The Norwin High School Boys Lacrosse team gets off to a steady start. The team currently has a 4-6 record and sits at 6th in 3A Standings.
“So far, we’re fourth place in our section right now,” said senior lacrosse player Rex Wu. “Recently we had a shutout game against Baldwin that was 19 to 0. Coming up we’re facing Lebanon and they’re really good at intersection. So if I were to say anything, we got it if we wanna have a chance to play.”
Across the board, the Boys Lacrosse team is playing well and feeling confident with their team’s playoff chances. The team continues to work together, building up their strengths for future games and competitors.
“Lacrosse season has gone well,” said Andrew Brown, a senior lacrosse player. “We have great momentum, especially within section games, and are looking to continue fighting for each game.”
Although the team has faced multiple losses, including those against Penn-Trafford, Fox Chapel, Pine-Richland, and Central Catholic, the Boys LAX team is ready to come back even stronger.
“Our most difficult game this year was Penn Trafford by far,” senior attackmen Griffin Bartos said. “We took a tough loss that we should have won. We let them back into the game and win it in the final seconds, and I think we all wish we could have that game back. The toughest team we have faced by far was Pine Richland. They are a really solid team and have been a thorn in our side for the past couple years.”
Griffin Bartos, #88 attackman of the High School Boys Lacrosse team, committed to play lacrosse in college. Bartos shares his story and what the future of playing the sport throughout college will endure.
“I have committed to play in college at Ohio Northern,” said Bartos. “I’m super excited. It is a really great opportunity for me, I spent a lot of time and hard work into lacrosse over the last 4 years especially trying to get recruited and being the best player I can be. The Coach for ONU is a professional coach in the PLL so to be able to play for somebody that is that well respected and a great coach is really cool. I chose the school first for education as that is the most important part but once I got the opportunity to play lacrosse there it was just an added boost. They are a newer program who is on the rise very quick and I hope that I can do some great things. My teammates have helped me a lot over the last few years, I would not be the player I am or committed to where I am if it wasn’t for them. It will be a surreal experience playing the OAC because a lot of WPIAL players have committed to play for teams, my former teammate and long time friend is playing at Baldwin Wallace so to get to see him once a year and play him is going to be great.”
Though the team faced multiple losses throughout the season so far, the Boys’ Lacrosse team’s future is looking bright — they successfully qualified for WPIALs. To prepare for the playoffs, the team will have to bring their best efforts and work together as a team. From what it seems like, they will not have to worry about that. The boys have become not just teammates, but family.
“At practice, everyone is able to share their thoughts and help teach other,” said Brown. “On the field at games, we have strong communication and a great environment where we support each other.”
As the school year rapidly approaches its end, the senior players look back on their time with the Norwin High School Boys Lacrosse team. At the end of it all, they not only became great friends but also like family.
“This is going to sound cliché, but I think I am going to miss my teammates the most,” says Wu. “We practiced together, we suffered together, we prevailed together. They are my second family.”
With playoffs growing closer and closer by the day, the Boys Lacrosse team is preparing to destroy the competition. Looking beyond this year’s rough season, the team is determined to win.
“I think that once we get healthy and everyone gets back on track we will get back to playing well,” Bartos said. “We have a tough couple games coming up but we need to not let those games get to us. If we play our game we can beat almost anybody in WPIAL.”
