The garage door at the McCormack house in Mineola has taken its lumps over the years, of that there is no doubt.

It’s taken its welts, its crunches, it’s dents: you name it, this covering that for most people houses old lawn furniture and toys has been positively destroyed by the three boys of the family.

Between Peter, now age 25, and Michael, 21, and youngest boy Jack, 18, the garage has seen thousands upon thousands of lacrosse balls whacked at it, in pursuit of excellence in this most Long Island of sports.

“Our backyard was destroyed too, but mostly the garage door, just so many holes in it,” Jack McCormack said, with a knowing laugh. “We just all loved to play so much, that it was all we wanted to do.”

All that passing, shooting and garage-door crunching has worked out OK for the McCormacks; Peter played at SUNY-Oneonta, while Michael is currently on the Nassau Community College team.

And Jack, well, he might be the best goal-scorer of them all. Starring at Mineola High School like his siblings, McCormack is finishing off a fine career in style during his senior season.

After pouring in 48 goals in 2023, McCormack has roared to a fantastic start this spring. In his first nine games the attack has scored 34 goals and added 15 assists as Mineola got off to a 7-2 start.

All that has led to McCormack earning a scholarship to play close to home, at Division I St. John’s next year.

“He’s just a natural, plus he’s been playing lacrosse since he could walk,” Mustangs coach Jim Durso said. “His stick skills, his vision, it’s all elite, and he’s really helping us a lot.”

McCormack is quick to give his teammates like Rusty Carr and Joe O’Connell credit for peeling defenders off him with their dangerous shots, and said that following his brothers’ example has always paid off.

“Just watching all their games and seeing how hard they worked, and how dedicated they were, made a difference for me,” he said. “And all those hours practicing, and the time spent in the PAL (league) here as a kid, helped me a ton.”

McCormack has been a four-year varsity starter for Mineola, and Durso said he recognized early on that the kid was more than just a lacrosse legacy.

“He’s just always been a kid who listened to his coaches and immediately fixed whatever was wrong,” Durso said. “And every day he’s come to practice with a smile on his face.”

McCormack is marked whether he’s playing midfield or attack, and of course the better teams always have No.1 for Mineola in their sights.

But this year he netted a pair of goals against both Floral Park and Lynbrook, two of the top opponents Mineola faces.

“You just try to score and make (the opponents) quiet, because they try to chirp me a lot,” McCormack said. “I don’t talk much, I just try to play my game.”

McCormack, also the quarterback for Mineola’s football team last fall, said he looked at several different schools to continue his lacrosse career but really bonded with Justin Terri, the head coach at St. John’s. The Red Storm compete in the Big East Conference.

“Once I met him I knew I wanted to play for him,” McCormack said. “The chance to play Division I lacrosse and be close to home was something I really wanted.”

Durso said McCormack will likely need to bulk up to be effective in college, adding 10-15 pounds of muscle, but feels his star can handle the challenge.

For the rest of this season, McCormack, who now has more than 200 points in his career, is hoping the Mustangs can go on a deep playoff run in Class B.

The words of Kid Cudi run through his head before each game, and McCormack is hoping he’ll be getting psyched up well into May this year.

“I think we’re going to go deep,” McCormack said. “We’ve got a lot of experienced players and I know I’m really motivated to finish my career here strong.”