Cote

ADAMS TWP — Austin Cote is coming off an impressive freshman lacrosse season, but wants to take his game to another level.

The Mars midfielder recently took a huge step in that direction.

Cote earned a spot on the Midwest Command Team that competed in last week's Under Armour All-American Games in Baltimore. The event included the best incoming freshmen and sophomores from 12 different regions around the country.

The Midwest Region is by far the largest in the country. It includes 15 states from North Dakota to Kentucky and Nebraska to West Virginia. Players are able to try out in any region they wish.

Cote played in all of his squad's five games over a four-day stretch.

“We faced really good competition and I think this experience is going to bring a lot to my game,” said Cote. “It's going to help me evolve because it showed me what I need to do to compete at the next level.”

Cote's skills were scrutinized and evaluated with those of 162 other players hopeful of making the Midwest team at a tryout in Columbus, Ohio earlier in June. Players were split up onto teams, with each one playing three games while coaches watched the action.

“I didn't know what to expect going in, but after those three games, I was pretty confident because I was playing well,” Cote said.

The number of players was cut to 46, who were each placed on one of two teams for a fourth and final game. Afterward, another cut trimmed the field to the final 22 and Cote found out later that day that he had earned a Midwest jersey.

“I was excited,” he said. “Just being part of the whole thing was a great experience and it was an honor to make the team.”

The Midwest went 1-4 in its five games in Baltimore, but Cote saw being part of the team as rewarding in itself.

“We jelled pretty quickly considering we didn't have much time to practice with each other,” he said. “We hung in there against every team. I think our biggest loss was by six goals.”

Cote totaled 32 goals and 25 assists last spring in helping Mars win its fourth straight WPIAL championship. He also paced the Planets with 154 ground balls.

He was clutch in the title-game win over Hampton in which Mars rallied from a late 8-6 deficit to win 9-8 in overtime. Aside from scoring a goal, he helped set up several others.

“Austin won six huge faceoffs against a good Hampton team, including the last two,” said Mars coach Bob Marcoux.

Another incoming sophomore at Mars, Quinn Fuller, made the initial cut in Columbus and traveled to Baltimore as part of a team made up of players from several regions.

Fuller, a defenseman, and his teammates split their two games.

“There were guys on my team from Utah, Oregon, California ... It gave me confidence because if I can hang with players from all over the country, I can do well against players from Pennsylvania,” Fuller said.

“He's one of the best athletes to ever play on defense for us,” said Marcoux of Fuller. “He has a high lacrosse IQ and picked up our defense quickly.”

Both Cote and Fuller have a dream of playing big-time college lacrosse. In the meantime, they have Marcoux anxious to see what the high school season brings next spring.