WS Chronicle

The end of the lacrosse season is quickly approaching for the junior varsity teams around the county. Last Tuesday the Reagan Raiders overpowered the Titans of West Forsyth, defeating them by the score of 6-2.

Right from the start the Raiders seemed to be on a mission, playing very aggressively on both sides. Multiple shots on the goal coupled with defensive pressure by the Raiders made life hard for West Forsyth all day long.

“They played great with a lot of heart and energy,” said Clay Hampton, Reagan head coach. “They really came out strong and it was nice because we were almost able to get every player on the field.”

The Titans only trailed by one after the first period. The second period is where things started to get away from them. With two goals from Sam Romanik and one from Bryson Canty, the four-goal lead heading into the break gave the Raiders excellent breathing room.

“Sometimes it’s hard to balance who to get on the field, so that’s why I try and distribute the playing time for our equally talented players,” said Hampton.

The Titans played with more pep in their step to begin the second half after a stern speech from head coach Lawrence Ferguson at halftime. They finally got on the scoreboard midway through the quarter, but Reagan quickly answered with a goal of their own to maintain the four-goal lead.

The teams traded goals once again in the fourth quarter as the Raiders played keep away on offense and suffocating defense. Meanwhile, the Titans continued to press but was unable to chip away at the lead.

“I try to tell the guys that they have to come out with that same energy and desire to win in the first half like they did in the second half,” said Ferguson. “It’s like we really didn’t come to play until the second half.”

Ferguson says he was surprised his team did not come out with more fire to begin the game, especially since this is a rivalry game. He said he has been trying to instill in his team the need to play full speed at all times and not just turn it on when they are down.

Coach Hampton says his team’s M.O. all season has been to play 100 percent at all times.

“That’s Raider lacrosse and we have conditioned really hard and the coaches have laid the groundwork for that,” Hampton continued. “We are run and gun, giving maximum effort on both sides of the ball.”

Hampton says this was a great win to close out their Forsyth County opponents for the year. The Raiders travel to Charlotte and then up to Davie County for their final two games.

With the effort the Titans showed in the second half, Ferguson hopes that will translate into wins for their last couple of games. He says they have had a few of their players move up to the varsity level throughout the season and his guys are now getting comfortable in their new roles.

“What happens is when you have that momentum from winning and playing hard, it allows you to carry it on,” said Ferguson. “What I am going to do is use this game as a teaching tool for our guys to understand that if they don’t come out to play in the first half, you’re going to lose, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.”