Look at the Lambert lacrosse website and you’ll see Josh Sagel is listed as head coach of the boys program. But even Sagel will tell you that he is head coach only in name. Former Navy lacrosse All-American Rich Wehman is the guy who pushes all the buttons.
While Sagel’s background is in wrestling and S&C, Wehman is strictly a lacrosse guy. After attending high school at Ward Melville on Long Island, a lacrosse powerhouse, Wehman played lacrosse for the Naval Academy. After helping to start the middle school lacrosse program in the Lambert district, Wehman is now a community coach who has a sizable role with the Longhorns’ varsity team along with a few other community coaches.
“We pretty much do all the X’s and O’s,” said Wehman.
The coaches have been with the current seniors at Lambert since their days in middle school.
“We’ve been with the seniors for five years,” said Wehman. “We have a good nucleus of talent and they are hard-working, good kids. I tell people we have good coaches, support from the administration and help from the parents, but what really matters is talented kids,” said Wehman.
And colleges have noticed the lacrosse talent teeming at the south Forsyth school. Last season’s squad furnished two players to college lacrosse programs while this year’s team has three kids already signed with colleges. Zack Price and Braxton Roman are headed to High Point in North Carolina, while Colin Massa will attend Delaware and Grant Schuster will play for the Naval Academy.
Coming off last year’s state title, the program’s first, Wehman remembered what made his team mentally tough for the playoffs.
“We purposely schedule tough games out of the region,” said Wehman. “When we got to the playoffs last year, our kids were used to playing different styles, so nothing really surprised them.”
In addition to scheduling five teams currently ranked in the LaxPower.com top 10, Lambert has also scheduled three out-of-state programs. The Horns won the first two, over Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.) and Apex (N.C.), and will face McCallie (Tenn.) Saturday to round out the out-of-state schedule for this season.
The undefeated Longhorns have not had many serious tests this season and will be the favorites to win state for the second consecutive season come playoff time. In fact, Lambert may be so good that their only competition is themselves. While last year’s team lost one game in the regular season (Northview), the 2012 Longhorns are aiming to finish the season untied and undefeated.
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