Clover, Fort Mill, Legion, others begin high school lacrosse seasons with similar goals
The 2022 lacrosse season is underway, and 10 teams from York County will begin their quests for a state championship.
Here’s what you need to know.
5A boys: Fort Mill, Clover, Nation Ford
In the 5A boys’ division, the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets are defending their region title. The Jackets were 6-0 in the region and 10-5 overall a year ago and lost in the second round of the playoffs.
Yellow Jackets head coach Michael Desmond feels like this team should be very competitive again this year.
“We have to play smart on offense and make each possession count,” he said. “We will be average early on playing defense. That group of players is very coachable and hard-working, so I look for us to get better there as the season progresses. That is key for us.”
The Clover Blue Eagles were 3-3 in that same region a year ago and 10-5 in all games. They lost in the second round of the postseason.
The Blue Eagles have a lot of players returning from last year, and head coach Jay Hartnett feels good about this year’s team.
“We have some strong leaders at several positions,” he said. “Our JV team was undefeated last year, and those young players will certainly contribute. The first 10 games of the season will be key for us to get everyone playing together.”
The Nation Ford Falcons were third in that region with a mark of 2-4. They were 4-11 overall and lost in the second round of the playoffs.
Cory Turner is back for his second season at the helm for the Falcons, and he knows his team has plenty of potential.
“We are good at every position, but we do not have much depth,” he said. “We are in a very tough region, and we have quite a few young players. We must work hard to develop our potential and stay away from injuries if we are to be successful.”
4A boys: Catawba Ridge looks to improve
In 4A, the Catawba Ridge Copperheads finished last season with an overall mark of 4-11 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Copperheads are the only team in 4A in the area that fields a team.
Mike Gambrill returns for his third year as the head coach of the young program. The Copperheads have more players out for this year’s team, and they also have more experienced players.
“Those are real positives for us,” he said. “We have great senior leadership with our first senior class. We look to be balanced on offense this year and improved on the defensive side. The big key for us is staying healthy.”
Legion boys try to build program in Year 3
The Legion Collegiate Lancers were 0-6 a year ago. This season they are playing in the North Carolina Independent Athletic Association.
Parker Thomas is back as coach for his third season with the relatively new program.
“COVID really hurt our first two seasons,” he said. “However, we got the program started and got some good experience.”
The key for the Lancers to show tremendous improvement this season is quite simple.
“The seniors must provide quality leadership, and the young players must develop quickly,” he added. “We need to work hard every day to get better, and we need to stay healthy.”
5A girls: Fort Mill defending region title
In 5A in the girls’ division, Fort Mill is also defending its region title. The Jackets were 6-0 in the region and 13-5 overall last spring. They lost in the third round of the playoffs.
The Yellow Jackets are coached by Kirsten Terry, who returns for her third year at the head of the program.
Fort Mill is entering its 15th lacrosse season, and the excellence in the program over the years is outstanding. The Jackets had losing records in their first two seasons in 2008 and 2009. Since then they have not come close to a losing campaign.
The Yellow Jackets return key performers on both offense and defense to lead what should be another good team. Fort Mill has 17 players on this year’s team. They are led by eight seniors, with six juniors and three sophomores completing the roster.
Clover was second at 4-2 in the region and 7-6 in all games last season. They lost in the opening round of the postseason.
Matthew Lindner is back as the head coach, and he has a veteran team that features 10 seniors.
“We have good senior leadership and quite a few starters returning from last year,” he said. “We should be balanced on both offense and defense, but the key for us is the development of our younger players so their contributions will add to what the veterans will provide.”
Nation Ford finished third in the region with a mark of 2-4, and they were 7-6 overall a year ago. They lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Kristine Schmidt returns for another season at the helm of the Falcons program, and she is hopeful her team will be improved.
“We have a lot of strong returning players as well as some young rising talent,” she said. “I like our depth this year, but the number one thing we need to do is learn to play together. That will be crucial for us to have a successful season.”
4A girls: Catawba Ridge in Year 3
In 4A, Catawba Ridge was 2-9 overall in 2021 and completed the season with a loss in the first round of the playoffs.
The Copperheads are in their third season. With all young programs there are growing pains, which are made more difficult by being the only 4A team in the area.
Head coach Pat Gormley returns to lead the team as they continue to build the program. The Copperheads have 23 players on this year’s team, which is extremely young. The program’s first senior class has only two players on the roster. Seven juniors, a pair of sophomores and a dozen freshmen complete the team.
Legion girls start new program
Legion Collegiate is fielding a team in the girls’ division for the first time.
The Lancers will be young with no seniors on the roster, but Thomas is hoping for a good start for the program.
“The girls are really excited about starting this program,” he said. “We have some very good young players. They need to work hard to improve their skills and teamwork every day.”
Early season results
Four boys’ teams have already played a game. Nation Ford topped Catawba Ridge 11-3. Clover was defeated by Chapin by a count of 10-5, and Legion Collegiate dropped a 9-2 decision to Woodmont.
The schedule for the remainder of the week in the boys’ division shows three games on Thursday: Fort Mill goes to Nation Ford, Boiling Springs plays at Clover, and Catawba Ridge will be at home to take on Mountain Island Charter. Then on Friday Legion Collegiate travels to Christ Church.
In the girls’ division only Nation Ford has played a game. The Falcons opened the year with a 19-9 loss to Riverside.
Three more games are on the card for Thursday: Nation Ford travels to Fort Mill, Clover goes to Boiling Springs and Catawba Ridge is set to host River Bluff.