HS rivalries are no laughing matter

During his high school career, Penn midfielder David Cornbrooks had one chance to compete against his younger brother in lacrosse.

But the brothers were vying over more than just the Cornbrooks family name.

David went to St. Paul's, and his brother to the Gilman School, two archrivals in Baltimore.

The schools compete in every sport, but lacrosse is the most important. Both are in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, one of the top high-school lacrosse conferences in the country.

That rivalry has made its way into the Penn locker room. Craig Andrzejewski, Alex Salihi, and Cornbrooks - three of the Quakers' four leading scorers - all went to St. Paul's, as did assistant coach Conor Ford.

Head coach Brian Voelker, however, is a Gilman alumnus.

"It's a big rivalry," Voelker said. "Those schools match up year in and year out, and have some really great teams."

Cornbrooks maintained that despite the intensity of the games, there was always a mutual respect and camaraderie.

"We all hang out with those guys," he said. "We all knew each other."

But Voelker was less sure of the niceties between the two schools.

"I think at times it's a friendly rivalry," he said. "But at times it's not. It all depends on the personalities and who's involved."

And players remember their feelings even after they graduate.

Voelker said that there is a running joke in Baltimore. Ask somebody where they went to school, he said, and they will tell you their high school, not their college.

"The rivalries definitely carry into college," Andrzejewski said.

Players follow their high school alma maters closely, and rib their fellow college teammates (or coach) when one school beats the other.

It may be ironic that Voelker has three players from St. Paul's, and none from Gilman - although Gilman grad Luke Wilson quit before this season - on his team. Voelker, however, responded strongly when asked if the rivalry affects how he recruits.

"No, no, if anything it's the opposite," he said. "You know coming out of a place like St. Paul's, the guys know how to play, they're from a great program, they're used to winning, they're taught the right things."

He is best friends with the current coach at Gilman, with whom he played defense during high school. Yet he also has a good relationship with the St. Paul's coach, who was previously an assistant at Gilman. These relationships, he said, help him get players, but he doesn't care where they came from.

And the current Quakers said that Voelker's history at Gilman wasn't a factor in their decision to come to Penn.

"I didn't know that coach went to Gilman, to be honest," Andrzejewski said, laughing. "I thought he went to Loyola."

Cornbrooks was more informed, but equally ambivalent.

"I almost didn't come here," he deadpanned. But then he laughed, and shook off what he realized was a preposterous suggestion.

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