Sewickley Academy’s boys lacrosse team won six of seven decisions in the second half of the regular season.
Sewickley secured a WPIAL playoff berth and the No. 5 seed in Class 2A. The Panthers tied for third with Shaler in Section 2 at 7-3 and took an 11-5 overall record into the postseason.
“We finished 11-5, but honestly the record isn’t something we spend a lot of time talking about or tracking,” coach Sam Futrovsky said.
“We acknowledge that wins are hard to come by, but we believe that if we play to our potential and execute mentally, physically, emotionally and cohesively, the outcomes will take care of themselves.
“There were a handful of wins this season that we didn’t feel satisfied with because we know we could have performed better. What drives this program is building a legacy, forging a brotherhood and choosing to be uncommon. That’s what we talk about.”
Sewickley finished as the third-leading team offensively with a 13.7 goals per game average, scoring in double figures in all 11 wins.
The Panthers reached 21 goals twice, against Allderdice and Shaler, and 20 twice, against North Catholic and Knoch.
Defensively, the Panthers allowed 7.3 goals per game.
Sewickley’s starting lineup in the regular season changed from game to game based on personnel, opponent, scouting report, etc.
It was mainly a mix of juniors Jack Bruno and Jake Bloom and freshman Maxwell Magan at the attack position with senior Luca Peluso, junior Jake Donesec and freshman Vinny Truesdell at midfield and junior Eli Stephan as a faceoff specialist.
“This season, we had three juniors reach significant career milestones,” Futrovsky said.
Bruno reached 100 career points for the Panthers.
“Jack is playing with tremendous confidence right now,” Futrovsky said, “and has a cannon of a shot. He’s put a lot of work into his game and even more into the weight room to increase his offensive production, and it’s showing.”
Bloom also attained 100 career points.
“Jake is a steady, calming presence and the quarterback of our attack.” Futrovsky said.
“He has 33 assists and 31 goals on the year; he distributes as much as he scores. Jake, who is a captain, leads on the field as much as he does off of it. His impact on our program goes beyond the stat sheet.”
Donesec reached 100 career goals and 100 career points.
“Jake is the spark in the middle of the field who never runs out of energy,” Futrovsky said. “He takes wings, plays defensive midfield and is an offensive threat as well.
“One of the most impressive numbers on his stat line is his ground balls — he has over 100 on the season, and he doesn’t even take faceoffs. That tells you everything about his motor and his ability to do it all, everywhere on the field. All three players have had tremendous seasons, and their work isn’t done yet.”
Max Soderstrom, a junior, holds the LSM position, while the defenders down low include senior Blake Wilmot, junior Giovanni DeBellis and sophomore Matt Bruno. Freshman Haden Haley is the starting goalkeeper.
“I think we handled business the way we had envisioned and improved every day,” Wilmot said. “We continued to grow as a team and put ourselves in a good position heading into the playoffs.
“The bond we have as a team is our biggest strength. A lot of us have been through the ups and downs of this program together, and that has made us trust each other more. It helps us stay connected and play as one unit no matter the situation.”
Other players on the team have made valuable contributions in 2026.
“Guys like Luca Peluso and Rocco Moschetta have really stepped up and made a difference for us,” Futrovsky said.
“At the same time, we suffered a significant loss when Eli Stephan, a junior, captain, and our only committed Division I player — he’ll be playing at Lafayette — went down with a season-ending hamstring injury.
“Eli was our faceoff specialist, winning at an 85% clip on the season, and had just passed the career milestone of 400 career faceoff wins when he got hurt. Losing him required us to adapt and adjust, and the way this team has responded to that adversity has said a lot about who they are.”
Haley also has demonstrated incredible growth and maturity in front of the net.
“In our most recent games, Haden did not play like a freshman,” Futrovsky said, “which is exactly the leap we hope to see players make at this point in the season.
“He has made some tremendous saves, but his communication on the field to help lead the defense and clearing are areas in which he has made great progress.”
Sewickley advanced to the postseason last year with a team comprised of three freshmen, 12 sophomores and four juniors.
Thanks to a third-place section finish, the Panthers landed the No. 5 seed for the 2025 WPIAL playoffs but saw their season end with a 7-4 first-round loss to Chartiers Valley.
“We have full confidence in this team’s ability to make a run,” Futrovsky said.
“But the standards and expectations don’t change just because it’s the playoffs. We need to be consistent, show up ready to do our jobs and execute with discipline.
“All year long, it has been about how you respond to adversity. And as the adversity rises, the response needs to rise with it. That’s what we’ve been focused on.”
Wilmot expects the Panthers will be at their best in the postseason.
“We expect to compete every day and play our best lacrosse when it matters most,” he said.
“We know the playoffs are a different level, but if we stay together, trust each other and focus on one game at a time, I think we can make a strong run.”
Wilmot also competed in soccer at Sewickley and football at Moon as part of the schools’ co-op program. He has committed to continue his football career at Denison University.
Wilmot is a kicker. He was a four-year varsity starter for both soccer and lacrosse while this past year was his first as a member of the Moon football program.
“I’m grateful for my coaches, teammates and everyone who has supported our program,” Wilmot said.
“This team means a lot to me, and I’m excited for the opportunity to keep competing with this group.”