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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
River Valley lacrosse team captures championship
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Photo by Liz S. Abess
The triumphant JV Red Eagles from the Pleasant Grove Lacrosse Club celebrate their 15-7 championship win on May 16 at Treasure Island. Many of the players are from the River Valley, and the win successfully earned the team the title of Northern California Champions for JV after an undefeated season.
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By Liz S. Abess
Special to River Valley Times
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River Valley players from the Pleasant Grove Lacrosse Club (PGLC) coached by Rancho Murieta resident Paul Frank scored a big win at the Northern California championships on May 16. The event took place on Treasure Island near San Francisco and ended an undefeated season of 16-0 for the JV Red Eagles boy's high school club.
The players were overjoyed and shared high-fives and chest bumps following their 15-7 win over Casa Grande – the team to beat. The finals for high school club lacrosse in Northern California featured teams from the Bay Area to the northernmost California border who played approximately 12 games during the regular season in East/West divisions.
The core of the JV Red team, consisting exclusively of sophomores and many players from the River Valley, has played together since the founding of the PGLC four years ago. Head Coach Frank said the team has made it to the semi-finals each year and won the championship three times, but has never been undefeated all season. “Perfect seasons like this don't occur too often, but these boys deserved it," Frank said. "They worked all year towards this goal and never took their eyes off of it. I can't wait to see what this group will achieve in the next couple of years.”
The JV Red Eagles first won quarterfinals the prior weekend, then defeated Gold Country (Nevada Union) from Nevada City 10-7 in the semi-final game on Saturday, May 15. It was an intense, grueling game for players and spectators alike, and highlights featured mid-fielders Austin Bobo and Wesley Powers, amongst others, giving it their all during the game.
“Our team was fired up about playing Gold Country, and it was an intense game,” said Powers. “After that game, I knew we were ready to face Casa Grande and play our hearts out. We weren’t going to let them get in the way of our earning the number one spot.”
During the May 16 championship game, the team effort featured a strong offense and an outstanding face-off record by specialist Beau Frank, which is critical to a winning record. After gaining possession, the team successfully controlled the tempo of the game and had few turnovers. Middie Mitchell Abess had a career-high goal record with an extraordinary and rare nine goals scored in the championship game. Goalie Nathan Weber also featured outstanding performances in both the semi-finals and finals, without which the outcomes might have been different.
Parent Winton Emmett was thrilled that the entire team rose to the occasion, facing their toughest opponent of the year. “The team was able to overcome its pregame nervousness by listening to the coaches and remembering the fundamentals," said Emmett. “When they executed these basics, the plays and scoring opportunities developed smoothly and naturally."
Lacrosse is a combination of basketball, soccer and hockey. No sport has grown faster at the high school level over the last 10 years.
Locally, the PGLC just completed its fourth season with seven teams ranging from boys’ high school down to a U-11 team and one high school girls’ team. Three of the four high school teams reached the playoffs this spring, with the girls’ team securing a spot in the championships as well. New PGLC teams will be forming in the fall. “It’s really exciting to see the growth and talent in our younger age groups,” said Coach Frank. “They’re amazing and are the future of our sport and this program.”
Details about the PGLC are available at www.pglax.org.
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Online publication, Copyright 2005, The River Valley Times.
Web page design,
Copyright 2005, EZ Edit Web Publishing.
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