On April 30, the Carlmont varsity boys lacrosse team suffered an 18-8 loss at the hands of their opponent, the Palo Alto High School Vikings.
Throughout the game, the Scots were able to keep the ball moving and successfully score. But despite their efforts, the Scots’ defense was unable to stop the Vikings.
“They were moving the ball around a lot and would cut a lot on offense,” said Jacob Leavitt, a sophomore. “A lot of people were getting beat.”
From the start, Palo Alto maintained a widespread formation, keeping the ball moving back and forth between players to maximize their possession time and their opportunity to score.
The Vikings’ domination went unanswered at first, resulting in a score of 4-0. But with about a minute left in the first quarter, sophomore Trevor Douglis spiked in the Scots’ first goal.
The Scots’ offense began to build up a rhythm in the second quarter, holding longer possessions and taking more shots on goal. Still, the Vikings proceeded to score another four goals in the quarter, leaving the score at 9-3 at halftime.
As the Scots stood, side by side, sticks raised in the air, their coaches emphasized the importance of “communicating on defense” and “winning ground balls” before the start of the second half.
The third quarter began brutally as the Scots struggled to keep up with the Vikings.
“We were winning some face-offs, which is pretty uncharacteristic, but we have to bring more energy,” Douglis said. “Whenever the bench gets into the game, it gets you fired up to pick up that ground ball or to rip that shot.”
The Vikings took an additional five goals during the quarter, but the Scots refused to give up. Goalies Shuaib Khan and Jamisen Blackwell were able to make some smooth saves near the end of the quarter, while junior Alex English also nailed a shot late in the third quarter, marking Carlmont’s fifth goal.
However, the Scots’ offense wasn’t able to communicate well enough to hold long possessions or create many opportunities near the goal. The third quarter finished 14-6 with the Vikings in the lead.
“It just felt like a lot of the time we just gave up and the air was taken out of the team,” Leavitt said.
During the fourth quarter, little headway was made, as the Vikings scored four more goals while the Scots scored an additional two, leaving 18-8 as the final score.
For many of the players, this was just another game gone by as they eagerly await a chance at victory next season. For the veteran seniors, however, it was much more.
Although the Scots were unable to achieve victory for their seniors last home game, those soon to graduate still enjoyed the experience of playing on their high school field one last time.
“I’m definitely glad I got to play one last game here at Carlmont,” said Zach Burgos, a senior. “I’ve played on this field so many times and it wouldn’t have been the same without all the great people I got to work with. It’s really been a fun year.”
Prior to the game, the varsity seniors were each called up individually and commemorated for their accomplishments and the effort they put into the team throughout the years.
“The seniors have done a lot for this program and stepped up big time in a physical role for this team. Not only did they lead by words, but they also led by example and helped shape the future of the program,” said head coach Todd Irwin. “Next year, it’s all about how hard guys want to work in the off-season. We have some big roles we need guys to step up into.”
