Laxordie,
I have never posted on this forum before. I have been a "lurker" for a few months now just reading what other people say, but you have provoked me to make my first post.
I know Sam Sawyer personally, and I wholeheartedly agree with the decision that the coaches made. Over the years I have watched Sam play lacrosse for the MUS team. I was actually his teammate a few years ago. While he has been in Dan Gibson's shadow for the duration of his high school career (and what MUS player since Gibby has been at the school hasn't been?), he has played his heart out, practiced constantly, and kept a great attitude about the game whether his team won or lost a certain match. On any given Saturday or Sunday afternoon, no matter what may be happening in the social world, Sam would be practicing. That shows dedication. After a game that the MUS student body thought we should have one, Sam would not be bitter - he realized that they either went on the field too confident or just did not play their best. I have not once heard him say anything negative about another team. That shows true sportsmanship. In making an All-American choice, the coaches look at all of the qualities of a player, not just their stats. Sam has shown better dedication and sportsmanship than any other lacrosse player that I have ever associated with.
To refresh my memory, I looked at the TSLA website to see a few other MUS All-Americans from the past --
Ben Bailey: He was fast, was a great player, and had great sportsmanship. Honestly, I feel like Dan Gibson is the "next Ben Bailey"
Bill Mealor: Great all-around player. Made a lot of shots, very classy guy on the field and in the classroom.
Thomas Robinson: He was slow. He could even be classified as a cherry-picker, and I hate cherry-pickers. But he could shoot, he was an all-around nice guy, and he practiced his heart out in his front yard every single day.
Trevor Knight: A defenseman. He was definitely a class act on and off the field if I have ever seen one.
All of these guys have very different qualities when it comes to lacrosse, but they all share one character trait: exceptional attitudes.
In my opinion, Sam Sawyer has the skill, heart, and attitude to be one-hundred percent deserving of the All-American status.
I am not saying that the guys you listed didn't deserve All-American as well, I'm sure a lot of the lacrosse players did. There were some great teams with great players this season. The third spot for All-American was obviously very close, but Sam obviously had some qualities that stood out.
The eleven guys that you listed that were "better than Sam" probably did deserve to receive a noteworthy award such as All-American, but I do not think that you have any right to say that Sam didn't deserve it. The coaches obviously thought he did, and they are the ones that know best.
