Ben Girard displays a sign celebrating his milestone. From left to right are David Walk, an Ocean assistant coach; Girard, coach Tom Ryan and Joe Dilusto, an assistant coach. Photo credit: Ocean Township High School boys lacrosse team
By CHRIS CHRISTOPHER
Ben Girard faces an emotional rite of passage.
The Ocean Township High School senior will graduate Tuesday, June 21, after starring in lacrosse and football on the Albert F. Carelli Field in Big Red Country for the Spartans.
“Insane. It’s crazy,” he said. “I live across the street from that field. I played lacrosse and football on it for my whole life. Football ended and now lacrosse is over. It’s wild that I won’t be playing football on a Friday night at Carelli Field ever again. It is sad. It’s hard to take it all in.
“All of my friends were on our same teams. I began playing football in the fifth grade in AYF (American Youth Football). My friends were my brothers. I went to war on the field with them. I spent countless hours with my coaches and now it’s coming to an end. It is sad, but I am excited for my future and for where I am going.”
Girard played four years of varsity lacrosse. He played middie as a freshman and attack as a junior and senior. He won faceoffs as a freshman and sophomore. He played in two games as a sophomore goalie and earned four varsity letters. He was a three-year varsity starter.
He was a varsity starter as a sophomore, junior and senior in football, seeing action at middle linebacker, outside linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle, nose guard, offensive tackle and offensive guard. He started at outside linebacker and offensive tackle as a junior when the Spartans (8-1, 5-0) won the Shore Conference Freedom division title. They were 4-1 at home and 4-0 on the road and outscored opponents 287-165.
“I hope I left a good legacy and a good name for myself,” he said. “When the freshmen become seniors, I want them to say, ‘I learned from Ben Girard.’ I had great mentors as a freshman and they helped me become who I am–a leader. They taught me how to lead and I am so thankful for them. We treated each other like family, which is the most important part.”
Girard scored his 100th career varsity point earlier this season, feeding sophomore attack-midfielder Connor Holevinski for a goal in an 8-7 loss to Jackson Liberty. With the Spartans on a fast break, Girard passed the ball to Holevinski, who was near the crease.
“I dumped the ball to him and he finished the job,” Girard said. “He got it done for me. It was huge to me. Connor was a very helpful teammate. When he became a sophomore, I got close with him and he became a weapon on our offense. Most of my assists were to him and I am very thankful for him.
“It shows how much our team has improved. The players around me worked hard. The guys stepped up big this year. It shows I did something right by leading these kids. It shows I have done something for the program.”
Girard did not expect to score 100 points until late in his career.
“It kind of just happened,” he said. “I never expected it as lacrosse was my second sport. After my junior year, I said, ‘I’m gonna go for it.’ I kept working with my teammates and eventually got it. It was definitely something I did not expect.”
A 6-foot, 225-pounder, Girard cuts a menacing figure.
“I use my size to my advantage,” he said. “I like backing them (defenders) down and beating them with speed. I am fast for my size and I feel I can beat most people with speed. I don’t need many moves. My favorite position is definitely attack. I love scoring goals, beating defenders. I have played attack since I was a kid and it is my favorite position on the field.
“I keep my stick tucked and I keep the ball on my stick. I run through a lot of defenders and get through a lot of checks. I can find my way to the goal.”
Girard’s prowess resulted in lots of attention from defenders.
“I was face guarded,” he said. “I faced a lot of zones so I had to shoot a lot from the outside. The attention did not bother me as it happened to me for the last two years. I trusted in my teammates around me and I knew I would be able to get the job done.”
“Every team we played this year planned with the intention of stopping Ben Girard,” Ocean coach Tom Ryan said. “Because of this, our team faced a variety of defenses throughout the year. There was a traditional man-to-man defense. There were zone defenses. There was a hybrid man-zone defense. Many teams hoped to stop Ben by face guarding him. Teams would hope to keep the ball out of Ben’s stick, hoping he couldn’t make a play for either himself or a teammate.”
