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HomeMy Public PortalAboutSports: LacrosseLacrosse added as M-D High School sport BrKYLA SAWYER For The Star -.Jews Lacrosse, a sport that mixes hockey, soccer and basketball, is the newest addition to the extracurricular offerings atMcCall-Donnelly High School. The team, called the McCall Blackout, formed last year but had limited play. "This year we have 16 players on our roster, but it seems like we have someone new show up almost every time we practice," Blackout coach Jake Wilson said. Five new Blackout players and 11 return- ing lacrosse veterans, from eighth grade to a senior in high school, will take the field on Saturday against teams from Burns, Ore., and Borah High School at Cassia Park in Boise. "It's really great cross training for a lot of sports," McCall Blackout defenseman Braden Bell said. Bell, a senior, first played lacrosse as a freshman in Eugene, Ore., before his family moved three years ago to McCall. "The sport has a really good combination of both physical toughness and finesse - it Photo for The Star -News by Matt Moehr McCall Blackout coach Jake Wilson, right, works with Braden Bell on a lacrosse move during a practice this week. doesn't matter what kind of player you are, there's a spot on the field for you," Bell said. Lacrosse it is not sanctioned by the Idaho High School Activities Association and does not receive funding from the McCall -Donnelly School District, Wilson said. See LACROSSE, Page A-2 Lacrosse (Continued from Page A-1) "At this point, a lot of kids are purchasing their own equipment; we've also had some equipment donated from the Treasure Valley Youth La- crosse League," Wilson said. His goal is to expand the team, build consistency, and perhaps apply for member- ship in the Treasure Valley High School Lacrosse League next year. Former Lacrosse Player A 2000 graduate of Mc- Call -Donnelly High School, Wilson played for Boise State University's lacrosse team for four years, and was an as- sistant coach for Boise High School in 2006-07. The Blackout practice twice a week inside the gym at Payette Lakes Middle School. So far, the team's focus has been on game fundamentals and player positions. , "We're grateful to have the space, and we've got a number of kids that are already show- ing improvement even after just a few weeks of practice," Wilson said. Having players from other sports come out for lacrosse has been a huge asset to the team, he said. "A lot of players from the hockey team came out, and they have a great understand- ing of the game," he said. "Playing lacrosse can be a steep learning curve, espe- cially when most of the Boise teams have been playing in youth leagues for some time," Wilson said. Team members are excited to see what they can do on the field. Everyone's kind of ner- vous because we are such a new team, but just the chance to go out and play some real games has everyone jumping off the walls," Bell said. 3I /0 Lacrosse mixes soccer, hockey, basketball The lacrosse playing field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide compared to an Ameri- can football field that is 120 yards long, including end zones by 53 yards wide. Goal nets are six feet by six feet and are 80 yards apart, with 15 yards of playing area behind each goal. A match consists of four 15- minute periods, although high school quarters are usually 12 minutes each. Each team has 10 players per side on the field - three defenders, three midfield- ers, three attackmen and a goalie. The field of play is set up similar to soccer, and substitu- tions are made during game play as in hockey. Lacrosse has penalty boxes similar to hockey for personal fouls such as tripping, slashing and illegal cross checking. Players wear helmets, elbow pads, shoulder pads, gloves, basketball -style shorts, soccer -style shoes and short - sleeved football -style jerseys. They carry a lacrosse stick to throw and carry a rubber ball roughly the size of a ten- nis ball, but more dense. The object of both teams is to get close enough to the opposing team's net to throw the ball in the net and score a goal. Players may run or throw the ball down the field toward the opposing team's goal. Each goal counts for one point. Some of the game rules that make lacrosse unique to other sports happen when a player throws the ball out of bounds. In lacrosse, the team closest to the line where the ball went out of bounds gets possession. Also, after each score, the game begins again with a face off in the center of the field. This gives the team that just scored an opportunity to win the face off and score again. IVI- 1J 1Cll.l U G LGQ111 11V11.17 its own in first action Photo for The Star -News by Matt Moehr Photography Garrett Egnew of the McCall -Donnelly High School Blackout battles for the ball with a Borah High School player in Boise on Saturday. BY KYLA SAWYER Wilson said. For The Star -News During the third period, the Blackout picked The McCall -Donnelly High School Blackout up a second goal when McCall's Neil MacNichol scooped up a ground ball, ran it in, and scored unassisted. Minutes later, Blackout player John Crosby scored again off an assist from MacNichol to make it 4-3 and brought McCall to within one point of Borah. It was exciting for the team to see they could compete against schools who have been practic- ing much longer than us," Wilson said. The Lions picked up two more goals in the third and fourth periods to win 6-3 over McCall. Despite the losses, Wilson says the team is really encouraged to see what they can do this year. Afterwards, other coaches told me they expected these to be one-sided match -ups, but felt that in both games our team hung in there and held their own," he said. The Blackout's next game is April 11 against Capital High School at River Glen Junior High in Boise. MCCALL BLACKOUT LACROSSE VS. BURNS, ORE. — MARCH 27 Bums: 1 1 2 3 - 7 McCall: 0 1 0 0 - 1 No further game stats provided. MCCALL BLACKOUT LACROSSE VS. BORAH HIGH SCHOOL — MARCH 27 Borah: 2 2 1 1 -6 McCall: 0 1 2 0 - 3 Second Period - 1, McCall, player name unknown. Penalties - McCall, MacNichol (slashing). Third Period - 2, McCall, MacNichol, Neil, unassisted goal. 3, McCall, Crosby, John, (MacNichol, Neil assist). Penalties - McCall, Jones (slashing); McCall, Phillips (slashing). lacrosse team took the field for a two -game season opener at Cassia Field in Boise on Saturday. The team played well in its debut but lost both games to teams from Burns, Ore., and Borah High School in Boise. BURNS, ORE. 7, MCCALL 1 The Blackout struggled, 7-1, against a more experienced lacrosse team from Burns, Ore. "We were just so excited to finally be playing lacrosse outside and against another team; it's impressive the desire these kids have to come out and play," coach Jake Wilson said. Due to spring break, McCall had only 12 players on its roster and borrowed two team members from Borah High School, Wilson said. McCall's sole game goal was scored by one of the borrowed Borah players. BORAH 6, MCCALL 3 In game two, the Blackout came together and gave the Lions a run for their money before losing 6-3. In the first period, Borah jumped ahead, 2-0. The Blackout got a boost when they scored a goal in the second period. The Lions roared back with two more goals to lead 4-1 at halftime. "In the second half, it became a much closer game; we really controlled possession of the ball, and it all seemed to come together,"