Lake Mary lacrosse prepares for challenge
A year after graduating five starters who were were unable to complete their senior seasons due to COVID-19, Lake Mary boys lacrosse coach Garrick Robinson figured there would be growing pains and some uncertainty for his squad in 2021.
“We knew we were in for some of the ups and downs that you’ll have with a young team,” Robinson said during a practice Tuesday night.
The scoreboard says the Rams have had a lot more ups than downs. Lake Mary is 16-1 and No. 3 in the MaxPreps’ Class 2A state rankings going into a marquee region semifinal at home Friday night against seventh-ranked St. John’s Creekside (12-4).
“We’re young but we’re talented,” Robinson said. “It’s been a rewarding year. Our standards here are always high. It’s been good to see the young kids pull through.”
Lake Mary has won two one-goal games, including an intense 11-10 victory at home against Creekside early in the regular season. The Rams’ only defeat was a 6-5 double-overtime loss at Oviedo on March 26.
Nate Gray, a key midfielder, and faceoff specialist Hudson Cato are seniors, as is lockdown defender Alex Dorenkott, all 5-7, 140 pounds of him. But around them are a slew of younger players — including leading scorer Josh Donovan, a junior.
Sophomore Koby White and ninth grader Caden Harshbarger have also been key contributors offensively.
Start time is 7:30 p.m. for a matchup that has drawn much attention in the lacrosse community after Creekside knocked out No. 1 ranked Ponte Vedra with a 9-8 district final conquest last week.
Robinson said he didn’t consider that rankings upset a surprise at all given Creekside’s stockpile of talent.
Lake Mary is one of four teams — alongside undefeated Winter Park, Boone and Windermere — hoping to be the first Central Florida public school to capture an FHSAA boys lacrosse state championship.
Lake Highland Prep, an Orlando private school, won four state titles in a span of five seasons (2011-15) under the direction of former coach Chris Spaulding, who now leads Montverde Academy’s program.
Robinson’s Montverde team plays host to Lake Highland in a 1A region semifinal Friday.
Friday boys lacrosse region semifinals
Class 2A
St. John’s Creekside (12-4) at Lake Mary (16-1), 7:30
Boone (11-3) at Winter Park (16-0), 7
Windermere (14-3) at Vero Beach (7-6), 7
Class 1A
Lake Highland Prep (8-8) at Montverde Academy (13-4), 7
Wet courts: Most, if not all of Tuesday’s tennis region semifinal matches were washed out by rain.
A doubleheader at Winter Park High School will now be played Wednesday starting at noon with the Wildcats boys team taking on Hagerty. The WPHS girls will play at 3 p.m. vs. Oviedo.
Olympia’s home matches against Lake Nona’s girls and Vero Beach’s boys will be played at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Edgewater’s home matches vs. Dade City Pasco are set to start with the girls match at 1 p.m. and the boys to follow.
Windermere Prep is home for a girls match against Cornerstone Charter at 1:30 and a boys match vs. Circle Christian at 4.
The Freedom at Lake Nona boys match resumes at 9 a.m. at the USTA National Campus.
The West Orange vs. Lake Mary girls match was moved to Sanlando Park, starting at 1 p.m.
Other Wednesday girls matches include Bishop Moore and The First Academy, both playing at home at 4.
In boys matches, West Orange plays at Sanford Seminole, and Lake Highland Prep and Trinity Prep have home matches.
Bishop Moore’s boys play at Satellite at noon and Lake Highland’s girls also play at Satellite.