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,"