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Graphic courtesy of Hale Brown of Five Star Graphics

Brendan Millon is very much aware of what opposing scouting reports said about him coming into his sophomore season at McDonogh.

The Team 91 Maryland 2025 attackman came back from injury just in time to help lead the Eagles to an MIAA title as a freshman. He came back for the regular-season finale and the playoffs, racking up 18 points in those four games as McDonogh won its first league title since 2016.

Between being a dominant off-ball player alongside his X attackman brother, NLF No. 1 senior and Virginia signee, McCabe Millon, and filling a similar role for Team 91 Maryland, Millon started to get pigeonholed as a guy who only did damage off-ball. Not that outside opinions bothered him, certainly not as long as the wins and championships kept coming.

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“Roles are going to change and guys are going to have to adapt,” Millon said. “I like to be that player who can fill spots where we need them. That’s what wins games and that’s what wins championships. Last year, we had an unbelievable offense with some sick dodgers. I just tried to be that off-ball guy that we didn’t have.”

No. 1 in 2025

As it turns out, that’s not all he does. Far from it. With McCabe sidelined with an injury to start the 2023 campaign, the younger Millon got to proving just how much he could do. He became McDonogh’s top dodging threat, taking over games in a way that many of his detractors never thought he could. He popped a couple of goals to spark a comeback against now two-time defending ISL champion Noble & Greenough. Millon showed that he could easily run by guys and almost relished the opportunity to show his ever-evolving bag of tricks.

“I think we always knew that he could handle it, but what surprised me was his ability to simply run by guys,” McDonogh offensive coordinator and Team 91 Maryland coach Austin Stewart said. “He got so much faster and stronger, and that shined in his ability to that. He was scoring on speed dodges. His goal in the MIAA semis against Boys’ Latin was where he just got down the alley and ripped it lefty.”

Awards SZN

That goal – and his brother’s OT winner – helped push the Eagles to the MIAA title game. McDonogh promptly clobbered Calvert Hall, 14-5, after scoring the game’s first eight goals. The younger Millon was the party starter, earning game MVP honors for his five-goal, one-assist performance. He then claimed All-MIAA honors. He very well could be one of the five U.S. Lacrosse All-Americans in the league.

Oh, and he now earns the status as the NLF’s No. 1 recruit in the country in the first class of 2025 rankings. He joins McCabe as the first set of brothers in the lacrosse recruiting rankings era to both earn No. 1 spots. Not bad, but also just simply keeping pace with the rest of the family as both parent, Mark and Erin, are Hall of Famers. The rest of the NLF top 60 drops tomorrow.

“Yeah, Millon has to be 1,” an assistant coach at a top 15 program said in a text message during the MIAA title game.

Photo courtesy of Marty Corcoran

On Top of the World

“It’s an incredible honor,” Millon said. “There are so many great players in this class, and to be recognized at No. 1 is unreal. You see previous No. 1s like Brennan O’Neill (Team 91 LI / Duke)Joey Spallina (Team 91 LI / Syracuse) and McCabe, it’s honestly really cool to be put up there with those guys. I can’t believe it.”

A look at his résumé, particularly his performance as a sophomore, will help anyone believe it. Millon racked up 47 goals and 33 assists – not many off-ball guys get 33 assists in a career, let alone a season – and tortured defenses in a variety of ways. Yes, he can dodge, and well, at that. Millon can finish either righty or lefty. He’s still deadly off-ball. He excels as both a shooter and a passer. His biggest asset, though, is his IQ. It’s off the charts. He understands everything at a faster rate than everyone else and can fill any role on the offensive end.

“It’s one of those things that’s always come natural to me,” Millon said. “I think having a high IQ is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, on the lacrosse field. I’m always watching film and trying to analyze what I can do to make myself better and make my team better. I love watching Pat Spencer highlights. He has that IQ to see how the play will develop. He’s not the fastest guy, but he can do everything.”

Photo courtesy of Matt Chandik

Back-to-Back

Looking back on it, Millon’s arrival as a freshman was a precursor to bigger things. That much should have been clear then. It most certainly was when he came into the season ready to go.

“With the way that he ended the year last year, you could just see how well he picked things up and how naturally things came to him,” McDonogh head coach Andy Hilgartner said. “You need a tremendous amount of hard work for that. I thought he’d have a pretty special year.

It’s safe to consider that a special year, and it ends with the No. 1 spot in the first NLF class of 2025 rankings.

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