Spring is a time when the flowers bloom, the weather gets warmer, and school is almost over. It’s a time when sports ramp up and become super competitive. Behind it all, the boys’ varsity lacrosse team is ready to start its quest to win a state championship. The Stingers have everything they need: senior leadership, skill, and above all else, a coach who is determined to put their players in the best situation to win. If you haven’t been caught up on this Stinger squad, here’s everything you need to know…
The Stingers have eight seniors who are all very experienced and tired of losing. The last couple of years have been rough for the boys; however, this year, there is a different type of energy in the locker room. Senior Sid Chunduri said, “The team chemistry has been extremely high this year.” With all the offseason work and years of playing, the boys are finally gelling at the right time. Led by star player senior Miles Rizor, the Stingers thrive when he gets going. 11 goals away from 100 on the career, and he is determined to get that achievement early in the season.
With lots of seniors on the roster, underclassmen will definitely need to step up and take on a bigger role on the team to prepare for future seasons. Someone who everyone is looking forward to seeing play this year is the star captain, senior Felipe Valdivia. The strong defender was locked down last year and is the brick wall on defense. He’s looking to have a big year. Another player that is catching the attention of others is senior Thibaut Briquet. His stick skills are off the charts, and he is looking to also have a big year.
The Stingers have had a very intriguing offseason program. Senior Paul Gubanich said, “We have run a ton. Coach likes to make us run so we can be ready in the fourth quarter.” The Stingers plan to wear out their opponents and win games during the fourth quarter. The Stingers believe that the best-conditioned team will win, so a lot of their offseason training has been about getting into shape.
The team has a very loaded schedule this year, which will test them mentally and physically. Gubanich said, “I’m really looking forward to playing Summit because they are our biggest rival.” The boys have fallen short of Summit the last three years and hope to beat them for the first time since graduate Jack Good’s OT win four years ago. Chunduri mentioned he’s really excited to play Bluegrass because “we beat them pretty good last year, and it will be our senior night.” Senior night this year will be bittersweet for the team because it shows their dedication to the team. All the hard work this group has done over the years will finally be shown and celebrated.
Looking forward to watching the team play this year. The team has worked so hard this past offseason. With the senior leadership paired with skill, this team is a super exciting group to watch moving forward throughout the season.
