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The No. 19 always means a lot more at Chaminade.

Every year, the Flyers vote on who will get to wear the jersey. It’s an honor bestowed upon a senior that most exemplifies the characteristics, both on and off the field, of Chaminade alum Jimmy Regan. Regan was a star for the Flyers before heading off to play at Duke. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army and was deployed four times. Regan was killed in action by an IED in 2007.

This year, it came as a surprise to very few when senior faceoff midfielder Quinn Ball earned the honor. A four-star recruit from Long Island Express committed to Penn, Ball is one of the premier faceoff guys in the senior class. Ask anyone about him at Chaminade, though, and you’ll first hear glowing remarks about his leadership and work ethic.

Ball Fits Right in as No. 19

Friday, he showed that he’ll fit right in wearing the prestigious No. 19. He was decidedly awesome at the faceoff stripe, winning 17 of 23 faceoffs in a showdown between two of the country’s top faceoff recruits. Chaminade needed every one of those wins as the Flyers secured a 10-9 win over three-time defending MIAA champion McDonogh (Md.) to start their season.

“I think it’s one of the biggest honors that you can receive. I just hope to wear it with pride,” Ball said. “We’ve had an amazing legacy of who’s worn the number, so if I can live up to that, it’d be phenomenal.”

It’s also a rarity for Ball to be the second player in his own family to be tabbed as No. 19. His older brother, Georgetown and former Yale faceoff midfielder James Ball, was voted to wear the jersey before Covid-19 wiped out his senior season. While the elder Ball didn’t get to play in a game with it, he still considered it a huge honor, and made sure to tell his younger brother about everything that came with it.

“It’s absolutely awesome,” Quinn Ball said. “He’s a great role model for me in everything that he does.”

Dominant at the Dot

Ball was dominant in his No. 19 debut. He had a stretch of 12 straight faceoffs without a loss. The future Quaker’s dominance wasn’t just reflected in how many faceoffs he won, though. It showed in how he took control of them. Ball’s one of the best in the senior class because of how he can win them in so many ways, and he wins the big ones. He can pick up his own ground balls off the clamp, run away from pressure and make the right decisions with the ball.

“We knew coming in that we’d have to be almost perfect. Honestly, who’s on the other sideline doesn’t matter to me,” Ball said. “My preparation is the same and I’m going to stay consistent and react to whatever happens.”

Chaminade looked the part of a team bringing back its entire attack line and top midfield threat. Four-star junior John Balsamo (Long Island Express), committed to Virginia as a 2027, led the offense with four goals and two assists. Four-star senior Gavin Lynch (Long Island Express / Notre Dame) pocketed a hat trick – including a downright vicious spin move dunk – and an assist. NLF No. 2 junior James Gillis (Long Island Express / Duke) scored twice to go with a helper.

Chaminade Knocks off McDonogh

It was Balsamo, though, who helped stem the Eagles comeback. NLF No. 1 senior Brendan Millon (Team 91 Maryland / Virginia) hammered home his third of the game on a picturesque bardown screamer from the wing. Ball won the ensuing faceoff, though, and four-star senior Connor Kuttin (Long Island Express / Johns Hopkins) spied Balsamo open on the wing. The future ‘Hoo caught it and launched one home for what stood as the game-winner after Millon pocketed his fourth of the game with 39 seconds to play.

“I think there’s no surprise for us because we’ve been working with September,” Balsamo said. “We’ve been talking this day into reality. We got after it together early mornings and after school, and we were just coming different this year. I’m so proud of these guys and I’m so thankful for the leaders of this team. I can’t wait for a full season with them.”

Chaminade vs. McDonogh Standouts

John Balsamo ’26, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express – Virginia 

It’s hard to find a recruit whose stock has elevated more since the start of 2026 recruiting. Balsamo, who committed to the Cavaliers this fall as a 2027, has continued to elevate his game at every turn. Friday, he was excellent in running the show for the Flyers’ offense and finished the night with four goals and two assists. The best part, though, was how he scored those goals. Balsamo put the game on ice with a stepdown rip from the wing – a shot he’s scored on approximately a thousand times since last summer – but also zapped a defender into the next county from X on his first of the game. On another, he dodged from the high wing before snapping one home, and another came when he beat his man topside off of a dodge from GLE.

His added versatility makes him such an intriguing prospect. So does his toughness, which he showed by taking a ton of contact throughout and still finding ways to be productive. Balsamo was at the heart of Chaminade’s ground ball dominance with what must have been a half-dozen pickups.

Gavin Lynch ’25, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express – Notre Dame 

This is the last year that Chaminade will feature a Lynch, and what a run it’s been for the family with the Flyers. This one’s the best pure goal scorer of the bunch, and the Notre Dame signee showed off his finishing abilities in style against the Eagles. He had a couple of the long bombs that you’ve come to expect from him. One of them came off of a restart off of a Balsamo pass where Lynch seemingly decided, “forget it, I’m shooting this,” from all the way out. It beat the best goalie in the country, which is saying something.

His prettiest goal of the night, though, came when he inverted from X and absolutely eviscerated his defender on a spin move before dunking one home. That part of his game wasn’t nearly as pronounced both through the recruiting process and his junior year as a Flyer, and if he’s going to do that regularly, watch out.

Brendan Millon ’25, attack, McDonogh (Md.) / Team 91 Maryland – Virginia 

Millon’s had a target on his back for a long time, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Everybody knows where he is at all times. Despite that, the country’s No. 1 recruit just finds a way to get things done in a multitude of ways. He finished with four goals and four assists and it felt like more than that. As a feeder, he finds the skip pass so easily and delivers an accurate, catchable pass almost every time. Millon had a couple of early EMO setups from top-center preceded by subtle fakes that drew the defense out of position.

He nearly willed McDonogh back with the Eagles’ final three goals. That included a ridiculous BTB in traffic deep in the shot clock, a bardown blast from the wing and a lefty sweep. At this point, it’s hard to see a scenario where Millon doesn’t start at Virginia as a freshman. He’s too good and can play anywhere on the field.

Aidan Seibel ’25, goalie, McDonogh (Md.) / Team 91 Maryland – Maryland 

This guy’s ridiculous. Replace him with an average goalie and Chaminade wins this game by a touchdown, if not more. High, low, side-to-side, whatever. Seibel is dialed in. He’s been on social media a ton early this spring and for good reason. He makes at least one jaw-dropping save in every game. You could pick a number of his 19 saves as his best one. For me, though, it’s this absurd double-save on Balsamo and ’26 Duke five-star commit James Gillis (Long Island Express). Seibel’s body control is fantastic. He’s always in control of the defense and he makes shooters think twice before they let it fly. Your shot better be pinpoint if you have any chance of beating him. He’s slotted as the No. 1 goalie in the class for good reason.