By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
From 2017-2019, Xaverian’s Dylan Gardner and Andrew Perry were two of the top high school lacrosse players in the state of Massachusetts.
Gardner quarterbacked Xaverian’s defense as the team’s starting LSM and top cover option on close D. Gardner committed to play at Michigan before the start of his sophomore season.
Meanwhile, Perry broke out as a junior in 2018, helping the Hawks to a second-round upset win over Franklin before leading the team in both goals and total points as a junior in 2019. Perry committed to Lehigh before the start of his junior season.
Gardner and Perry both played their final game for Xaverian on June, 9, 2019 — a 9-8 sectional quarterfinal loss to Duxbury. Gardner graduated and went on to play a big role for the Wolverines as a freshman in 2019 (three goals, 17 ground-balls, four caused turnvoers). Perry transferred to Moses Brown and reclassified to the class of 2021. The move to MB paid off for Perry, as the former Hawk before de-committed from Lehigh and committed to Harvard just ahead of his senior season in 2021.
Now a freshman at Harvard, Perry and the Crimson travelled to Ann Arbor this past weekend to take on Gardner, who is now a junior, and the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines.
Despite Michigan entering unbeaten at 7-0, the Crimson led throughout almost the entire game. Perry recorded a caused turnover, three ground-balls and an assist as the Crimson came away with a 14-9 upset victory. Gardner did not record any stats for Michigan. Present in the stands was former Xaverian coach, and now Michigan team dad, Tim Gardner, who comically flew back to Boston on the same flight as Perry and the Crimson later that evening.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
