An unexpected hero arises as Hingham boys lacrosse defeats Duxbury in rivalry game
DUXBURY — When it comes to powerhouse programs in high school sports, their success is usually due to the slow development of players throughout their four years.
Hingham High freshman lacrosse star Cam McKenna is an exception to the rule, and that showed in Tuesday's 11-8 win over archrival Duxbury. He entered the program as the rare rookie ready to contribute right away.
“Cam came up big today,” said Hingham coach John Todd. “He’s a big-time player. We’re excited to have him. He knows what it’s all about. His brother is here as a senior, his brother is a hockey captain. Cam plays hockey, he knows what it’s like to have this rivalry.”
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Cam and his older brother, Chase, play at midfield together. The freshman was quick to give praise to his teammates around him who make his job easier as a scorer.
“I got my brother Chase,” said Cam McKenna. “All three attackmen -- Connor Lasch, Joe Hennessey, Henry Woodyatt -- (are) just great guys that move the ball really well and see me.”
When it comes to longtime classic rivalries such as Hingham-Duxbury, expect the unexpected. With that said, it was tough to predict Cam McKenna's four-goal impact on Tuesday.
At halftime the score was tied 5-5. McKenna scored three times after the break in a regular-season matchup that had the intensity of a state-tournament game. Hingham improves to 10-1. Duxbury drops to 8-3.
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“(That) kind of came up out of nowhere,” senior captain Charlie Packard said of Cam McKenna's play. “He’s been money for us all year, but he’s never had a performance like that.
“I was glad he stepped up," Packard added. "We really needed it. He was that spark that lit us in the second half. Having a young guy like that step up, especially in a big game like this, is super big for us."
Packard, who plays midfield, finished with a hat trick. The combination of Packard and Cam McKenna was fluid as their passing caused issues for Duxbury's defense. Packard, a University of Richmond commit, is another guy on the team Cam McKenna looks up to.
“He’s absolutely disgusting,” McKenna said of Packard, in a complimentary manner. “He’s a D-1 commit. (I'm) hoping to be like him one day at that level. He’s just at a great level.”
“I’ve been best friends with his big brother my entire life," Packard said of Cam McKenna, "so I’ve kind of known him and seeing him be able to make memories like that was just super special."
McKenna’s last score came with 35 seconds remaining. With the Dragons in desperation mode, their goalie was forced to defend the ball carrier away from the net, and when the helping defender lost his balance, it allowed Cam McKenna to put the nail in the coffin.
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“We said, ‘Nobody shoots unless you're dunking it,'” Todd said with a laugh about Hingham's late clock-killing approach. “And when whatever happened when everyone fell down, he was left with the goalie. If he can’t run by a goalie we have bigger problems.”
Other Harbormen to score were Hennessey (two), Colin Lasch and Woodyatt. For Duxbury, Colin Hulett had a hat trick, and Braeden Hulett, Zach Falls, Wyatt Glass, Terrance Pikul and Sam Wien added goals.
When asked what he enjoyed most about the win, Todd said, "That it is a rivalry. That’s what it’s all about. You throw out records, you throw out everything. It’s just a matter of every sport we play against each other it’s pretty much the biggest game on the schedule for everybody.”
Hingham came in ranked No. 5 in the latest MIAA Div. 1 power rankings. Duxbury was No. 2 in Div. 2. The Harbormen, who have won nine in a row since losing, 9-8, to New Hampshire powerhouse Bishop Guertin on April 12, know there's a lot more work to be done, starting with Thursday's home showdown against Marshfield.
“Just get locked in (and) don’t take any team lightly,” Cam McKenna said of the team's plans. "Every team is going to give us their best. We've just got to battle.”
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hingham High boys lacrosse defeats Duxbury
