There’s no doubt that SHS seniors James Sullivan and Alex Burrill and junior Willy Robinson are elite lacrosse players. However, their official commitment to play at the college level solidifies their status as some of the top players in the Scituate High School lacrosse program.
Playing lacrosse since they were very young, these three athletes have known each other for a long time through the sport, leading to a tight bond of friendship. When asked about that bond, Sullivan said, “I’d call it almost a brotherhood.”
Committed to playing lacrosse at Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), Sullivan is one of the most crucial players on the Scituate boys lacrosse team. Despite missing numerous games, Sullivan had an impressive junior year with 49 goals and 18 assists, totaling 67 points. As a senior attackman, he is known for his silky shot and savvy ability to weave through defenses.
Describing his college recruiting process, Sullivan was impressed with the MMA head coach: “He met me at a game and then sent me a text.” After visiting the campus in Buzzards Bay, Sullivan knew it would be the right fit and officially committed in January. However, according to Sullivan, going to MMA wasn’t strictly about lacrosse: “I wanted to go there mainly for schooling reasons.” He explained, “They have a good marine transportation program, which I want to do as a career.”
In his last year of high school, Sullivan wants to have fun wearing number 18 on the Scituate turf. Going into the season with a carefree mindset, he hopes for an entertaining season defined by great success.
Pairing up with Sullivan on the offense for one last season, Robinson has verbally committed to the United States Military Academy West Point, recently ranked number 8 in Division 1 lacrosse in the preseason rankings by Inside Lacrosse. Last season, Robinson showed he can be a first-class midfielder and attackman at that level. In his sophomore campaign, he posted 77 goals and 22 assists, or 99 points–a major jump from his 50-point freshman season. Robinson (verbally) committed to West Point on August 6th, after considering the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland: “I knew what schools I wanted to go to, so I went to prospect days for both the Naval Academy and West Point,” Robinson stated. Ultimately, he decided West Point would be ideal for his career and lifestyle.
As much star power as the Scituate offense has, their defense can still work wonders. Burrill is a gritty, long-stick midfielder with numerous SHS lacrosse records. Most notably, he holds the all-time ground ball record by a non-faceoff man–last season alone, he had 94. Burrill is also no stranger to getting the ball back to his offense, causing almost 30 turnovers and putting up three goals and seven assists.
After seeing Burrill’s production not just as a defender but as a player who can push the ball to the offense, there was no way Roger Williams University head coach, Kevin Gould, could pass on him. Burrill committed to the university, which is located in Bristol, Rhode Island, on August 15th.
Explaining his recruiting process, Burrill said he used a recruiting app called IMCLA to get increased exposure. Burrill commented, “My club coach really helped me out.” Roger Williams’ coaching staff expressed an interest in Burrill, and with the help of his club coach, Burrill committed to play there a couple of months later. Burrill revealed he was unfamiliar with the university’s program before recruitment, stating, “I pretty much had no idea they even had a lacrosse team.”
With each player’s unique commitment story, Sullivan, Robinson, and Burrill yearn for success in their final year on the turf together. As team leaders, they have the talent, skill, and personal drive to make a deep run: Sullivan and Burrill won the Patriot League in 2021 as freshmen, and all three won the Chowder Cup in 2022–but can they take it a step further? Can they lead Scituate to the Division 3 State Championship in 2024?