Tahoma Lacrosse Club’s high school mens team is loaded with experienced players.
Co-captains Brody Lundquist, Justin Hanson and Justin Ross lead a team that lost just three players to graduation last year.
Practices began for the spring season on Feb. 28 at Wilson Field. The Bears are coached by Vern Smith, who is in his 13th year at the helm.
Smith said in a statement that the Bears have something to prove this year.
“It was great to be back on the field after months of preparation,” Smith said. “This is a team hungry to avenge some tough one goal losses last year. The core group of returning varsity players has worked hard for this day and this season.”
Lundquist led the offense in 2010 with 40 points, having tallied 25 goals an 15 assists while Hanson returns for his third year as a starting goalie.
“They have something to prove, and I’m excited to see what they can deliver on the field. Today was all about fundamentals, an area we will stress every day through the State Championship weekend.”
In addition, Smith will look to seniors Mike Roessler and Jake Drumm as well as Ross, a junior, and Desmond Decker, to deliver on offense. The quartet combined for 72 points last year.
Defensively the Bears will be anchored by seniors Riley Owens, Kyle Clark and Cameron Timmerman, who will be returning to lacrosse after missing last season due to a football-related injury.
This season the Bears will be deep, too, with the return of 15 JV players and 11 freshmen in the mix.
“While we have a lot of senior leadership on this squad, it will be interesting to see how some very talented underclassmen blend into the mix,” Smith said. “I expect some of last year’s starters to be pushed by some of these young men.”
The Bears are counting down to the season opener against Garfield on March 16.
Prior to the season opener with Garfield, Tahoma will have scrimmages with perennial state power Mercer Island on Thursday, after the Reporter’s deadline, and then travel to defending state champ Bellevue High School on Friday for a final tune-up scrimmage.
This season 50 high school teams will compete for the state championship in two divisions. More information can be found at www.whsbla.org or www.tahomalax.org.
