By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/16/22
Allentown Central Catholic 2022 midfielder Ben Scandone has been named the first Pansini Law Group Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the season.
The award recognizes senior and junior lacrosse players that excel in academics, service and athletics.
Ben Scandone Profile:
High school: Allentown Central Catholic
Grad year: 2022
Position: Midfielder
Club team: Duke’s LC
College signed with: Drexel University
Academic Honors:
*Current GPA is 4.32 on a 4 scale.
*Ranked #1 in his senior graduating class (out of 192)
*SAT scores are 1540 with a 780 Math, 760 English
*Awarded AP Scholar recognition
*National Merit Scholar Semifinalist
*National Honor Society
Service, Community Activities:
*Serves as Viking Ambassador, showing new students around the school campus
*VP of the Senior Class
*Center Project Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity in Allentown and a Restore Volunteer
Lacrosse Honors:
*Four-year varsity player in lacrosse (state champions), soccer at ACC.
*Collected 3g, 1A For ACC in PIAA Class AA 15-4 state title win over Mars last year.
*Captain of the ACC Boys Soccer Team that made it to the Quarter-Finals of the PIAA last fall.
*Senior Captain on this year’s ACC Boys Lacrosse Team.
*Had 29 goals and 26 assists last season for ACC as a Junior.
What are your future goals? “Last year I took an AP statistics course and I really want to pursue something in statistics, or more specifically business analytics. Drexel offers a great co-op program and that should help me feel out what I am most interested in. I know I like conversing with people rather than being behind a desk.”
How do you describe leadership? “I’ve been Vice President of my class for four years and a captain for lacrosse and soccer. It took me a while, but I have realized that when working with younger people, they look at everything you do. Sometimes when you are joking around in your free time, the younger folks mimic that at the wrong time. They are always watching you, whether you know it. They are always looking up to you. You need to try to always be doing the right things, whether it’s dress code, homework, or whatever. When I am on the field, I am always focused and talking to the coaches. These little things I picked up from older players when I was young. I am trying to pass them down, taking my own experiences. Now, since I am on School Administration, and sometimes the kids are out of dress code or are getting off track and they look to us to set the standard.”
How do you balance lacrosse, school, and extracurriculars? “Obviously, I have practice every day and games all the time as well pasta parties or other events. You never know when you will have time and you really need to try to take advantage any time you have free time at school. When I was a freshman and had a free period, I would sit there and talk to friends. Then when I got home, it would be 9 p.m. and too late to do work. Now, during lunch, I may eat for 15 minutes and then get some Calculus homework done for 20 minutes to lighten the load. I took free time for granted when I was younger, and I could have been getting work done. I don’t want to be thinking about doing Physics homework at night when I am getting ready for a game in the day. I think this attitude will also help in college.”
High school coaches from Philly, Delaware, South Jersey, the Lehigh Valley and Central PA may nominate a player (junior or senior) for the Pansini Law Group Scholar-Athlete of the Week by e-mailing us at golax@phillylacrosse.com
