H-ton Alum Named Coach of the Year
Jimmy Creighton, a member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2002, has been named the Maryland Public High School Coach of the Year by the Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Assn. He was named Howard County Coach of the Year in 2013.
Creighton teaches and coaches at Howard High School. The team finished the regular season with a perfect record last spring, winning the Howard County championship for the first time in 23 years. The team won three playoff games to reach the state championship finals before falling 9-6 to close the year with an 18-1 record.
“I have been very fortunate to land in a good spot down here,” Creighton said about his gig in Maryland. “I have enjoyed positive experiences at Howard thus far and look forward to many more.”
The Huntington graduate taught physical education and coached football, basketball and lacrosse at his alma mater for several years before resigning in August 2010 and moving to Maryland to teach and coach. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Salisbury State University in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2007 he served as a graduate assistant coach for the Salisbury men’s lacrosse team, which won the NCAA Division III championship for the fourth time in five years. During his involvement with the program as a player and coach, the team compiled a 92-2 record.
“I use a lot of things that we did at Salisbury as far as practice plans and philosophies, but definitely sprinkle in things from playing and coaching in Huntington,” Creighton said about his Howard High School team. “I try to model it like a college program as much as possible. We are very busy in the off-season down here. I run a three-days-a-week summer and fall strength and conditioning program for the team and then ramp it up to four to five days per week in the winter leading up until the season. This is definitely different from what we did in high school. This is more of a college style philosophy for sure. The kids have responded well and have committed to this resulting in better play on the field.”
As a Blue Devil, Mr. Creighton was very talented, winning five varsity letters and starring on and captaining three teams. On the football field he won All-Division and All-County honors. A two-time All-League and All-Conference basketball player, he was the leading scorer in Suffolk County as a senior, setting several Huntington school records in the process.
Mr. Creighton loved both football and basketball, but lacrosse has always been his passion. With the Blue Devils, he was All-Division and All-County as both a junior and senior. At the 34th Senior Athletics Awards Dinner, Mr. Creighton’s contributions to the athletic program were recognized with the Ray Deren Memorial Scholarship. The award was given to him not only for his athletic accomplishments but also for the character he displayed and for his commitment to academic excellence.
As a college freshman, Mr. Creighton played in 12 games, recording one goal and one assist and firing off four shots. The season saw Salisbury compile a 19-1 mark and defeat Middlebury 29 seconds into overtime in the NCAA Division III final before 15,417 fans, 14-13.
Mr. Creighton stepped up his play as a sophomore, playing in all 20 games, scoring five goals and adding five assists, with 12 shots. In the NCAA semifinals, Mr. Creighton scored two goals and recorded an assist in a 13-11 victory over Washington College of Maryland. The team went 20-0.
As a junior, Mr. Creighton again played in all 20 games during another undefeated season. He scored nine goals and had 13 assists with 28 shots. In the post-season, the Huntington alum was magical, with a goal in a 13-11 NCAA semifinals victory Roanoke. In the national championship game last May 29 against Middlebury, he had two decisive goals in the 11-10 game played before a huge crowd of 21,052. It marked Salisbury’s third straight NCAA title.
As a college senior, Mr. Creighton finished the lacrosse season with 25 goals and 29 assists. He was tapped as an Honorable Mention All-American and also earned Academic All-American honors for his remarkable classroom accomplishments. Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls lost in the NCAA finals, snapping the team’s 69-game winning streak.