The list of Dylan Sander’s athletic achievements grows by the season.
He was the starting goalkeeper on C. Milton Wright’s state champion boys soccer team. He might shine brightest on the lacrosse field, where he’ll play for Mount St. Mary’s next season.
And now, he’s repeated as The Aegis’ boys basketball Player of the Year to cap an impressive four years at C. Milton Wright.
Sander averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks per game and eclipsed 1,000 career points this season for the Mustangs, who he led to a region title and a state quarterfinal appearance. All of that came with Sander playing catch up to start the winter.
“I was definitely a little out of shape — playing goalie, I don’t really run a lot,” Sander joked. “I was definitely a little rusty.”
Soccer commitments made him one of the last Mustangs to take the court. His teammates understood why, of course. Then when Sander did finally ditch the goalie gloves for sneakers, he had to adapt to a new coach.
Gary Neal, a Harford County native and eight-year NBA veteran, took over the Mustangs job after resigning from Calvert Hall last year. Sander and his teammates were enamored by the mystique of being coached by a professional when they first heard the news, but Sander had to wait to see what Neal was like.
Neal brought his experience in the NBA to the Mustangs’ practices, from rigorous training demands to detailed scouting reports, although he rarely mentioned his past life or told stories from his playing days. One exception came when Sander and senior forward Kyle Ashman ran sprints and rounded off their turnarounds rather than stopping to touch the line before going back: “That’s what Tim Duncan used to do,” Sander recalled Neal saying.
Neal also helped Sander reshape his mentality this season by introducing plays that took the focus away from C. Milton Wright’s best player. A responsibility to be the Mustangs’ sole source of scoring was no longer all on Sander, which he believes unlocked a new version of himself.
“He did well in giving us confidence,” Sander said. “We didn’t force it to me too much. And when I did get the ball, it was just ‘Go make a play.’ We ran it a lot. And, I mean, it worked.”
Basketball might be Sander’s third sport, but it’s the one he thinks he’s seen the most growth in over his four years at C. Milton Wright. He didn’t try out for the varsity team as a freshman but was on it by season’s end. He hasn’t missed a start since. By his sophomore year, he knew he was one of the area’s best basketball players and exuded a confidence that was present in other sports but he lacked on the court.
“I had no confidence at all,” Sander said. “And coming into senior year, I had probably the most confidence out of anyone you could see.”
Coach of the Year
Bill Jones, North Harford
Jones engineered a remarkable turnaround for his alma mater in his first year guiding the program. North Harford won just three games last season and nine over the last three years total. This season, Jones’ Hawks won 11 games and hosted a first-round playoff contest. He joined North Harford from Aberdeen, where he coached for the previous four seasons, initially as an assistant before stepping into the head role late in the fall.
All-Area first team
Aidan Able, John Carroll, junior, guard
Able averaged 19 points and five rebounds per game this season. The junior, who finished the year with 1,735 career points, was also named to the All-BCL first team and was a unanimous selection to the All-MIAA A Conference team.
Jason Brady, North Harford, junior, guard
Brady averaged 16 points per game and led a resurgent Hawks squad that tripled its win total from last season.
Caden Chinnia-Falline, John Carroll, senior, guard
Accompanying Able on the All-MIAA A Conference team, Chinnia-Falline topped 1,000 career points earlier this season.
Kai Gibson, Patterson Mill, junior, guard
Gibson did it all for the region champs, averaging 16 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals per game.
Josiah Lawrence, Havre de Grace, junior, guard
Few teams this season slowed down Lawrence, who averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Warriors.
Colin Luddy, Patterson Mill, junior, forward
The conductor of the Huskies’ offense, Luddy averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game while leading his squad to a region title and 21-2 record.
Kishann Smith, Joppatowne, junior, center
Perhaps the area’s best big man averaged a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double.
Second team
Cameron Allen-Jones, Aberdeen, senior, guard
Anthony Council, Joppatowne, junior, guard
James Hammond, Patterson Mill, junior, forward
Mateo Hiett, Harford Tech, junior, guard
Josh King, Edgewood, senior, guard
Oliver Rueckert, Fallston, junior, center
Chance Wells, Edgewood, senior, forward
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
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