VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Adrian Sweeney commits to Syracuse University as the 100th-ranked recruit
Brooke Killgore: He didn’t grow up with a stick in his hands, but you’d never know it now. A later start, a rising star and the heartbeat of his hometown. Meet CNS junior midfielder, Adrian Sweeney, who began right here at Michael J. Bragman Stadium.
Adrian Sweeney: First time I ever picked up a lacrosse stick I was in second grade so eight years old… for the youth program here at CNS but I just remember going out there and just like, like all my friends from school played and they were like so much better than me and I was just…behind the pack.
Killgore: As an eighth grader, he got the call up when injuries hit the varsity team. And he delivered right away. In just his second game, he scored a hat trick against East Syracuse Minoa. Since then, 55 goals as a freshman and 40 more last season. Including a trip to the Section III Class A Semifinals. And now, he’s committed to Syracuse University.
Killgore: So with all of these accolades to back him up, you’d expect Sweeney to be in the top twenty in the United States. But try 100th…So, how did he land a spot at one of the top lacrosse programs in Syracuse Univeristy?
Killgore: There’s a reason he’s earned that orange opportunity. And his head coach Chuck Wilbur has seen it up close.
Head coach Chuck Wilbur: The work ethic…like the kid is waking up at 4:30 in the morning, going to work out…well how many kids do that in high school? Then after school, he’ll be the first one that calls my son up…my sons and him are really good friends. And they go shoot till it turns dark out. You know so, it’s like not normal for a kid his age, not normal even for a college kid to do that stuff. Like he has that drive to be as good as he can be.
Killgore: So what’s Sweeney’s message to the doubters?
Sweeney: I think I’m going to be able to prove myself just because of my hard work, everything I put into it. I knew coming into it that my name wasn’t going to be that big, but I know that I’m one of the hardest workers in this recruiting class and I know that like I will get a spot and my name will be out there.
Killgore: Reporting from CNS High School, Brooke Killgore, NCC News.
CICERO, N.Y. (NCC News) — He did not grow up with a lacrosse stick in his hands, but you would never know it now.
Cicero North Syracuse High School junior midfielder Adrian Sweeney has quickly risen from a late starter in the sport to the heartbeat of the Northstars and now a future Syracuse University lacrosse player. Sweeney announced his commitment via Instagram on Sept. 14.
Sweeney first picked up a lacrosse stick in second grade at a CNS youth program at Michael J. Bragman Stadium.
“The first time I ever picked up a lacrosse stick, I was in second grade,” Sweeney said. “All my friends from school played and they were like so much better than me. I was just behind the pack.”
That early gap did not last long.
As an eighth grader, Sweeney would be called up to varsity when injuries hit the roster, with around four to five players down. In just his second game, he scored a hat trick against East Syracuse Minoa. Even with the 11-8 loss, it became a breakout moment for the then junior high schooler
Since then, Sweeney has become one of the most productive players in Section III, where he scored 55 goals as a freshman. As a sophomore, he added 40 more and led CNS to the Class A semifinals.
Despite those statistics, Sweeney has been ranked just at the cusp of the national top 100 for his recruiting class, right at No. 100. Which may come as a surprise to many given his accolades. But CNS head coach Chuck Wilbur believes the rankings do not reflect what truly sets him apart.
“The work ethic…the kid is waking up at 4:30 in the morning going to work out,” Wilbur said. “Then after school, he will be the first one that calls my son up. My sons and him are really good friends. And they go shoot till it turns dark out. It is not normal for a kid his age. Not even for a college kid. He has that drive to be as good as he can be.”
It is that drive that helped Sweeney earn his commitment to Syracuse University, one of the top lacrosse programs in the country.
And for anyone who still doubts he’ll compete at that next level, Sweeney is ready to prove himself.
“I knew coming into it that my name was not going to be that big,” he said. “But I know that I am one of the hardest workers in this recruiting class. I know that I will get a spot and my name will be out there.”
From a late start to a premier program, Sweeney’s story is just beginning. And it comes to the 315 in 2027.