There’s no denying Devon Bush had an outstanding sophomore season.

The Pleasant Valley standout led her team to an undefeated regular season and an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference title in 2023, putting up 112 goals and 29 assists. Her efforts earned her the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Lacrosse Player of the Year.

But like any great athlete, Bush was determined to improve on what was a remarkable season.

So what did she do for an encore?

Not only did she up her game during her junior season, increasing her scoring, but she also became more of a leader. Her effort helped the Bears post another undefeated regular season and a third straight EPC championship, but it also aided her team winning an elusive District 11 crown and a victory in the state playoffs.

Those achievements resulted in a second Player of the Year award.

“Devon has physically developed into a strong, athletic player,” said her coach - and mother - Toni Bush. “She has fine-tuned her skills on the offensive end, and defensively she’s very hard to get by. She’s definitely a leader. I mean, she was a leader on the field last year, but being captain this year, I think each captain adds their own niche to leading the team and Devon’s niche was just leading on the field and in the game. She’s going to direct traffic and set the momentum of the game ... She really came through for us in the postseason.”

Bush finished the year with 123 goals and 42 assists, scoring at least two goals in every game and recording at least five in 15 of PV’s 25 games.

“I worked with one of my coaches over the summer on getting more fluid with my right hand and just getting out of my comfort zone,” said Devon, a natural left-hander. “And that really helped me succeed this year with scoring and just getting those points up. I used to not be able to drive in with my right hand or do as many dodges to get in, and that really helped me build my skills.

“Our team goal that we made at the beginning of the season was to win districts. As the season was going, I really saw that goal coming into play. And it was very exciting, and it amped all of us up. Our play was just so much more intensified and our drive was intensified. When we finally got to that game, all we wanted was to win.”

What made Bush’s accomplishment all the more impressive is the fact that teams focused on stopping her.

But while they continuously face guarded her and tried to throw her off her game, rarely were they successful.

“It’s frustrating, but at the same time it’s kind of a confidence boost because they’re marking me for a certain reason,” said Devon, who has already verbally committed to Monmouth University. “But it’s all about teamwork at that point. I can’t get open on my own most of the time, so I need my team to help me. I can help my teammates by setting picks for them and getting them open and creating lanes for them. That’s really what me and (the team’s second-leading scorer) Rylee (Rath) did every time we got face guarded this year. It was just about setting lanes for our other teammates, or other teammates helping us to get open from that face guard. That’s where teamwork comes into play.”

“Devon did a tremendous job this year of handling the face guards, handling the needling, handling the comments that she gets just from being herself and the coach’s daughter,” said coach Bush. “She handled all of the trash talk on the field with such composure, and she would pull herself off if she felt like it was getting to her. She would just pull herself off the field for a minute and regroup. We couldn’t be more proud of how she handled it, because they really did come after her pretty hard this year.”

Sensing when she needed a break or when opponents were starting to get under her skin was a sign of maturity.

So was her goal entering the season.

“My coach always has us do an individual goal and a team goal (before the season), and my individual goal was to keep my composure better ... I got some yellow cards this season, but it wasn’t from losing my composure,” said Devon, who was named the EPC’s MVP this season. “It was mistakes that I made, like just checking too hard or pushing too hard ... Overall, I kept my composure a lot better this season with not getting upset over things and not reacting to certain calls or plays, so that was an improvement.”

“She is a very passionate player, and sometimes that passion gets the best of us when we’re in a highly emotional situation like a tough game,” said coach Bush. “She’s continuously working on balancing that passion with just being a good, composed leader out there. She did a great job this year with it.”

Great could also describe another facet of her game - speed.

Bush’s quickness is a major contributor to her goal-scoring abilities.

“Her speed is tremendous,” said coach Bush. “Going through the recruiting process several times now, colleges want speed. I’ve even heard of some girls being recruited strictly for their speed. Coaches will say I can teach stick work, I can’t teach speed. So Devon’s speed is a huge asset and one that she needs to maintain. Her ability to get that ball and just leave defenders in the dust coming down the field ... her quick dodges, all of that they are huge assets and reasons why she’ll be playing Division 1 lacrosse in college.”