BY OLIVIA LEWIS
On Monday, April 1, the CCHS varsity lacrosse teams had their senior night. It was the last home game for both the girls’ and boys’ team, and the only game of the week. The girls played at 5 p.m., facing off against the Boca Raton High School Bobcats. Following their game, the boys’ team played at 7 p.m. against the South Broward High School Bulldogs. The Lady Cowboys put up a good fight, but lost with a score of 18-6. However, the boys’ team added another win to their record, finishing with a score of 16-1.
The Lady Cowboys arrived at the fields 45 minutes prior to the start of the game, trying to prepare for their intense opponent. Midfielders Grace Barr, Hailey Brown and Emma Ritzel took all the draws in the first half, putting the pressure on the other team. They won a few of them, but the Bobcats were able to secure possession on most. The Cowboys scored two goals in the first half of their game, however, the Bobcats were able to find holes through the defense, exposing the net. The first half ended with a score of 8-2.
“The season has been going well so far,” Barr said. “We have a good chance of winning districts this year.”
Although the Cowboys were behind at halftime, they lifted their heads up and prepared the gifts for the seniors. The three seniors included Emma Ritzel, Trinity Reid and Hannah Ferguson. Each girl was walked down the field by their friends and family, having a few special comments made about them on the speaker. The seniors were presented with a bouquet of flowers and a picture frame filled with action shots from the season.
“We have a good chance of winning districts this year.”
Once the senior night celebrations had commenced, the girls went back to the bench and prepared for the second half. With a strong halftime talk from head coach Bill O’Connell, the Cowboys were ready to take on the Bobcats for the last 25 minutes of the game. The Cowboys came out strong and were able to score four goals. Boca Raton was able to score 10 more goals in the second half, securing the 18-6 win. The Cowboys are using this loss as a lesson for their future games.
Their next game will be on April 8 at 5 p.m. at South Plantation High School.
Following the girls’ game, the boys’ team arrived and was ready for their game. It started on time, despite the girls’ senior night, and the boys came out flying. The defense played extremely hard, denying every attempt at a goal that the Bulldogs had. The Cowboys were able to score eight goals in the first half, putting them in the lead.
At halftime, the seniors waited in a line with their friends and family, going through the same routine as the girls did. The seniors included Griffin Hemingway, Devon Kassal, Marc Montavalo, Justin Bender, Branden Williams, Jack O’Malley
“When we are able to work together as a unit, it is a beautiful thing to be a part of.”
“Lacrosse is all about working together as a team,” Hemingway said. “It’s never only a matter of how you can do your job, it’s always a matter of how well your team can work together. When we are able to work together as a unit, it is a beautiful thing to be a part of.”
Following the senior night celebration, the boys went into the second half of the game. They only allowed one goal against them and managed to score eight more goals. The game ended with a score of 18-1. This makes the boys’ record 4-5.
Their next game will be on April 8 at 7 p.m. at South Plantation High School.
“I’ve been playing lacrosse since freshman year and it’s been a great experience,” Kassal said. “Through our three different coaches and losses in districts, the team has still made it fun.”
Photo by Carly Cuoco
