Josh Balcarcel stood on the top of the wall separating the stands from the team benches at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte. He was surrounded by former Marist teammates, who embraced him and patted him on the back for a job well done.
When the undrafted rookie had made the California Redwoods’ roster, he circled the Charlotte date on his calendar, knowing there was a large Marist contingent in North Carolina. They had shown up to support him the previous week for his debut in Albany, and they didn’t disappoint in Charlotte, either.
While the Redwoods season ended in the semifinals, the Marist magic will live on as alumni Jamison Embury, Hunter Embury and William Embury suit up for Bronx Lacrosse against Harlem Lacrosse in the Street Lacrosse Championship on Saturday.
“I can’t think of a better group to be involved in this type of event,” Balcarcel said. “They are going to have so much fun. I cannot wait to watch. … I think a lot of people are going to enjoy watching them play because they’re a very talented group of guys. They just love to have fun with it and be as creative as they can.”
Jamison and Hunter are twin brothers who graduated from Marist in 2023. Hunter, a midfielder, was a four-time MAAC All-Academic selection who finished his career with 42 goals and 36 assists. Jamison, an attackman, was a two-time All-MAAC Second Team selection who also made the MAAC All-Championship Team as a freshman in 2019; between the semifinal and final, he scored seven goals and added four assists.
Balcarcel played three years with the Embury twins and considers himself a younger brother to them. He gives them a lot of credit for helping him acclimate to the program and college game.
“When I first got to Marist, they were the two guys that embraced me first,” Balcarcel said. “As our relationships grew, and the years went on, and I started playing a bigger role for the Marist program, they took me under their wing.”
As the torch was passed, Balcarcel was able to do the same with their younger brother, William, who made his debut in 2022.
“They’re just a family that loves lacrosse and is a big lax rat family,” Balcarcel said.
Balcarcel is excited for Marist to take the stage during a PLL weekend once again. The first Red Fox ever to score a point in the PLL, Balcarcel wore No. 34 in honor of Marist alum Eddie Coombs, who died in a car accident in 2011. After the story was shared on the ESPN broadcast, Balcarcel had the top-selling jersey in the league over the first few weeks of the season.
“To hang up a jersey that has a lot more meaning than just a number on your chest was something big,” Balcarcel said. “It was a sad moment. With the PLL opportunity, it was a no-brainer picking the number to continue the legacy. It was so awesome to have, in the back of my mind, to continue the legacy and wear that jersey [number] again.”
“It was awesome seeing, especially early in the season, how much traction the Coombs name gained and how interested people were into the story,” he added.
After his Marist teammates and fellow alumni followed his time in the pros, Balcarcel is ready to return the favor for the Embury brothers at the Street Lacrosse Championship.
One thing Balcarcel knows for sure from his experience is that everyone from the program’s past and present will share any and all clips about the brothers on social media while supporting them wholeheartedly.
“The locker room that [Marist head coach Keegan] Wilkinson established for the program, it was similar to how we are with the Redwoods, just all about camaraderie and building a tight-knit locker room,” he said. “Having Coach Wilkinson lay that out and make it clear what he was trying to build and continuing on now with [head coach Dave] Scarcello, that allowed me to not be surprised when so many of my teammates, past teammates and current teammates, came out to support.”
