Daniella Smit

Junior Keoki Firenze pushes down his stick in an attempt to take control of the ball. Due to this being a scrimmage, Firenze took turns with his teammates participating in the faceoffs. Carlmont continued to rotate their players throughout the scrimmage to give all players a chance to practice their skills.

The Scots kicked off their season with a strong performance in their scrimmage against Aragon on Feb. 27.

During the scrimmage, where no official score was maintained, it was noticeable that Carlmont managed to score more goals than Aragon. After a few half-field games with varying time limits, the teams faced each other in a full-field scrimmage. 

During the two 20-minute halves, Carlmont was able to work on their skills and coordination with each other. This was one of their key focuses while preparing for this scrimmage. 

“We started preparing all the way back in January. Since then, we’ve just been running through practices, getting more people to know the plays, and introducing stick skills to those who are newer,” said senior Nicholas Tolod. 

Many of the Scots felt rusty due to the period of inactivity from not having played in some time. They believe continuing practices will help them gain momentum as they progress through the upcoming system. 

“Many of our early games are against people in the lower league. But later in the season, we’re going to be playing people in our own league, and we want to be pretty competitive,” Tolod said. 

Carlmont anticipates a long season ahead of them. With a goal of achieving a winning record, there is an acknowledgment of areas needing improvement. This includes developing their skills to play cohesively and move together. 

“We’ve got lots of guys with individual athletic skill or know the position, but playing the type of defense where you just know where to be, that’s the objective. We want to work as a team to the offense, being patient, maintaining possession,” said defensive coach Michael Leavitt.

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Daniella Smit

The Scots demonstrate their stick skills by passing the ball back and forth. Their cohesive teamwork enabled them to advance down the field and ultimately score a goal for the team. These strategies emphasize their coordination and collaborative abilities on the field.

Toward the end of the game, there was some hesitation, and minor errors were made. Leavitt emphasizes the importance of control, maintaining possession, and working as a team rather than individuals. 

Many players take time outside of practice and games to improve their skills even more. Junior Charlie Wescott works on his own time, either individually or with a teammate.

“I have a bounce back net at my house, so that’s helpful to pass and catch with myself when no one’s around,” Wescott said. “I’ve also taken time in the offseason with my teammates to make sure we have those fundamentals down.” 

Each player has individual goals and goals for the entire team. They mainly want to support each other while still having fun and coming out on top. 

“Lacrosse is a very fundamental sport, like passing and catching. It starts with that,” Wescott said.