Here are just a couple of ways that opposing coaches described St. Margaret’s senior attackman Austin Hicks.

“The best player I have ever seen from Orange County.”

“The cream of the crop.”

The Duke signee is arguably the highest-profile boys lacrosse recruit in Orange County history, and he was clearly the top player in the county this season.

“In over 20 years of coaching, Austin is as talented a player as I have been around,” St. Margaret’s coach Brian Kelly said this season. “Not only is he supremely skilled, he has the size and athleticism to physically overwhelm opponents.”

Hicks, at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, lived up to the hype this season and led St. Margaret’s to its first CIF-SS Division 1 championship. He had 117 points (90 goals, 27 assists) and had 18 goals in just three playoff games.

His skill on the field was undeniable. But before the season, Kelly challenged Hicks to be the team’s leader in addition to being its best player.

Hicks took the challenge to heart and changed his approach to the game during the offseason.

“Last year, I think I lacked on my leadership. I didn’t take a lot of accountability in the weight room and in the offseason,” Hicks said. “When BK asked me to become the leader I could be, it struck a chord with me. It pushed me to get everyone in the weight room, excited about practice, excited about sprints and everything the sport offers.”

Hicks earned USA Lacrosse Magazine player of the week honors for his four-goal performance in the championship game against Loyola. He was named an All-American by the magazine in February.

He transferred from Trabuco Hills to St. Margaret’s prior to his sophomore year with the goal of winning a CIF championship. The journey had speed bumps along the way, but he accomplished his goal as a senior.

“A huge reason I came to St. Margaret’s is the tradition of winning here,” Hicks said. “It’s everything to me and it’s all I’ve been working for for four years.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Kelly St. Margaret’s

When Brian Kelly was hired as the head boys lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s in 2020, he was taking over a program that won a US Lacrosse Section championship. In his fourth season with the Tartans, he led St. Margaret’s to its first CIF-SS Division 1 championship. Kelly came to St. Margaret’s after being the head coach at Whittier College. He respected the lacrosse program at St. Margaret’s and kept all of the assistant coaches from the previous regime on his staff. “When you come into a program that’s been successful, you know there’s high expectations and you don’t want to screw it up,” Kelly said. “But on the flip side I was confident about what I brought to the table given my experience.”