As the spring sports season gets underway, columnist Bobby Winebrenner revists the Legacy Series, to highlight the best boys lacrosse players in Lake Forest High School history.
Stewart Kerr (2009)
Stew Kerr was a major contributor for the Lake Forest lacrosse team starting in his sophomore year. Kerr was an impressive talent who initiated an excellent wave of skill and success into the program prior to the the 2010s. He would go on to play for Middlebury College’s lacrosse team, where he scored 66 points in his career. His collegiate stats at the NESCAC school are underwhelming when comparing them to his production at LFHS. At the time, his scoring statistics for the Scouts were a career record. He put up a staggering 175 goals and 105 assists over his four years, combining to form a record 280 points. He was all-state and all-america his junior and senior year. In his junior year, Kerr tallied 77 goals–an LFHS single season record then–and 25 assists. The following year, he found the back of the net 62 times and dished out 43 assists. Kerr’s stats were otherworldly at the time and without having much talent on his Lake Forest teams, he saw a bulk of the defense’s attention.
Conor Walters (2015)
Kerr’s tremendous records lasted for several years until Conor Walters came around and shattered them. Walters, currently a junior at Lafayette, is now tearing up the Patriot League as he led the Leopards in points (25) and goals (19) in his sophomore year. While at Lake Forest, he racked up a whopping 376 points over his four year varsity career. He poured in 204 goals and 174 assists over his Lake Forest tenure and even was able to coin the nickname “Wizard of West Campus.” Walters was able to play with other excellent players such as Pat Brandel and Wes Janeck, but was never able to claim that elusive state championship. While his former teammate Janeck is deserving of this list as well, Walters’ statistics and records at Lake Forest certainly cement his place among the lacrosse program’s greatest.
Jack Mislinski (2018)
Jack Mislinski’s career at Lake Forest has been tremendous, while also being a bit surprising. His freshman season, the senior failed to obtain the spotlight and rarely saw the field. He was overshadowed by fellow freshman and current Maryland commit Kelan Duff (who now plays for Culver Academy). Mislinski’s transition from freshman year to his sophomore campaign was astounding. He went from not seeing the field to leading the team in points (60) and goals (48) as a sophomore, while earning all-conference recognition in the process. The next season, as a junior captain, he stepped up his game even more. Mislinski notched 66 goals and 22 assists, leading the team in both categories. While his stats aren’t nearly as impressive as Kerr’s and Walters’, Mislinski has the ability to do something neither of the aforementioned players were able to do: win a state championship. If Mislinkski is able to lead Lake Forest to its first IHSA championship in history, then he will be more than deserving to be included among the Scouts’ best.
Author’s Opinion: Conor Walters
In a very tight argument, statistics will ultimately prevail as the deciding factor. Walters career records at Lake Forest make it hard to argue for anyone else to hold this position. He holds the scoring record here in goals and assists, and truly terrorized opposing defenses. This is all evidenced by his 11-minute senior year highlight tape. While he and Janeck were never able to bring home the state trophy, their talent will definitely leave a legacy behind in this program. The only other argument that could be made here is if Mislinski were to keep up his point production while also earning the IHSA state championship. But until then, Conor Walters has left behind the biggest legacy in the Lake Forest lacrosse program.
