The 2024 Stags finished 9-8 to post another winning season. Highlights include a 9-7 win over Lucy Beckham High School, which went on to win its third-straight South Carolina 4A state championship; and a 10-9 victory over Paul VI in the WCAC quarterfinals. Junior Matt Beachley tied the game against PVI with no time left in regulation and scored the game-winner 1:14 into overtime.
Beachley was named first-team All-WCAC and honorable mention All-Met.
On June 6, Justin Messersmith was named head coach. He comes to DeMatha after serving as an assistant at Broadneck High School in Annapolis.
Messersmith played on two state championship teams at Kent Island High School. In those two seasons (2014-15), the Buccaneers were a combined 36-4 (.900). He also contributed to Kent Island’s 2014 state title-winning wrestling team. Justin was a second-team All-American midfielder at Anne Arundel Community College and earned a scholarship to Division II Newberry (S.C.) College. He graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s in communication and media studies.
DeMatha has won the most WCAC boys lacrosse championships with 17. And seven other times it advanced to the title game. Between 1999 and 2009, the Stags captured 10 of 11 conference crowns.
The program owes a large debt of gratitude to previous head coaches, including Jack Heagy, Steve Kisielnicki ’69, John McCarthy, Kevin Alden, Scott Pugh ’97, Dick Long, Scott Morrison and Dave Mitchell. In 13 years at the helm (2009-21), Morrison led DeMatha to a record of 134-96, five WCAC championship games and a league title.
DeMatha has several prolific lacrosse alumni, including Premier Lacrosse League founder and star Paul Rabil ’04, as well as PLL standouts Pat Harbeson ’10, Johnny Surdick ’14 and Greyson Torain ’14. Garrett Leadmon ’18 helped lead Duke to the 2023 national championship game and is now playing in the PLL.
With dedicated players and Messersmith at the helm, DeMatha enters the 2025 season poised to make an impact in the WCAC.
