The Baltimore Blast invited roughly 20 inexperienced rookies to a preseason mini-camp in October with the hope that they might discover a solid indoor prospect.
While only Matt Watson, a product of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, came out of the camp, the Blast (14-9) has been very successful in developing young talent of late.
This season, young players like Watson and Jonathan Steele have stood out, while third-year forward Machel Millwood has burst onto the scene.
“I think they?re playing very well,” said Blast coach Danny Kelly, whose team travels to play the California Cougars (6-19) Sunday night. “They need to continue to learn and continue to get better. I?m very happy with the way that they?re playing.”
Millwood leads the team with 26 two-point goals and 61 assists after scoring 23 goals with 37 points in his first two seasons combined.
Last Saturday, Steele and Watson had strong performances in closing out a pesky California team. In the Blast?s 14-9 win, Steele scored a pair of second-half goals, while Watson?s goal with 44 seconds remaining put the game away. Steele, a third-year player and the youngest on the team at 21, has scored eight two-point goals, while Watson has seven two-pointers and one three-pointer. The roommates have each recorded 20 points.
“It had been 10 games or so,” Steele said of a scoring drought. “It felt like something on my back fell off when I scored.”
In the team?s 23 games, Watson has played 22 and Steele 21. But despite seeing significant playing time on an otherwise veteran-laden team, many of the young Blast talents are playing with the mentality that their jobs are on the line.
“We?ve just got to step up and start playing and winour spot,” Steele said. “We?re the youngest guys on the team, so we?ve got to prove ourselves every day.”
Injuries have played a role, with veteran forwards like Giuliano Celenza and Adauto Neto missing significant chunks of playing time. With those injuries and some other players in their mid-30s, the latest installment of young talent could be the team?s future.
But with another expansion draft on the horizon ? the league is set to add the Orlando Sharks and a yet-to-be-named New Jersey team for next season ? the Blast could be a victim of its own developmental success.
