Most avid sports fans in our state already know about the rising popularity surrounding the sport of lacrosse. Since 1999, the sport has grown seven-fold amongst boys teams (52 teams for 2009 season) and eight-fold amongst girls teams (52 teams for 2009 season) in Georgia high schools.
One of those schools in particular, Lassiter, has seen a large amount of talent grace its fields and is in the midst of another stellar season. Led by fourth-year coach Peter Manderano, who is a Rochester native and played competitively growing up in the New York high school system, the Trojans have built one of the most successful programs in Georgia.
Part of the winning formula for Lassiter has been the development of J.V. and junior league programs.
“Even though popularity has increased, the amount of kids trying out has actually decreased this year,” explained Manderano. “At first a lot of kids tried out simply because lacrosse was a new sport. With the development of our JV program and other junior programs, the kids this year have the best skills yet because they are starting to play earlier.”
That skill was on display against Lovett in a highly anticipated Friday night matchup that drew the most people that Manderano had seen at a game since the 2006 state championship. The game even received national attention, as it was picked by Laxpower.com as one of its five games of the week for March 19-23 in the Mid-Atlantic/Southern region. That’s pretty good company considering powerhouse states such as Maryland and Pennsylvania are in the same region.
With a 15-8 win over Lovett, Lassiter extended its record to 8-0 on the year. The game held special value to Manderano and his players, because the teams have combined to win two of the last three state titles.
Next up for Lassiter is a Spring Break trip to Tennessee, when the Trojans will take on McCallie and the Memphis University School. Lassiter has never beaten either school, but each year looks to prove that the quality of lacrosse is improving in Georgia.
MILTON STAYING ON TOP
Similar to the strength that Lassiter has shown in the boys game, the Milton Lady Eagles are experiencing a four-year stretch of consecutive state championships unmatched by any other team. While head coach Tim Godby is forced to rebuild a team that lost nine starters from last year, he knows that “the more the team works, the more they will jell and learn how to win.” So far, the season has been productive, though the team suffered close losses to Northview and Chattahoochee as of late.
Much like Lassiter, Milton has a tough string of games coming up against out-of-state opponents. The team plays Park Vista from Florida and Memorial from Texas. After a game with Westminster, the team hits the road to face St. Stephens, St. Agnes and Springfield Delco in Pennsylvania.
Though Lassiter and Milton are not the only teams to take on out-of-state opponents, the schools should certainly be recognized as two of the leaders in the state in that category. Each year, the schools are able to produce competitive teams and they put those individuals to the test by taking on top-flight opponents from lacrosse-rich states. These experiences can only enhance the overall talent level for Georgia teams.
RAPID GROWTH
In contrast to lacrosse, Georgia has 436 football teams, 426 girls basketball teams and 447 boys basketball teams registered with the GHSA. Though the sport of lacrosse has a long way to go to catch its counterparts, after the 10-year mark, the sport continues to keep growing in popularity and skill level. Jay Watts, GHSA coordinator for lacrosse, states,
“At first the sport was popular mostly in metro Atlanta,” says Jay Watts, GHSA coordinator for lacrosse. “Now there is a team in Columbus, two teams in Augusta, and Benedictine School in Savannah has expressed interest in starting a team next year.”
While geographically it is difficult for some of these schools to schedule games, in the end, Watts is very supportive and feels it is a positive sign for the growth of the sport.
Gupta can be reached at rgupta@scoreatl.com.
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