Rock Canyon junior Wilkins Dismuke has stayed focused on elevating the play of his teammates this season. He is the second-leading scorer in the state and already has a scholarship to Johns Hopkins.
File photo by Ray Chen
It is late on a weeknight, typically much too late for the average high school student to engage in a fresh conversation. But
Wilkins Dismuke has a viable excuse, and he certainly is no ordinary high-schooler.
"Sorry," he says with endearing sincerity. "I was doing my homework."
It should come as no surprise, really, that Dismuke essentially was burning the midnight oil, given that within two years he will be plying his remarkable lacrosse talent at one of the finest educational institutions in the nation - Johns Hopkins University.
It will be a lofty challenge for Dismuke, balancing the demands of Division I lacrosse with the expectations that come with hitting the books at such a prestigious university. However, the junior from
Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) remains focused on the here and now. Namely, that involves his continuing leadership role in helping the Jaguars' program stake its place among the state's elite.
"I feel like in my first couple of years, we weren't in the mix," Dismuke said. "We were looked at as a newer program and probably not in there with the Regises and Arapahoes. But we played Cherry Creek earlier this year and you could tell they kind of had the attitude, ‘Oh, it's Rock Canyon. It's going to be easy.'
"We still lost, but it was only 7-4, and I think we gained some respect. People are realizing we're getting up there with those programs."
Dismuke, who enters the postseason ranked second in Colorado in goals (59) while sharing second-place in points (78), undoubtedly is the key figure behind Rock Canyon's newfound respect.
Dismuke burst on to the scene two years ago, scoring 48 goals as a freshman. However, he tallied only six assists, and a big part of Dismuke's blossoming game has been his ability to not only find open teammates, but to help those teammates perform above their station.
It was around that time that Dismuke, a member of the 3d Lacrosse club program, heeded a certain piece of advice from his club coach, Jamie Munro, the former head coach at the University of Denver.
"(Munro) called it the ‘Michael Jordan effect,'" Dismuke said. "He said that even in practice every day, Jordan was trying to make the other guys better. I think that has kind of kicked in a little with my leadership role.
"In those first two years, I might have been focused more on statistics because of recruiting. With Rock Canyon, I thought I had to put up points to get people's attention. Now, the points are kind of dropping in more with what's going on around me."
In 2011, Dismuke's burgeoning play-making skills helped him lead the state with 103 points, compiling 61 goals and 43 assists. Dismuke is reaching those heights yet again this season, but while his younger self was obsessed with hoarding points, the more mature Dismuke is focused on leading a deep Rock Canyon run through the state playoffs.
Rock Canyon, which has won 10 of 11 games following a 2-2 start, earned a first-round bye as the state tournament's No. 7 seed. With Dismuke running the show, the Jaguars believe they can compete with any of the perennial powers that stand in their way.
"He's definitely a fierce competitor in many different ways," Rock Canyon coach Louis Goldin said. "He also has a standard he sets for not only himself, but for the team. Like a good point guard in basketball, he elevates the play of the guys around him. He definitely cares about the well-being of the team more than anything."
MaxPreps Colorado Boys Lacrosse State Playoffs
