Boys Lacrosse

As I think back to the end of the 2019 school year and the end of spring season, it really goes down as the highlight of my first year as AD. WHS had such a great spring season as and Boys Lacrosse was one of the reasons. On June 6, I made the trek to Stellos Stadium in Nashua where the boys beat Portsmouth in a thrilling semifinal overtime game that will go down as one of the best high school games I've ever seen. Two days later, I started at Plymouth State for a softball final and then made my way to Exeter High School for the lax final. While we came up short in both, it marked the end of a successful year and made us all proud to be Warriors.

I met with 10 of the boys lax players and Coach Snow on Friday morning and we talked about last spring, the Portsmouth game, and those Derryfield Cougars who we owe big time!

Like the other teams, the boys mostly said they miss the social aspect of school. As a whole, they said the online learning isn't super difficult but taking tests and making up final exams from Trimester 2 has proven to be difficult. Jack Ellis, who attended the Italy field trip, has been out of school since before February vacation and I guess you could say has the "most" experience with this remote learning. Of course if you know Jack, you know he is all caught up and probably getting straight A's...

The team generally has referred to this season as a "redemption tour" as they feel this could be the year to beat Derryfield. Last year, they finished 14-4, played Derryfield to a one goal loss during the regular season, and played them tight in the first quarter of the state championship. Returning seniors Jake Murray, Hunter Madore, Gavin O'Hara, Chaz Ziolkowski, Mike Dunleavy, and Zach Klidaris are hungry for another shot.

Cole Fisher, Jack Ellis, Carter Renaud, and Mike Dunleavy all agreed that nerves probably got the best of them in that final game. After the huge emotional win over Portsmouth, they just ran out of gas two days later. They say that they were happy to be there but now they know what it would take to win that big game.

Coach Snow agreed with this assessment and said the excitement of the Portsmouth game led to a letdown and they hit a wall in that final. Coach believes that Coach Joe Evans has the offensive system running well and they have the skill and players to give Derryfield a real run this year. Other contenders in the division are Windham, Hollis Brookline, and St. Thomas.

Coach Snow has a Google Classroom setup with the boys and in it he shares film, training videos, and other important information. The players say they are doing whatever they can to stay in "lax" shape. The team met 3-4 times at Seacoast prior to the stay at home order and are now dong things like wall ball, running, push-ups, and home workouts. Jack Ellis has a net in his backyard where he gets in as many shots as he can. 

Along with a month of games, Coach Snow had three scrimmages with Division 1 teams cancelled. He feels that scrimmaging these Division 1 teams really helps prepare them for regular season competition. He said that typically these games are more physical and aggressive and he likes the preparation it provides.

Like most teams, the boys keep a group chat going and are just hoping for anything this year. They're up for a couple games, a tournament, or a Jamboree. I think they all agree that playing any competitive lacrosse this spring or summer would be a win. With seven returning seniors and possibly a few others, I really hope this happens for them.

One of the best parts of my job is being exposed to and learning sports that I did not play or coach. As a baseball guy, I never really got into lacrosse but watching our boys and girls play last spring really ignited a passion in me for the sport. I began to learn the strategy and really appreciated the physicality and aggressiveness that is needed for the sport. I truly hope to see this group of boys play this spring!

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and stays safe and healthy. Next week will begin with Baseball on Monday with guest blogger, Jay Pinsonnault. 


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