The boys’ lacrosse coaches of the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools recently gave recognition to two Nansemond-Suffolk Academy players due to their performances this season and also to the team at large due to its character.

Senior Zach Leitner was recognized on the all-conference first team and senior Jacob Edwards made the second team, while the Saints team was given the 2014 TCIS Sportsmanship Award.

This is the first year Leitner has received any level of individual all-conference acknowledgment for lacrosse.

“It’s an honor,” he said of making the first team. “(I) worked hard this whole year to get where we are, and then to get the privilege to get that, it was unbelievable.”

Saints head coach T.W. Johnson said, “Zach’s had a great year for us.”

Producing 48 ground balls on the year, “Zach has given our team a lot of opportunities on the offensive end,” Johnson said.

He also has scored one goal and handed out one assist.

Defensively, he has done well guarding a top player on the opposing team every game this year, Johnson said.

“Regardless of the day and the conditions, Zach’s effort and energy on the field are always consistent,” the coach said. “He’s trained his mind to play at a high speed.”

Jacob Edwards was selected to the All-TCIS second team for the second straight year. He said what it meant to him to be able to repeat was “consistency. It means a lot. I was shooting for first team, but you can’t always control it.”

Johnson pointed to Edwards’ 29 goals and 15 assists producing 44 points as the reason for his selection.

“He’s our leading scorer, so a lot of our offense runs through him,” the coach said. “He’s a natural shooter and has been able to put the ball in the back of the net for us a lot this year and has been able to do it against good competition.”

Both players and coach were pleased by the sportsmanship award.

“It’s a big deal,” Leitner said. He added that it enables people to see NSA, how “we have good teams and know what to do on and off the field.”

Johnson echoed his thoughts when he said, “I’m honored, and I think it’s a great step for our program as we continue to build and get better. It speaks a lot about the character of the young men we have in the program and how they go about their business.”