Q&A with Eastern Tech Boys Lacrosse Coach Tim Scherer

In his first year as head coach, boys lacrosse coach Tim Scherer has his Mavericks off to a 4-0 start, which includes a 12-7 win at Owings Mills on Wednesday. The Mavericks play at Dulaney at 5:15 p.m. tonight.

A 26-year-old New York native and biology teacher, Scherer spoke to Patch following last week's wins over North County of Anne Arundel County, and archrival .

Patch: What are some of your thoughts about how well your team is doing?

Tim Scherer: I am very happy with our progression as a team so far. There are a lot of adjustments with the new coaching staff and losing a great deal to graduation last year, but I think the team is handling the changes well.

The older guys are helping some of the younger guys acclimate to the varsity level, and they seem to be coming together well as a team. Everybody is working very hard and they are all very passionate and play with a lot of heart. 

I think this passion and heart will make us a tough team to beat throughout the season.

Patch: Where did you play high school lacrosse in New York?

TS: I played at Northport High School in Suffolk County, Long Island,  and I graduated in 2002.

Patch: What position did you play?

TS: I played attack. I was a second-team and scout team player, mostly as I was not fast. I was always more of the prototypical 'crease attackman,' meaning I was bigger and was best at quick, catch-and-shoot types of situations as opposed to carrying the ball.

I was always aware that I would not be a starter throughout my career, with somewhere around 12 or 13 guys I played with over two years on the varsity squad going on to play Division I lacrosse.

However, I took my role on the scout team very seriously, as we helped our defense prepare for opponents. The better I played in practice, the better our defense was prepared in our games. 

Patch: What was your high school's best performance in states?

TS: In 2001, we were the New York State Class A Champions with a record of 20-2. In 2002, we were the New York State Class A runners up with a record of 21-1.

Patch: Did you play college lacrosse?

TS: I did not play lacrosse in college.  I got a full tuition academic scholarship to Loyola College, which is now Loyola University of Maryland. There, I continued as a fan of the sport, going to as many lacrosse games as possible.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2006.

Patch: What brought you to Maryland in general, and to Eastern Tech in particular?

TS: I really fell in love with Baltimore while going to school at Loyola. I liked the atmosphere in the city and a large number of my friends also settled in the area. 

After spending a month in Ireland after graduating, I returned to Loyola to get my Master of Arts in teaching degree and have been living full-time in Baltimore now for over four years. 

While getting my Master's at Loyola, I applied to teach in Baltimore County and was very lucky to get hired here at Eastern Tech. I am now in my third year teaching biology and in my third year coaching lacrosse.

I spent two years as a junior varsity head coach, and this is my first year as the varsity head coach at Eastern Tech. 

Patch: What are your thoughts on Maryland's public and private school lacrosse landscape and how it compares to the climate in New York?

TS: As a traditional hotbed of the sport, lacrosse in Maryland remains extremely competitive. Many of the best teams in the country come out of the Baltimore area.

I think that lacrosse will always be closely associated with this area as long as the sport is around.  Growing up, lacrosse was also very competitive on Long Island, which is another traditional hotbed of lacrosse talent.

On Long Island, when I was in high school, public schools seemed to dominate, as opposed to the Baltimore area, where the private schools tend to draw a great deal of the talent. 

I am most excited, however, to see how lacrosse is spreading throughout the country. New areas are starting to emerge as lacrosse powerhouses with Pennsylvania, Michigan and Colorado as three examples that come to mind. 

It is great to see all the new Division I college programs becoming competitive, as they are drawing some talent away from some traditional lacrosse powers. 

I think that the very top recruits are going to continue going to the Virginias and Syracuses. But I think that the shift will be in the second-tier type players that would be in backup roles at some of the powerhouses.

I think that those players will be drawn to new programs, where they will be immediate impact players. Ultimately, I think that this is going to lead to us seeing a lot more parity in the lacrosse landscape in the near future.