On Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, Central Bucks East seniors Tyler Butler, Will Dempster, Matt Heim and Matt Schmidt were recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Cardinal Camera sponsors all SOL college signings on SuburbanOneSports.com. For additional information about purchasing a commemorative keepsake of the signing, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/forms/college-signings.
Coach Bruce Garcia says: “All four of them are good students. Matt Schmidt is going to Robert Morris, and they’re going to get a really good righthanded attackman out of him.
“Matt Heim was identified the earliest out of all of them along with Tyler Butler. Matt is going to Loyola, and Loyola has been in the Final Four. Matt going to Loyola means an awful lot to this program because that is without a doubt a top team contender. Matt is a midfielder, which is more of a utility type player. He does everything.
“Will Dempster is a close defenseman – there’s a special spot I have for Will. He’s a great athlete and a great kid. They all are, but I got to know Will better this summer when he played on my club team. That’s when I got to know what kind of kid he is and what kind of family that he comes from.”
“Tyler Butler is a close defenseman. Ty was identified early to go to Penn State. Tyler is a very, very quiet leader. He’s a captain this year along with Matt Heim. They were voted on as captains by the players two weeks ago. Tyler isn’t as vocal, but he leads by example.
“It’s nice to have four Division One kids coming out of our program. It speaks wonders for the parents, for the youth club lacrosse in our area and the community itself. Robert Morris is up and coming. Penn State is a very, very good program, and Loyola is always in the thick of things coming into the end of May.
“This sport (lacrosse) is probably the youngest in CB East history. We’ve only been around 13 years. This will be our 14th season as a varsity spot. One out of every three seniors goes on to play collegiate lacrosse, and one out of 10 go on to play D-1. It speaks wonders for the parents, the community at large and the youth programs and all the youth coaches out there.”
Tyler Butler – Penn State University (Lacrosse)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Maryland
Reasons for choosing Penn State: “I was just really excited to be there. My family is a Penn State family - both my parents went there, so I really felt at home. I knew the academics were going to be great, and I really meshed with the coaches. I’m just looking forward to going there. I’m undecided (on a major), but I know it’s a big school and there are a lot or opportunities for me. I’m really looking forward to flourishing there and deciding what I want to do.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I never really thought about not playing. Lacrosse has always been a part of my life. When I started to think about college in ninth grade and 10th grade, I really started to think about where should I go. It was never really an option for me to stop playing.”
About Tyler:
Favorite food: Homemade Pasta with Gravy
Favorite movie: The Harry Potter series
Favorite music: Country
Will Dempster – Robert Morris University (Lacrosse)
Major: Accounting/Sports Management
Final list of colleges: Robert Morris, Lafayette, St.Joe’s, Dickinson
Reasons for choosing Robert Morris: “When I visited the campus, I really liked all the guys that I met with, and I definitely meshed with them really well. Also, the coaching staff – their ideals were in the right place. They had the same method of what lacrosse teaches people, and I really liked how they thought and ran practice. That was definitely a big reason I wanted to go there.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I really wanted to play lacrosse in college. I started playing competitive lacrosse in eighth grade, and progressively as I got into high school, it really got competitive. I just like the competition and the work ethic it takes to play D-1 lacrosse. I know it’s hard, and I’m willing to do that.”
About Will:
Favorite food: Crab Legs
Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite music: Country
Matt Heim – Loyola University (Lacrosse)
Major: Undecided but possibly business
Final list of colleges: Loyola, Princeton, Ohio State, Towson, Penn State, Dartmouth
Reasons for choosing Loyola: “I liked the combination of a really great tradition down in Baltimore, and it’s a school really well known for a good business program. The academics will allow me to excel after college. Then the lacrosse – having won the national championship two years ago, it’s just a really great place all around. I couldn’t really have gone wrong with any of the schools, but when I went down to Loyola, I realized that’s where I wanted to be.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I hadn’t really thought about it until our youth coach Brain Zappala kind of started to push me in that direction, and I realized it’s something I have an eye for. I just kind of let my athletic ability carry the weight for me.”
About Matt:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: The Departed
Favorite music: Techno
Matt Schmidt – Robert Morris University (Lacrosse)
Major: Undecided but possibly business
Final list of colleges: Robert Morris, Widener, Salisbury
Reasons for choosing Robert Morris: “When I went there, it was definitely a place I wanted to be academically and athletically. I got along great with all the guys on the team, and all the coaches at Robert Morris are great. The program is good. It’s just somewhere I wanted to be.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “As soon as I got my first e-mail, I thought to myself – ‘This might pan out. This might be a reality that I can play in college.’ I just took it and ran from there, and it all went in my favor.”
About Tyler:
Favorite food: Chinese
Favorite movie: The Patriot
Favorite music: Country
- Log in to post comments
