Boys’ lacrosse: taking initiative to prep for vigorous season

Coach: Jeff Roper (interim head coach) 

Last year’s record: 4-12

Recap: Most team members were new to the sport. The team did not win many games but developed and grew a lot. 

Key additions: junior Kimball Small, sophomore Kendal Jarvis 

Key matchups: Prospect High School, Woodside High School

Star players: junior Ryan Pors, senior Chase Satterfield, junior Joshua Roper 

Key losses to graduation: Satvik Narasimhan, Eli Markus, Owen Keogh, Devin Mather, Jay Sonalkar, Andrew Bench

League: El Camino

Prognosis: 

Although they began the season without a permanent head coach, the players have taken initiative to prepare for upcoming games in March and they hope for a productive season. 

The team communicated practice schedules well ahead of time, so all could get together and improve throwing and catching skills, as well as build fundamentals in newer players. As an upperclassman, junior Kimball Small has taken leadership to bring the team together. 

“It’s helping us become a closer team because we’re developing a bond that is important to have before the season kicks off,” Small said.

During these practices, it was crucial for the boys to familiarize themselves with each other and the game, especially due to their lack of a head coach during the beginning of the season. After the head coach from last season moved to the Midwest, former assistant coach Jeff Roper has filled in temporarily. 

“Without an official coach, it’s a lot more of a hands-on experience for the players,” Small said. “We’re held a lot more accountable for being on top of things, which is really beneficial in the long run.” 

Small emphasized the importance of players being held responsible for keeping each other organized. While there is no JV team for boys’ lacrosse this year, the roster is considerably larger, as many new players joined the team this year. 

Several of these new players are also unfamiliar to lacrosse, but vetern players such as juniors Ryan Pors and Joshua Roper have stepped in to help the newer players develop skills such as learning to catch and throw with sticks. 

Roper trusts that encouraging early practices will reserve more time for running plays and focusing on the tactical aspect of the game.  

“I think that our team is going to be a lot stronger this year because of how early we started practicing,” Roper said. “Not only do we have a lot more talent, but we’re working a lot harder.”

Small  underscored the importance of veteran players’ leadership.

“As an upperclassmen, it’s really good to personally teach others because you’ll be taken more seriously,” Small said. “Eventually the team will become more comfortable with the sport and with each other, which will really sharpen our game.”