By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

May 25, 2016:  Former Broncos Brewster Warble and Andrew Walsh will meet in the NCAA lacrosse semifinals this Saturday in Philadelphia. Warble (Class of ‘13) plays midfield for Brown University, and Walsh (Class of ‘12) is a face-off player for the University of Maryland. Fifth-seeded Brown is playing in the final four for the first time, and top-seeded Maryland will be appearing in the semifinals for the third consecutive year. The game will be broadcast at 2:30 on ESPN2. 

Warble and Walsh played together on the Bronxville lacrosse team in 2011 and 2012 when the Broncos won Section 1 Class C Championships and made it all the way to the state semifinals. In 2013, Warble, co-captain of the team, helped the Broncos make it to the state finals. Warble holds the career ground ball record at Bronxville High School (327), and Walsh set the school record for single-season face-off wins and face-off winning percentage during his senior year. 

At Brown, Warble saw the field as a freshman, but this year as a junior he has played in 16 games and has 2 goals and 2 assists; Walsh has played at Maryland for four years and played in 7 games this season. 

The Warble and Walsh families have a long history together in Bronxville. Warble's parents, Melissa and Brennan, and Walsh’s mother, Gia, attended Bronxville High School together and years later watched their sons play lacrosse for the Broncos. During those high school games, it would have been hard to imagine that in a few short years the Warbles and Walshes would be sitting on opposite sides of the field watching their sons play in the NCAA Final Four. 

Maryland men’s lacrosse is legendary. The team has appeared in the NCAA Final Four 24 times since the championships were founded in 1971. Maryland has been a great fit for Walsh, and he has thrived during his four years in this top-notch program. Playing Division 1 lacrosse involves hard work, commitment, and responsibility, but for Walsh, the rewards have not been just about winning, but about friendships and a sense of camaraderie among the team members. 

“This is an historic program, with lots of expectations on and off the field,” said Walsh. “We all kind-of feed off that. But, along with this intense responsibility-driven culture comes this sense of family.” 

Walsh’s most memorable moment came last year in an away game against Ohio State. “We were down three or four goals with less than 4 minutes left,” said Walsh. “I went out there at the end and got possession for the team, and we ended up winning the game against all odds.” 

Unlike Maryland, which has been a powerhouse in lacrosse for many years, the Brown men's lacrosse team is heading to the Final Four for the first time since 1994, the same year the current seniors were born. When those seniors first got to Brown in 2013, the Bears were just 2-4 in the Ivy League. 

At the time, it seemed ridiculous for anybody to claim they would climb to the top of the national rankings in just four short years, but Brown men’s lacrosse has emerged as one of the top teams in the country. It began with a commitment from the coaching staff and the athletes to play a fast, push-the-tempo game for a full 60 minutes. To accomplish this, the coach, Lars Tiffany, looked for athletes who play fast, can make quick decisions, and have raw speed. Warble was one of those players. 

 "In the midst of his collegiate career, the kind and mild-mannered, off-the-field Brewster Warble has emerged as a midfielder who competes with fierce and merciless slashing defense,” said Coach Tiffany. “Few are faster than Brewster from one end to the other, and he has been an exciting ingredient in our transition game." 

Brewster has enjoyed playing lacrosse at Brown and embraces this coaching philosophy. 

“As a defensive midfielder I can attest to our aggressive style when clearing, riding, facing off, and, most importantly, playing defense,” said Warble. “We love to push transition and take advantage of teams when they are least expecting it.” 

Whether you are cheering for the Terrapins or the Bears, in the end you are cheering for the hometown Broncos. 

Pictured here (rotating): Brewster Warble (14) with teammates (and roommates) Dylan Malloy and Alec Tullet (photo by Brennan Warble); Andrew Walsh (white jersey) playing for the University of Maryland (photo courtesy G. Walsh).