June 19, 2007

by Jac Coyne, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

Kyle Wharton knows how to kill some time.

Dropped off an hour before the opening bell every day during his freshman and sophomore years at the Haverford School, Wharton had plenty of clock to kill. It wasn't that he had academic commitments, extracurricular appointments, or was terribly eager to arrive on campus. It was simply a commuter issue.

Because his trip from Garnet Valley, Pa., a leafy community on the Delaware border, to Haverford, a northwestern suburb of Philadelphia, was nearly 40 minutes, he was regulated by the schedule of his father, who drove him to school every day. Since dad had to continue on to work in New Jersey, Wharton was deposited on campus before many of his teachers even arrived.

What could he do to fill these idle early hours?

How about cleaning up some leftover homework? Maybe getting a jump on the English syllabus? Perhaps ensuring the school-mandated blazer was lint-free?

Nah, Wharton is a lacrosse player. When you're a lacrosse player, there is only one way to burn extra time before first period.

"Every morning he was on the turf with a bucket of balls shooting while wearing his suit coat and tie," said Haverford School boys' lacrosse coach John Nostrant. "It would be 15 degrees in January and I'd be driving to the Wawa to get my coffee, and he's out on the field shooting."

While the early-morning shooting sessions were ostensibly to bridge the time between his drop-off and the start of school, it had the added bonus of making Wharton a pinpoint shooter -- a frightening sniper with both hands -- with massive power. While other players were seeing their shots saved during practice, Wharton's always found net. Nostrant's decision to start him as a sophomore was an easy one.

"He just really worked at it," said Nostrant. "It didn't happen by accident."

"It did help me, and it was fun, too," added Wharton.

Nostrant's decision paid off immediately, as Haverford won the state title in 2005, Wharton's sophomore campaign. Wharton was the key to the team's success in the following two seasons, as well. He was named an All-American after his junior season and this year he was pivotal in Haverford's stunning upset of Maryland power Boys' Latin. Wharton tied the game with half a minute left and then scored the game-winner in overtime.

"I didn't have much of an angle, but there was only 30 seconds left so I decided to shoot it as hard as I could and luckily it went in," said Wharton about his heroics against BL. "The game-winner, I didn't really do anything. I just put it in."

"He was always a big-game player for us and scored big goals when we needed him to score," said Nostrant. "That win for our program was monumental."

The Boys' Latin victory, as was the case with many during Haverford's 18-win campaign, was sparked by Wharton's ability to deliver in the clutch, as well as by his off-beat persona. In stark contrast to the player who diligently shot countless balls on the dew-soaked fields is the wacky kid always trying to take the edge off a tense situation. Nostrant recalls times when Wharton would make impractical suggestions to the offensive coaches during games, if only to coax a smile out of them.

"I try not to get serious about everything, just try and have a good time in whatever we're doing," said Wharton. "Even if we are having a terrible practice, I like to lighten up the mood a little bit."

"He's just a goofball, and it made everyone around him loose," said Nostrant.

Wharton would do well to tone down the shtick next year when he starts playing for Dave Pietramala and defending NCAA Division I champion Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays have a legacy to keep intact, and that responsibility leads to a businesslike approach to lacrosse. Wharton's oddball antics might be curtailed, but his skills could be of use to Hopkins immediately.

"He shoots the ball 100 miles per hour left-handed and 85 right-handed, so he can get at both sides of the cage and use both hands," said Nostrant. "I think he is a man-up player right away."

Wharton, who will be playing for the East team at the National Senior Showcase this weekend in Denver (click here for more information), is a little more cautious.

"I don't really know about the expectations," he said, confirming that he is working on improving his dodging, as well as acclimating himself with the strength and nutrition requirements of a Division I program. "We'll see."

After his sophomore year, Wharton was able to earn his driver's license, relieving his father of the daily carpool and eliminating the need for preschool shooting drills. But there is no question that his time-killing activity helped Wharton become the player he is today.

In Wharton's case, the early bird didn't get the worm. It just turned into a Blue Jay.