Ryan said Girard’s presence was problematic for defenders.
“He is a matchup nightmare,” Ryan said. “He has a unique combination of size and strength mixed with speed and quickness. He is faster than most big defenders and stronger than smaller defenders. These abilities, paired with his lacrosse IQ, allowed him to be one of the most lethal scorers in the Shore Conference this year. Ben is a gifted athlete. He is big, strong and fast. He is one of, if not the hardest, workers on the field and in the weight room. He prides himself on the effort he plays and practices with.”
Girard scored 94 goals for fifth on the Spartans’ career list. He scored 136 points for fifth on the career list. He’s sixth in career assists with 41. As a senior, he scored 78 points for sixth on Ocean’s single-season list. He added 53 goals for fourth on its single-season list and hustled to 34 ground balls. He added 25 assists for eighth on its single-season list.
“He’s such a versatile player that he can fit in where the team needs him most based on the skill sets of the players around him,” Ryan said. “Throughout his career, Ben scored most of his goals on physical isolation dodges, getting as close to the cage as possible. As a senior, he scored more goals with his left hand and more goals on passes he received from his teammates while cutting to the cage. He scored more often in transition. We had a great transition offense this year thanks to a defense led by senior Willie Canavan and sophomore Mickey McGovern that created a lot of turnovers.”
Girard netted two goals and added three assists as a freshman. He added 23 goals and six assists as a sophomore and scored 17 goals and dished out seven assists in 11 games as a junior. His junior year was shortened by a shoulder injury that cost him the second half of the season. He was named first-team All-Constitution and the division’s Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in a vote of head coaches.
“It is hard to imagine Ben being anything but a strong and confident athlete,” Ryan said. “While reflecting on his career, it makes me appreciate how hard he has worked and how far he has come as a person and a player. Early in his career, he relied on his strength and athleticism to create opportunities for himself to score. After the injury, he became an extra coach on the sideline. I think this time away from the field allowed him to see the game from a new perspective.
“He seemed to think the game on a more mature level this year. He was able to come back as a senior, not only using his athleticism and strength to make plays for himself but for others as well. Ben undoubtedly made his teammates better and helped them become more confident in their own abilities. Even though Ben will not be on the team next year, he will be a reason why many players continue to see growth and improvement in themselves.”
Girard and Canavan will play for the North team against the South team in an All-Star game Monday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Barnegat High School.
“Ben is such an effective player because of his strength, toughness, combination of speed and agility, but most of all his motor,” Ryan said. “Ben plays with great energy and never takes a play off. His game is predicated on effort. His energy is contagious in a positive way that makes his teammates want to work harder in games and practice. Ben has been the leader of the offense and the team for the past three years. We will certainly miss his offensive output but Ben will be missed the most in the locker room. His leadership and work ethic that he has instilled in his teammates will leave a lasting mark.”
Girard and Canavan, a defender, were named the Spartans’ co-captains by their peers and teammates.
“They are both leaders in every sense of the word,” Ryan said. “They lead by example and encourage their teammates with positivity, but aren’t afraid to have difficult conversations with their teammates for the good of the team. On top of all that, they are two of the best players on the team.
“Ben is a tremendous teammate. He is the type of teammate who will pick you up when needed and the type of teammate who will give tough love when it is needed, too. Ben has the respect of his teammates. The coaching staff has seen his leadership rub off on some up and coming leaders in our program.
“He can be a calming influence for others in either moments of confusion or chaotic energy. He can be the guy who creates excitement and intensity needed before a big game. Ben is willing to do whatever the team needs.”
Ryan said Girard will be missed.
“Ben Girard leaves behind a mighty Spartan Legacy,” he said. “He will graduate as one of the best lacrosse players to have played at Ocean Township High School. The accolades and the statistics are very well deserved, but his work ethic and leadership will be the real legacy that he leaves behind. His teammates will be better for having had the opportunity to play alongside him, see the way he works and see the effort that he puts in to whatever it is that he is working toward. Student-athletes like Ben Girard are why people choose to coach and why they continue to coach despite numerous challenges high school coaches face.”
