Catawba Ridge begins inaugural boys’ lacrosse season with this lofty goal in mind

As winter fades into spring, another new season begins for the Catawba Ridge Copperheads.

The first-year school is embarking on its first spring sports season, and the boys’ lacrosse team began its season this week when it took on Providence Day at home on Tuesday. Lacrosse is the first of the spring sports to open its season, and with how the sport is played in South Carolina at the high school level, it’ll be the first to finish as well.

Heading into their first season ever, the Copperheads have a blue-collar mentality and even give out an old fashion lunch pail to a player each week as a reward for his hard work. The team has 22 players, but has only four upperclassmen and no seniors.

Head coach Mike Gambrill has expectations for his team, despite its youth.

“We are building from the ground up,” Gambrill said. “We want to create a culture. We are going to be young and our schedule isn’t easy. We are excited for what we have.”

Despite the inexperience, Gambrill has a lofty goal for his team: to make the playoffs in year one.

“I would love for us to get into the playoffs,” he said.

Gambrill said the majority of the team is new to the game of lacrosse, so the learning curve is a steep one. Despite that, he said he has seen growth since the preseason. Of those that have experience, the majority of them played at Nation Ford last year as part of the Falcons’ JV program.

Three players stand out for Catawba Ridge that Gambrill is looking to lead the team. Elliot Clark was described by Gambrill as the team’s “quarterback” to lead on offense at the attack position.

“We are going to lean on him,” Gambrill said.

Defensively, Will Lowman is someone the team will look to for leadership. In goal for the Copperheads will be Dorian Dugger.

Catawba Ridge’s schedule isn’t an easy one: As aforementioned, they opened with Providence Day, one of the better teams in North Carolina. Providence Day scored seven seconds into the game and never looked back as it won, 15-1.

The one goal — the first ever in school history for Catawba Ridge — came from Clark near the end of the third quarter.

The Copperheads will also have to face the likes of North Carolina teams such as Charlotte Latin, Cuthbertson, Butler and Cox Mill during the season. While these games with Tar Heel state teams may be a struggle, Gambrill thinks his team can compete with teams in South Carolina.

“When we play South Carolina teams, I expect we can hang in there,” he said.

Of the South Carolina teams that is of most interest to Catawba Ridge is that of Fort Mill, who the Copperheads play twice this season. The first of those games is at Catawba Ridge March 16, and then they play at Fort Mill March 30. The Copperheads don’t play Nation Ford this season, but will play another local team in Clover twice as well.

Catawba Ridge finishes the regular season April 9 at home against Cox Mill, and then after that comes Gambrill’s hope of a potential first round playoff game to extend its season.

Mac Banks: mbanks@comporium.net, @MacBanksFM