Signings could be start of something big for Seahawks’ lacrosse trio

Wednesday’s signing ceremony already made it a banner week for three Hilton Head Island lacrosse players who locked in their college choices. And it might just be the start.

Duncan Marx, Benton Soule and Cole Brammer also are pointing toward a deep playoff run, as the top-seeded Seahawks stand two steps away from playing for the state Class 4A title.

“Personally, signing is definitely a bigger step for me,” said Marx, the Seahawks’ top scorer who signed for Coker College. “But the playoffs — for the team, it’s definitely the more important thing that we’re focusing on right now.”

Soule will join Marx in heading to Coker next fall, while Brammer will play for Lynn University in Florida. They were part of a nine-strong flock of Seahawks to finalize their college paths next season.

Baseball’s Eric Foggo will play for Stetson, which made the NCAA regionals a year ago, while Shane Clark signed with Erskine.

Soccer also provided two signees in Jacob Monzon (Limestone) and Alex Macias (Shaw), while Melissa Bonvissuto (crew) also is headed to Stetson and Brooks Dyess (golf) to Piedmont College.

“I love where the program is going in the future,” Marx said of Coker, which has been rebuilding since a high-water mark of 9-5 two years ago. “It’s two hours away, so my parents can come to see the games. It just felt like the right fit.”

Marx, who ended the regular season with 40 goals, and Soule would like nothing better than to bring some championship experience to the Cobras. The Seahawks dispatched May River in Tuesday’s opening round, and will host Academic Magnet on Thursday for a berth in the Lower State final.

“I think this is our best shot,” Marx said. “Our senior class is filled with 14 kids, but they’re 14 kids that are all full of confidence. We play with heart, together, as a team, and that’s really what matters at this point.”

Foggo, meantime, is headed to Florida to a Division I program in Stetson that doesn’t necessarily have numbers yet as far as producing major leaguers, but they’ve had impact.

Cleveland’s Corey Kluber was the American League’s Cy Young Award winner three seasons ago. That same year, the Mets’ Jacob deGrom was the National League’s Rookie of the Year. Both have reached the World Series, with Kluber starting Game 7 against the Cubs last November.

“Yeah, good alumni there,” Foggo said.

The Hatters have reached the NCAA Tournament three times in the past 10 years, including last year’s trip to the Coral Gables Regional. They also were assigned to Columbia in 2011 when USC beat them twice on the way to the College World Series title.

“I went down to Stetson and fell in love with the coaches there,” Foggo said. “It’s a great area, a thriving Division I baseball program. They’re getting better and better.”

PREP QUARTET SIGNS

Catie Meighan, part of four SCISA state tennis champions at Hilton Head Prep, heads the list of four Dolphins to ink their letters of intent.

Meighan, who also played No. 1 singles at Bluffton as an eighth-grader, will play at the NCAA Division I level for Lehigh. The Pennsylvania school loses one-third of its roster from this spring.

Olga Zavarotnaya also is headed off to play tennis at Indiana, though she never competed for the Dolphins as she traveled to play on the junior circuit.

The Dolphins also will supply two golfers to the college ranks, with Hanna Kiefer heading to Stetson and Mark Laken to Belmont Abbey.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Signings could be start of something big for Seahawks’ lacrosse trio."