Ryan said Girard is the beneficiary of a strong support system.
“Ben comes from a great family,” he said. “He is somewhat reserved, always polite, enjoys being around his friends and family, working out and playing sports. I was lucky enough to not only coach Ben for the past four years, but to have him in my English 4 class last fall. Ben, the student, is very similar to Ben, the athlete. Smart. Disciplined. Focused. Driven. A great classmate.
“On the field, he is an intense and fierce competitor. He is a great teammate. He’s the type of player who you hate playing against, but would love to have on your team.” Girard began his lacrosse career as a first grader at the Ocean Township Elementary School.
“At first,” he said, “I struggled a little bit, but I enjoyed the competition. In my second year, I fell in love with it. I played on travel teams and it became my biggest passion. It’s fast paced. I love the conditioning. It combines running and aggressiveness. I like the physical aspects of the sport. I have never had more fun playing a sport. It’s funny. I enjoy playing football more, but I like watching lacosse more.
“I love playing football. I get a rush playing football and I love the intensity. It’s go, go, go. I have the motor for the sport. I feel amazing when I play it. I am in my own head and do what I do best. I just love the sport.”
Ryan said he saw Girard play lacrosse for the first time at Sunday Night Lights, hosted by Ocean Youth Lacrosse, as either a sixth or seventh-grader.
“I was impressed with his focus and confidence at such a young age,” he said. “You could tell he was really eager to learn and get better.”
The Spartans, who were 8-10 overall, tied Colts Neck for second place in the Constitution Division at 5-2 and received contributions from a number of players. Ryan announced their final 2024 statistics.
Canavan, who will play football at Montclair State University, scooped 145 ground balls and added two goals and eight assists. Holevinski finished with 27 goals, nine assists and five ground balls. Stephen Falco added one goal, two assists and three ground balls. Senior midfielder Nicholas Iacouzzi added eight goals, five assists and 14 ground balls and won eight of 13 faceoffs. Senior midfielder Tommy Iacouzzi added two goals, three assists and 13 ground balls.
Sophomore attack-midfielder James Knight added six goals, five assists and 51 ground balls and captured 94 of 166 faceoffs. Sophomore Leo Labush added one assist. Sophomore Roman Leonardi added three goals and four ground balls. Sean O’Hara added 20 ground balls. Sophomore goalie River Pinto made 171 saves, allowed 114 goals and added three ground balls through 16 games. Senior Manny Raigosa added one goal, one assist and five ground balls. Senior midfielder John Rainford added two goals and seven ground balls.
Sophomore defender-midfielder McGovern added seven goals, eight assists and 106 ground balls. Junior John McLaren added eight ground balls. Senior Matthew Mosey added six goals, three assists and nine ground balls. Senior midfielder-attack Christian Revolinsky added one goal, one assist and four ground balls.
Junior goalie Griffin Richard scored one goal. Junior attack-midfielder Vincent Stolowski added eight goals, 12 assists and 10 ground balls. Sophomore attack-midfielder Jack Varley added nine goals, five assists and 15 ground balls.
Senior Carmen Salvatore added one goal, one assist and two ground balls. Sophomore attack-midfielder Ryan Smyth added five goals, three assists and 13 ground balls. Sophomore goalie Ryan Paradiso added two saves. Junior Boomer Volek added two assists.
Girard will play football at Muhlenberg College of NCAA Division III. Recruited at outside linebacker, he chose the Mules over Ithaca and Monmouth University. He will major in business management. His dad, John Girard, owns Food Handling Resources in Linden and his mom, Geri, is an English professor at Brookdale Community College in Middletown Township.
“Muhlenberg is a great school,” young Girard said. “It’s ranked in the top 20 in the nation in football every year. When I visited it, I felt a great vibe. It will put me in a place to succeed no matter what I do in life. I loved the players and the coaches when I visited in January of this year and in August of last year. I will definitely have to work on my speed and athleticism. This is a different level. I have to work on my explosiveness to match every person athletically.”
