Boys vs. Girls: Who is the real winner?
The girls scrimmaged the boys for the first time after practice on Friday, February 1. After spending a little over an hour on the field, both teams received important practice on the field for their upcoming games in the spring season.
February 6, 2019
With the start of a brand new lacrosse season for both the girls and boys team, boy’s Head Coach John Almy and girl’s Head Coach Cathy Ezzell decided to start practices with a bit of a twist. After an hour of warming up and adjusting to new game rules, the girls team scrimmaged the boys team on Friday, February 1.
“It was exciting playing the boys since most of us have been waiting for this since freshman year. I really hope we get to play them again,” senior attack player Mahogani West said.
Since the rules differ for both teams, the coaches decided to play by the girls’ non-violent rules with hopes to eliminate any potential injury during the game. The boys could not check the girls or face-off the way boys routinely do.
“Playing the girls allowed each team to get perspective on the opposite genders’ sport. I never knew the rules of girls lacrosse, but playing with them allowed me to better familiarize myself with the aspects of girls lacrosse,” senior attack player Zach Hall said.
Senior boys lacrosse player Carter Giles practiced dodging on the field after Head Coach John Almy put in his junior varsity players. Giles quickly received the ball and moved into scoring position after senior Noah McKouen won the faceoff.
Normally, the boys begin the game by kneeling on the ground trying to steal the ball from the other player’s stick, however, during the scrimmage, they started the game by participating in a draw. Rather than kneeling in the grass like the boys, the two players, senior Noah McKouen and sophomore Kacy Handzel, held their lacrosse sticks at hip level with the ball stuck in between. When the girls’ community Coach Bianca Rojas blew the whistle, the players threw the ball upwards and tried to catch it as it fell to the ground.
While playing by the girls’ rules, the boys could not help but play rough, as they do on and off of the field. In attempt to catch the ball, sophomore Trent Nolen stood behind senior Paris Jones with his stick high in the air. Jumping to intercept the ball, Nolen landed on Jones, knocking her flat to the ground. Although the accident resulted in no injuries, both players sat out the rest of the game and laughed off the play with their teammates.
The game ended with a score of 7-5 and the boys ended victorious. The scrimmage boosted enthusiasm for both teams as they all shook hands after the game. The two teams left the field excited for their season games to kick off.
“The outlook for both girls and boys lacrosse this season is bright, and playing each other brought a necessary confidence for a deep push into the postseason,” Hall said.
