[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
When forced to deal with the void of Jed Cappuccino (knee) in the midfield for a significant chunk of the season, Westwood High lacrosse needed to find ways to get other guys involved and produce on offense. In 2019, one of those guys was senior Justin O’Dwyer. According to coach Chase Vaughn, the Harvard-bound O’Dwyer utilized his intelligence and athleticism to have an extremely productive senior season for the Wolverines.
“He’s a very smart individual,” said Vaughn. “A lot of that intelligence he possesses translates to the field and beyond. He really understands our offensive schemes and what we wanted to do. He was in our system for two years and mine for one, and he picked up what needed to get done. If he wasn’t always the one to create, he knew the other spots in the offense and how to allow other players to roll in order to generate that offense for our team. It was a really nice complement to have him on our team.”
For his efforts in the classroom, O’Dwyer was named an Academic All-American. Along with sheer intelligence, O’Dwyer brought the type of athleticism and perseverance to the Wolverines that any coach or teammate would love to have on their roster.
“From anyone who watches our games, we really try to play lacrosse like a game of chess and like to have certain players do certain things at all times. Everyone has a job to do and everyone has to play to their strengths. When Justin was on the field, he was with players who really complemented his strengths, and with that, we were really able to maximize his potential. That being said, he was such a hard worker. He always came to practice ready to compete and battled some injury but kept his head up and really persevered to make the most of his senior year. He was an influence to the younger guys and he will do great at Harvard. Really hope he comes back to work with our guys and continue the great alumni trend that we have.”
For funny and insightful sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter @fLAno0.
