Carlmont’s boys varsity lacrosse team started their season with a bang. They triumphed over Woodside for the first game of their season, scoring 13 points and holding the Wildcats to only three of their own. This dominant win proved the Scots are battle ready heading into the rest of the season.
“I mean, it felt pretty great,” said senior goalie Jamisen Blackwell. “Winning our first game is always a great experience. It’s getting us momentum that will lead us into our season.”
Carlmont started off strong and put the game away in one quarter. They came on the field with energy; once the Scots turned on the gas, Woodside had no chance of catching up. An intense Scots team came out like a storm and tore apart Woodside’s defense.
“Coming out with the intensity and enthusiasm they had was a huge part of this. It set the tone early,” said Todd Irwin, head coach of boys varsity lacrosse.
Carlmont scored in the first quarter after three minutes of play and followed it up with back to back goals. They scored their fourth goal of the quarter and seemed to be unbeatable. There was almost no chance of a Wildcat upset going into the second quarter as the score read 4-1.
In the second quarter, the Scots shut the Wildcats out while scoring four goals of their own. It was clear Carlmont had cemented themselves in the lead. A carefree spirit overtook the Scots as they coasted throughout the rest of the game.
“I mean, that was like kind of the best part of the process when your whole team is going, and you’re just having fun,” said Nicholas Tolod, a sophomore midfielder.
The third and fourth quarters continued with a similar dominance as each player tried to score before the end of the game. Carlmont racked up another five points as the Wildcats struck back with two of their own.
One of the main reasons Carlmont was able to display such dominance was because of their energetic attitude. The players were pumped up, which kept the communication flowing and the goals coming.
“If you have energy in the game, it just makes you feel better, makes you play better. Everything just runs smoother,” Blackwell said. “If you don’t have great energy, things fall apart, and everyone gets upset.”
This game also gave the team a lot to hope for the rest of the season. It’s clear the team is developing well. The team is quite fresh, with many players playing their first varsity game. However, this speaks volumes for their potential.
“We graduated 17 seniors last year, so we didn’t know what we were going to have this year,” Irwin said. “[I’m] really pleased with all aspects of the game, frankly, for our first game.”
Besides a few fixable fundamentals, the entire team came to play. The offense played with aggression and drive. The Scots’ defense was also locked in.
A big part of the defense’s success was their communication and teamwork. This trend was one coach’s focus on going into this game. On all sides, players executed.
“We stress a lot of the things about possessing the ball and team communication and playing as a team and not going for the singular goals,” said Michael Levitt, a defensive coach for the Scots.
This game didn’t come easy, it was the cumulation of many hours of practice. Each player on the team has reason to be proud of their performance.
“I mean, they’ve been practicing super hard,” Irwin said. “They brought it tonight.”
