Allatoona clinched their second consecutive region championship with an 11-10 victory against Lassiter last night and will be a No.1 seed come playoffs in a few weeks. It is also the second consecutive season the Buccaneers have gone undefeated in their area. Allatoona started the season 3-4 before compiling three consecutive victories. They challenged and hung with one of the top teams in Class 7A (Lambert) which was their last loss on March 16th.
Currently, the Buccaneers are on a five-game winning streak and have scored in double-figures in every game except one during the streak.
Similar to last year the Buccaneers are playing their best lacrosse at the right time towards the end of the season. You may remember that Allatoona was unranked in a lot of in-state polls last season before making a phenomenal run all the way to the state championship. The Buccaneers lost to the eventual champion Roswell Hornets. Before the loss, they had won nine consecutive games. Allatoona started that season 0-4, before righting the ship and turning around the season.
The team’s run to the state championship saw head coach Jonathan Wishon be named Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year. This season seems to be following that same trajectory.
Currently, the Buccaneers are ranked No. 4 in the Score Atlanta Poll. This Allatoona team is talented and loaded with depth, and a lot of their players have championship-level experience. On this year’s team, the Buccaneers have 11 seniors on their roster from last year’s run. One of the best parts of their team is their ability to attack. They are led by one of the best players in the state Brayden Fountain, who was an all-state player in 2023.
Fountain has been at Allatoona since his youth days and has been a staple of the program. He is currently committed to Army. Alongside Fountain on the attacking end, is Brayden Smith. Smith is having another great season and recently committed to Georgia Tech. Goalie Max Fouts also committed to the Yellow Jackets back in March. So far for the 2024 class, Allatoona has three commits with one undeclared in defender Sawyer Smith
TONIGHT @ HOME- 8pm Men’s Lax needs your support vs Lassiter for the Region Championship! #GoBucs #BucNation #AnchoredInExcellence #bucslaxisthebestlax pic.twitter.com/ku6MYHgwjm
— Allatoona Lacrosse (@bucslax) April 11, 2024
Allatoona has been a staple in the postseason and one of the best programs in the state, achieving double-digit wins for the past 12 seasons and making the playoffs in each of those seasons except 2020 (COVID). Their last losing season was in 2010-2011 when they went 7-10 and missed the playoffs. The Buccaneers last won a state title in 2016 and have been within striking distance the last few seasons.
Monday will be senior night for the Buccaneers and will be their final regular season match against Harrison. Allatoona will look to cap off the regular season with a six-game winning streak and momentum heading into the postseason. Once again, Allatoona is proving that they are a team we should pay close attention to.
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