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| David Fleming SI 2013 |
David Fleming, SI's versatile 2013 A/M has committed to DI Fairfield University, according to sources at today's California Gold camp. This is a big deal to me, since DFlem has not been a starter at SI, but has been a player of tremendous potential and ability.* He's big, he's smooth, and he's skilled. Though he's spent much of his time at SI on the midfield, I suspect he'll be joining Joe Lang on the starting Attack line next Spring. He will do very well there.
I first saw David play during the winter of his Freshman year at SI, when he joined the Fog City indoor team at the Bladium. He and his parents had just moved to Northern California from Connecticut (Darien, I believe) and found a great lacrosse and academic school in SI. Nice handle, smooth, but small – I thought. The first two things still hold, but now he's tall. Really tall!
Fairfield is getting a good one. In fact, I think they're lucky to get him. Congrats to him, his supportive parents, and the coaching staff at SI for collaborating on the development of this fine player. Go NorCal!
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* Clarification on July16th. Why is this a big deal? It demonstrates that Northern California is developing a few VERY DEEP teams. Deep teams mean that very good underclassmen have to bide their time until stronger, bigger, faster players graduate, and as these underclassmen themselves become bigger, stronger and faster. The potential of younger players is seen by coaches, but great depth can obscure great younger players. On the summer recruiting circuit, college coaches project players into the future. High School coaches project too, as they should, and do, but they put their best 10 on the field. In my opinion, SI's 2012 team had the deepest squad of offensive players I have seen in my decade of watching High School lacrosse in the Bay Area. Three starting 2012 middies have committed to NCAA DI schools – and a fourth would have had he not elected to go to Stanford. Two Attacks committed to DI programs and a genuinely exceptional Sophomore Attack is likely to commit in the next few months. I do not believe any NorCal Boys' lacrosse team in NorCal history has been as stacked on offense as SI 2012.
Given that depth, terrific players like David Fleming got less playing time than they would have on teams with less depth. Nonetheless, late in the season, against a team of only moderate skill, David Fleming started at Attack. He scored, if memory serves, six goals in that game, showing nifty off-ball movement and a deft touch as a finisher.
We will see more players "show" late in their High School careers as lacrosse grows in popularity and quality, and as these players congregate on quality teams. This is the way it works on the Island and in Baltimore's MIAA A Division. Having players as strong as David Fleming be intermittent starters, is new for NorCal, and it is a big deal for the development of the game in Northern California.
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* Clarification on July16th. Why is this a big deal? It demonstrates that Northern California is developing a few VERY DEEP teams. Deep teams mean that very good underclassmen have to bide their time until stronger, bigger, faster players graduate, and as these underclassmen themselves become bigger, stronger and faster. The potential of younger players is seen by coaches, but great depth can obscure great younger players. On the summer recruiting circuit, college coaches project players into the future. High School coaches project too, as they should, and do, but they put their best 10 on the field. In my opinion, SI's 2012 team had the deepest squad of offensive players I have seen in my decade of watching High School lacrosse in the Bay Area. Three starting 2012 middies have committed to NCAA DI schools – and a fourth would have had he not elected to go to Stanford. Two Attacks committed to DI programs and a genuinely exceptional Sophomore Attack is likely to commit in the next few months. I do not believe any NorCal Boys' lacrosse team in NorCal history has been as stacked on offense as SI 2012.
Given that depth, terrific players like David Fleming got less playing time than they would have on teams with less depth. Nonetheless, late in the season, against a team of only moderate skill, David Fleming started at Attack. He scored, if memory serves, six goals in that game, showing nifty off-ball movement and a deft touch as a finisher.
We will see more players "show" late in their High School careers as lacrosse grows in popularity and quality, and as these players congregate on quality teams. This is the way it works on the Island and in Baltimore's MIAA A Division. Having players as strong as David Fleming be intermittent starters, is new for NorCal, and it is a big deal for the development of the game in Northern California.
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