South Player of the Year Caden Harshbarger a Dual-Threat

High expectations were placed on Lake Mary (Fla.) midfielder Caden Harshbarger well before the season started. The junior is widely considered one of the top prospects nationally for the class of 2024.

He lived up to every single one of them.

Harshbarger filled several roles for Lake Mary, helping the program to its first state title and an unbeaten season. Harshbarger is the USA Lacrosse South Boys’ Player of the Year for his accomplishments.

The successes were largely motivated by two straight seasons of close calls. In his freshman season, Lake Mary lost in the state semifinal by two goals. Last year, Ponte Vedra (Fla.) bested Lake Mary by a goal in the regional championship.

This year, it was Lake Mary topping Ponte Vedra in the regional championship by a goal.

Harshbarger had 42 goals and 19 assists this year, but as coach Gary Robinson said, it was Harshbarger’s performance on defense that set him apart. His defensive prowess was on display in that win over Ponte Vedra.

“I think Caden’s value in that game was on defense,” Robinson said. “They have a very good first midfield. And Caden saw a lot of defense in that game and actually had some really nice physical contact plays and created turnovers. One in particular, which created a transition, fast-break goal. So that again goes back to that hidden value that he has.”

Harshbarger was also a handful for defenses trying to contain him. His speed and athleticism forced teams to commit a lot of resources his way — meaning more opportunities for his teammates. Naturally, this meant he adopted more of a facilitator role on offense.

“If anything, I enjoyed helping my teammates score more than if I had scored,” Harshbarger said. “We had a lot of guys have 20-goal seasons. It was fun.”

Robinson said Harshbarger’s adjustments to opposing defenses helped make him a better all-around player.

“I think a lot of his success early on was just based on his athleticism and athletic instincts,” he said. “I've seen him become a much better strategy guy. In the last year, he helped set us up in a number of ways. I do think that the one thing he's bought into is that he’s going to draw the defense; when he draws the defense, how can we set up the rest of the team when that happens? We’ve got a very nice complement of offensive players. So, if people want to load up on him, it’s something we like to take to our advantage.”

Harshbarger is committed to North Carolina, but he has one more season with Lake Mary before heading to Chapel Hill. Robinson expects even bigger and better things from his star as a senior.

“We’ve already talked that complacency is our number one enemy,” Robinson said. “So, that’ll be my challenge to set the bar even higher, and not worry about wins. But just keep playing better. I do think that Caden has a lot of room to grow. I am pretty tough on him, and I’ll probably be tougher on him because we can’t deny the potential. We need to see what he can really do. And I don’t think he’s there yet.”

But it’s hard not to look ahead for Harshbarger, who will easily be among one of 2024’s most anticipated college prospects. He said he already feels at home at North Carolina.

“The coaches made me feel welcome,” he said. “Coach [Joe] Breschi has a great program. Can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Harshbarger is a two-sport star, also excelling on the football field, which is ironic given he picked lacrosse as a youngster because his mom would not let him play football.

“I loved the physicality of lacrosse,” he said.

Over the summer, he said he found something a little less physical: Golf. “I love playing it with the guys,” Harshbarger said.

Summer might be the one time of the year that he isn’t beating his coach to the practice field.

“He’s probably the only kid who beats me to practice,” Robinson said. “He’s got a very demanding football schedule as well. So, he balances that alone.”

Expectations won’t just be high for Harshbarger. Lake Mary as a team returns nearly its entire starting lineup — and much of its entire roster — next year. That includes Mitchell Campbell, who was Lake Mary’s top goal scorer in 2023 — a talented player in his own right who surely benefited from the increased attention drawn by Harshbarger.