fishing, surfing and beach volleyball before he starts football season Aug. 15 at Catonsville High. "I need a break."

All told, he played in 22 games, including 16 all-star games, in six weeks.

In addition to Free State and adidas, he played a pair of games with the rising seniors at the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic, and he played seven more at the Blue Chip 225 Camp at UMBC.

He was the only Baltimore County lacrosse player to make all four teams, and college scouts and head coaches from all over the country attended most games.

Having the college coaches present didn't change his aggressive approach in the faceoff circle or his inspired midfield play.

"You just play how you play," he said.

His play has drawn the interest of several Division I schools, including Ohio State, Delaware and Loyola, but he is undecided on where he will play in 2010.

Playing with private school teammates on his all-star and club teams is an enlightening experience.

"Eventually, it turns out we hang out, and we become kind of a team," Clary said. "Even though we are an all-star team, we came together and played like a real team. It's fun doing this and meeting a bunch of new friends."

Slafkosky, who will be a senior at Mount St. Joseph, is an old friend and former teammate of Clary's from when they played for the Catonsville Lacrosse Club's Junior A team that won a Maryland State championship in 2005.

"I played on that team, but I got hurt a quarter of the way into the season," Slafkosky said.

Playing on the White team in the Free State game, Slafkosky was ready and able to spark the defense late in the first half after the Express had trimmed a five-goal deficit to three.

After a relentless series of checks, Slafkosky scooped a ground ball with 57 seconds and started a clear that led to a goal by Severn's Stevie Kirkup at the other end with 41 seconds left in the half.

It ignited a string of five unanswered goals for the Maryland stars.

"It's awesome playing these kinds of games, especially at Johns Hopkins," said Slafkosky, who has drawn college interest from Navy, Bucknell and the University of Maryland, where his father is an assistant coach.

Although Slafkosky didn't play with Gael teammate Kendrick on the same Free State team, he was impressed with the work of the rising senior who has only played lacrosse for three seasons.

"He's an athlete," Slafkosky said. "That's what he is, he's an amazing athlete. You can teach them to play lacrosse, but you can't teach them to be athletes."

Kendrick gave up baseball before entering St. Joe and played freshman lacrosse his first year and JV sophomore year before making an impact on varsity as a junior.

"I was just kind of bored with it (baseball), and I play football so I like to hit," Kendrick said. "Coach (Tony) Brockmeyer has been bugging me to play since I was 5."

Against the Empire, Kendrick, a midfielder, won key faceoffs late in the third and fourth quarters.

The last one led to a goal by Gilman's Jack Doyle that put the game away.

Playing with Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association foes is a nice experience for Kendrick.

"Its a lot of fun because they are really good coming from the MIAA Conference, where you've got to be good, and to get a chance to play with them all is even better," Kendrick said.

Playing in front of college scouts can be intimidating, but Kendrick is up to the challenge.

"It's even more stressful with college coaches coming up to you and calling my house and stuff like that," he said. "I never thought that I would be getting recruited for Division I lacrosse after playing only three years of lacrosse."

Is he glad he left baseball in the dust?

"I love it (lacrosse)," Kendrick said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything.

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