The annual girls’ lacrosse game between Moorestown High School and Shawnee High School is always one of the most anticipated games of the season in South Jersey. The two teams have combined for 30 state championships. As of press time, both teams were in the top-10 in New Jersey, according to www.laxpower.com’s computer rankings, with Moorestown ranked №5 in the state and Shawnee ranked №8.
However, this year’s May 11 meeting between the two clubs has an added storyline. First-year Shawnee head coach Julie McGrory is a Moorestown High School graduate and played under Moorestown High School head coach Deanna Knobloch. McGrory will lead her Renegades into Moorestown on May 11 for the first time as the head coach of an opposing team.
McGrory was a multi-sport athlete, playing basketball as well as three seasons of lacrosse. McGrory scored 1,000 points for the Quakers’ girls’ basketball team during her career and went on to play basketball at Gettysburg College after graduating from Moorestown in 2008.
Looking back at her time on the lacrosse team, McGrory said her fondest memories weren’t any specific games or moments.
“I remember the high expectations, the camaraderie, team bonding and the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself,” McGrory said.
Knobloch described McGrory as a solid attacker during her playing days. She said McGrory’s basketball background benefited her on the lacrosse field.
“As an attacker, she understood picks, rolls and ball screens and utilized those skills to get open and score some big goals,” Knobloch said.
Coaching with and against former players is nothing new for Knobloch. She’s had multiple former players move on to coaching at the high school and college levels.
“I always think back to when they were players, and it makes me smile to know that Moorestown girls lacrosse possibly played a small part in their decision to continue in the coaching field,” Knobloch said.
As much as McGrory appreciates her time at Moorestown, she emphasizes she is now a Renegade. McGrory served as an assistant coach under former head coach Aimee Seward last year before taking over as head coach this season.
So far, McGrory has Shawnee off to a fast start in 2016. The Renegades started the season with a perfect 13–0 record, including a win at home against Lenape High School, the team that defeated Shawnee in the South Jersey Group IV championship game last year.
McGrory cited the leadership of the Renegades’ seniors as well as her team’s disciplined play for Shawnee’s fast start.
“The girls have been working very hard and playing together,” McGrory said. “We have a lot of unselfish play with all of our girls contributing in important ways.”
Moorestown started the season with a 10–3 record, but all three losses came against some of the best teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. Their only loss against a New Jersey school came against Ridgewood High School, the top-ranked team in the state. The other two losses came against Garden City High School in New York and Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Maryland, two teams ranked in the top-15 in the nation.
Knobloch said her team has had to overcome injuries this year and is trying to build momentum with the postseason approaching.
“Our main concern is to keep getting better each game so that by the end of the season we are playing at our highest level,” Knobloch said.
