On Thursday, April 13, the boys lacrosse team defeated Newsome High School to win the District Championship. The Plant Boys successfully scored 17 goals, concluding the game with a final score of 17-4.

Reaching the State Semis the past two years, the Panthers are determined to take it all the way this year and win a State Championship.

“Sure, we have several games to go before we’re in the state championship, but that’s what we are preparing for,” Senior Leif McGraw said. “Realistically, we should be able to make it to the semifinals without much trouble, so every practice, our sights are set on playing at our best in those two games. Coach Francis reminds us every few days that all of our work and dedication is for May 4 to win that championship title. Despite this year’s record, our whole team knows that we have the ability to bring home that title; now it’s time to execute all of our skills and preparation. When we step on the field in May, it will be with the intent to steamroll the opposition and prove without a doubt to the rest of this State that we deserve to be in that conversation of “who’s best” each year. We need to have a vicious mentality and take on finals with no hesitation and no letting up the gas.”

With a current record of 13-5, the Plant Boys did not replicate their prior two years, where they had a combined record of only three losses. Despite this, Senior Jack Boyer believes the team has a lot to learn from their losses.

“We can study and learn from the mistakes we made in our losses and hopefully work on them in practice so we can prevent making similar mistakes in the future,” Boyer said. “I think we have a great group of guys that all like each other and are focused on our goals. I hope that we can continue to develop our camaraderie into the last parts of the season.”

“We have been focusing mainly on our conditioning and team chemistry in practice. In order to make a far run in the playoffs, we need to be in the best shape possible, so our practices have been built around high-intensity drills. We also need to have trust in our teammates.” 

The end of this season may mark the end of competitive lacrosse for many seniors on the team. However, the sport’s impact on them explains why McGraw believes lacrosse will be a part of him for the rest of his life.

“I think what I’ll miss most is the high level of competition and skill that we fostered over the past few years on the lacrosse team,” McGraw said. “Unlike most of my fellow seniors, I don’t have any plans concerning lacrosse after high school. I joke that NCAA doesn’t even know I exist because I never began the recruiting process. Although I’ll probably be involved with lacrosse casually for the rest of my life, this season marks the end of my lacrosse career and the knowledge that I’ll soon be leaving this sphere of competition that I grew up in. That being said, I do look forward to having that extra free time to invest in other areas of my life (skateboarding). I feel really honored to have played with this group of dudes for all these years, and I can’t wait to watch them take their skills to the highest level. I look forward to turning on Air Force Academy games and saying, “I played with those guys.” I’m going to miss lacrosse, and I’m proud that I got to play with these guys for my high school career.”

It is their final push, and they are going for it all; the Plant Boys Lacrosse team has had a season of highs and lows. Will they finish on top?

“I’ve had a great ride throughout Plant Lacrosse and have made some of the best memories and friends of my life,” Boyer said. “I want to finish strong and go win a championship.”