Posted on Friday, January 10, 2020
Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Brandon Sewell is dedicated to bringing a strong team to Panther Field this spring.
His ambitious attitude, work ethic and history of success will put the new LaGrange College men’s lacrosse team in a position to turn some heads during its first season in 2020.
“Everyone associated with our program is excited about bringing men’s lacrosse to LaGrange,” said Sewell. “The guys cannot wait for that first home game under the lights at Panther Field on Feb. 14. We want to establish ourselves as a tough blue-collar team. Playing physical defense and winning the ground-ball battle will be two things that we will strive for each game.”
Sewell is no stranger to the USA South conference, as he was a former assistant coach at Huntingdon College from 2016-18. The Hawks won the USA South Tournament in 2018, earning an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Sewell compiled an extraordinary playing career at Huntingdon as a four-year starter from 2012-15. The 2012 season was the first year of men’s lacrosse at Huntingdon, so the Elkton, Maryland, native is familiar with being part of a new program.
He finished his career with 121 goals, 68 assists, 189 points and 499 ground balls, while going 547-for-932 on faceoffs for a .587 winning percentage. Sewell, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, led the team in ground balls and assists all four seasons.
LaGrange will open its 2020 season on Feb. 8 at Birmingham-Southern, and then the team will compete in its home opener on Feb. 14 against Centenary (Louisiana) at 7 p.m. on Panther Field.
Sewell took some time to speak about his vision for the program:
Q: What made you pursue coaching at LaGrange College?
A: I knew this would be a great opportunity to build a program at a top-academic institution, within a conference that I am familiar with. The conference tournament was played here each of the last two years, so I was able to see the beautiful campus and facilities. I knew that LaGrange could go toe-to-toe with the other small private colleges in the South that offer men’s lacrosse. Our goals are work hard, get better every day and compete. If we can do those three things, we can be successful in all areas.
Q: What are the challenges of building a new program?
A: The most challenging thing is adjusting to the college game. We have a lot of young players who are going to be asked to make plays and contribute at a high level. We cannot play timidly or be afraid to make mistakes, but we must learn from those mistakes.
Q: What is your coaching style?
A: I pride myself on execution, whether it is in practice, a game, recruiting or academics. I am a true believer that the amount of effort and preparation we put in will determine how well we execute. Guys who play for me know that they are going to be pushed to be the best, and I am there to help them reach their potential.
Q: What have you learned about your team?
A: This fall, there were several flashes of our potential, which was highly encouraging. We still have a lot to learn and improve on, but I am excited to see how much we continue to progress. We had 15 practices this fall, which we used to implement the basics to our offensive and defensive systems. The guys have really bought into what we want to do.
Q: How will your previous success in the sport help you in this role?
A: Being a part of those successful teams allowed me to see what it takes to be successful within this conference, and at the end of the day, it has come down to hard work. From early morning practices to late nights in the library, we want each member of the team being accountable for one another. What we do now will impact our team three years from now, so holding these guys to a high standard will allow us to establish a winning culture and mindset.
Q: What were your main responsibilities as an assistant coach at Huntingdon?
A: I was the offensive coordinator and coached the faceoff unit. My last season, we had the top-scoring offense in the conference and five All-USA South selections. We were also ranked in the top 10 nationally in faceoff winning percentage, and our faceoff-specialist, Sam Hitt, was named USA South Player of the Year.
Q: What kind of traits are you looking for when you are recruiting?
A: When my assistant and I are recruiting and looking for student-athletes, we are constantly looking for young men who take pride in doing the simple things correctly, work hard and are coachable. We offer an opportunity at LaGrange to put our names on something and build a program brick by brick. At the end of the day, we will be able to look back and be proud of what we have built.
Dr. John Cook, Professor of Religion, recently published two entries in the Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity – “Cross, Crucifixion” and “Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Alicia Bonaparte, associate professor of sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, will be introducing this year’s MLK Day speaker, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, at 11:15 a.m. Feb. 6 at Price Theater. Dr. Tatum is president emerita of Spelman College and is the author of the best-selling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race.”
Be sure to mark your calendars for the first lecture in this year’s 3D Journeys lecture series. Dr. Mary Ann Wilson, Professor Emerita of English, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, will talk about “La Dolce Vita and the Food of Northern Italy” at 10 a.m. Jan. 27 in Dickson Assembly Room in Turner Hall. A shuttle bus will run from Sunny Gables.
Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in the annual MLK Day parade at 1 p.m. Saturday. Meet at Granger Park on North Greenwood Street (across from LaGrange High School) no later than 12:30 p.m., and wear LaGrange College clothing or a red shirt.
Women’s Basketball
Jahpera McEachin scored a team-high 16 points to lead the Panthers (7-5, 2-3 USA South) to a 72-65 USA South win over visiting Covenant on Wednesday. Mykelli Taylor added 11 points and Daijah Cousins 10.
Men’s Basketball
The Panthers (3-9, 2-3 USA South) lost 78-77 to USA South rival Huntingdon on Wednesday. Julian Cameron had a game-high 23 points for LC, while Lincoln Anderson had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Check out this feature about Julian. https://www.lagrangepanthers.com/sports/mbkb/2019-20/releases/20200109kgsjru
Women’s Basketball vs Agnes Scott, Mariotti Gym, 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball at Covenant, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Women’s Basketball vs Piedmont, Mariotti Gym, 6 p.m.
Beach volleyball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the NCAA, makes its LaGrange College debut this spring. The groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the college’s tri-court volleyball venue was held in mid-December.
Scholarships are among the important annual needs supported by donations. If at least 1,140 alumni join us in supporting students by June 30, 2020, it will show how passionate our alumni are about higher education, and ensure students have the tools for a top-quality education. Go to lagrange.edu/give or call the Development office at 706-880-8039 to make your gift.
LaGrange College pulls away in second half – LaGrange Daily News, Jan. 7, 2020
LaGrange College basketball teams looking for home success – LaGrange Daily News, Jan. 8, 2020
Category: College
Keywords: Lacrosse
