The state quarter-finals were the farthest that the Stephen Decatur Seahawks’ Boys Varsity Lacrosse team reached in 2024. Following a first-round upset handed to them by the seventh seed, the Kent Island Buccaneers, a top 2A program, had high hopes going into this season. With nine total seniors leading the team, athletes, coaches, and fans all felt an imminent playoff run coming by May. Decatur opened the season with two games on the road against the Kent County Trojans and the North Dorchester Eagles, dominating 20-0 in the first game and 28-0 in the second. Head coach Hoffy Hoffman described the team atmosphere as “electric” with clear dominance on display. However, in game three, the Seahawks faced their first challenge of the year, as they matched up against Kent Island for a regular-season showdown. Going into the game, Coach Hoffman was well aware that they were in a long drought of not beating the Buccaneers, but explained that the team was “comfortable despite some unfortunate scratches before the game”. After the two-hour-long trip to take on the Buccaneers on the road, Stephen Decatur was defeated 14-13. Despite the loss, Coach Hoffman was proud of the way that his team played, explaining that he would “much rather lose early in the regular season instead of near or in the playoffs.” After this tough defeat on the road, the Seahawks continued to dominate every team in their path. In the eight regular-season contests after the loss to Kent Island, Stephen Decatur averaged just under twenty points per game while giving up just three. Coach Hoffman gave lots of credit to junior goalkeeper Declan Horan, defensive coordinator Tyler Workman, and John Dodson, the goalie coach. By the end of the regular season, Decatur finished as the overall third-ranked team in the 2A classification, finishing the season 11-1. After defeating Parkside High 15-5 in the regional championship, the Seahawks returned to the state quarterfinals, where they were eliminated last season. Unlike last season, in the first round of the playoffs, Decatur took down the Hereford Bulls 11-5, then dominated the second-seeded Huntingtown Hurricanes 17-6. After those three playoff games, the Seahawks found themselves heading to the state championship against their Achilles heel in Kent Island. After battling to their closest loss in years, Coach Hoffman felt like “we were a team that could run with Kent Island,” and they made “very few changes” going into the championship game. Despite the Seahawks’ confidence before the opening face-off, Kent Island got off to a hot start, leading 7-2 at halftime. The deficit caused a bad vibe in the locker room, but Coach Hoffman’s message was to “get back out there and play our game”, noting that the whole team was nervous throughout the first half. Despite it all, the Seahawks were unable to come back, and Kent Island took down Decatur by one point once again, taking the championship 13-12. With this game being the end of the road for Decatur’s nine seniors, this season’s fourteen juniors will be in a strong position to make another deep run on the Road to Stevenson in 2026. Despite the season ending in a less-than-ideal fashion, the team’s successes did not end with reaching the state championship game. In early June, during an awards ceremony in Annapolis, Ashton March, a junior attack for the Seahawks, was awarded the C. Markland Kelly Award, honoring the “best lacrosse player in the state of Maryland” according to the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association. Additionally, Coach Hoffman was awarded the 2025 MPSSAA Coach of the Year, recognizing his work leading Decatur’s dominant season.
