As winter draws to a close, the state-title contending lacrosse team gears up for yet another impressive season, putting together a group that will finally bring home the elusive state title that Jesuit has fallen just short of in the past few years. Last year, losing to Highland Park in the semi-finals, and the year before, losing to Coppell in the state championship game, Jesuit lacrosse has gotten too close to the title too many times, but 2013 is their year.
Armed with several returning starters, including goalie, Dan Morris ’13 (Maryland commit), attackmen Jason Myers ’14 and Zach Coker ‘13 (Furman commit), and midfielder Garrett Van de Ven ’13 (Duke commit), Jesuit lacrosse is looking stronger than ever. “This is a dedicated group with a lot of talent” remarked Team Captain Zach Coker, “but our work ethic is what is going to take us to the top.” And truly Jesuit’s talent has never been the restricting factor of its success, consistently producing Division 1 players as well as a few all-Americans.
Since the beginning of Christmas break, this special team has proven that it wants to go where no Jesuit squad has gone before by practicing, lifting, and training with incredible intensity. Practicing every day of the week besides Sunday, these players have really devoted themselves to the team, “Team comes first” explained attackman Jason Myers, “and I think that’s why all of us are willing to put in so much time.” Coach Surran has set the mood for the team, reminding them to “take it one game at a time,” keeping his hungry players from becoming over-excited and looking too far ahead.
In the first scrimmage of the year, Jesuit faced off against Flowermound last Friday, and although no one kept score, the Rangers did not do as well as was expected. Struggling to get any offensive production, Jesuit spent much of the scrimmage on defense and ended up allowing far too many goals against a team Garrett Van de Ven called “average.” “We’re excited to finally get the season started and forget about that shaky performance against Flowermound” remarked midfielder, Leon Belland ’14, capturing the overall attitude of the team.
Next comes the annual Jesuit Round Robin invitational- a tournament perennially dominated by the Rangers (although there is no actual winner)- which will take place the weekend of February 9th. From there, they play their first regular season game on Friday, February 8th, against their rival and the 2011 state champion, the Coppell Cowboys, who triumphed over the Rangers in the heartbreaking state title game two years ago. Once the season begins, there is no break in the action for these players until the playoffs end in mid-May.
“A lot of people say that they can do it, but this group really believes it,” said Coker, “and I think that’s why 2013 is the year we finally bring [the title] home.” This group, although still working out some kinks in team chemistry and learning to play together, has more potential and higher expectations for itself than most teams in years past; and although they will undoubtedly face adversity along the way, their deprivation of the ultimate victory has given them the fire needed to become an unstoppable force.
