January 29 marked the start of the spring season for Vandegrift Lacrosse. The Varsity boy’s team won 9-6, and the JV boys’ team won 7-4 against Vista Ridge. Although the sport is not school sanctioned, those who participate work as though they were being graded for it.
“The team has been working extremely hard this year and are very close,” head coach Dave Lapin said. ”They support each other on and off the field.”
The boys practice year round, but began regularly practicing just before the holidays. Although this is only the second year for the team to play together, they have a system down.
“We practice 4 times a week; our team works really well together,” sophomore Chase Smith said.
In Texas, lacrosse is not a UIL sport, so the schools in our area play in a league called Central Division of the Texas High School Lacrosse League, or THSLL. Last year, boy’s lacrosse played division 3, but with only freshman and sophomores they were not eligible for playoffs. Because of the growing population of players, the team was able to move up to division 2 this year, and hopes to be able to play division 1 with 80 players in the next couple of seasons. With each move up in division, comes more competition.
“We have some tough games ahead of us, but I think we are going to surprise a lot of people,” Dave Emerick, president of the Viper LAX board, said.
Like any other Vandegrift sport, lacrosse has to work through a handicap. No seniors means that the freshmen, sophomores and juniors on the team have many obstacles to overcome.
“Because we don’t have any seniors, we have to work harder to beat the other teams,” Lapin said. “As a result, our boys have a ton of heart and you can’t coach that.”
Despite the lack of seniors, the young talents were able to beat the established Vista Ridge, proving they can hold their own. The team hopes to keep the winning record throughout the season.
“Everybody has enough stick skills so were not afraid to pass to our team mates,” Chase Smith said “I expected us to win against Vista Ridge, we work so well together, that we are not afraid of any team.”
Last weekend, the varsity team took on Anderson, defeating them 8-6. But the big rival games against Lake Travis and Westlake will take place later in the season.
“We are much further ahead of where we were last year,” Lapin said, “the team from last year has matured as a group and many of our new freshman are very talented.”
