Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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28 UCW MARCH 21-27, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Jack Britt cleared one hurdle last year on the road to building a competitive boys lacrosse program, but head coach Scott Menoher knows the Buccaneers still have a long way to go before they'll be chasing state championships. Last year, the team made its first appear- ance in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs. "We estab- lished we can build a competitive program,'' Menoher said. "is year we were excited to see (that) with the conference shifts we were put in with Middle Creek, so we've got the defending state champion again.'' e good news for Menoher is the success the program has already enjoyed has appar- ently spurred increased interest in the sport. At Britt's first practice this year, before players from basketball and wrestling joined the work- outs, Menoher had about 31 varsity and junior varsity players out. By the time the wrestlers and basketball players finally arrive, he expects the number to swell to 50 total with a 50-50 split between varsity and junior varsity. "We want to continue to improve our game and make ourselves more competitive,'' he said. One way to do that will be by bringing lacrosse to athletes with no experience playing the sport. A good portion of the Britt team is made up of play- ers who have ties to Fort Bragg and played lacrosse in other parts of the country, mainly the Northeast, before relocating here. Two of the top players on this year's team, Matt Swierkowski and Connor Funck, fit that mold. Menoher said Swierkowski is a senior and Britt's lone team captain this season. "He's taken a larger role, grown in maturity and become a leader,'' Menoher said. "He is somebody I see as a guy who is going to be moving the ball down the field, direct- ing the offense and leading the team forward.'' Funck came to Britt as a sophomore last year with previous lacrosse experience from his days in New York near Syracuse. "He's one of those sparkles of talent we see,'' Menoher said. "He was an attack man last year, but he'll probably play midfield this year.'' Swierkowski agreed with Menoher that making the playoffs last season was a big step. "Not many people thought a lot about us before that,'' he said. "It was good to get a win so more people could recognize us.'' To grow the sport locally, Swierkowski thinks it's important to continue to introduce people not famil- iar with lacrosse to the game. He thinks bringing it to the middle schools is especially crucial. "ey can practice, start shooting, passing, getting into it with friends,'' he said. "at's the essential part, starting young.'' Funck agreed exposure of the game is important. "More kids will want to play it,'' he said. "ere are kids that will want to try it out because it's something new.'' Introducing the game early is key, he said, because it's not the easi- est sport in the world to get used to. "When I first started playing lacrosse, it took me awhile to learn how to pass and catch,'' Funck said. "I would say it took a good six months.'' Menoher is convinced there's another reason to keep growing lacrosse locally. He's thinks it can pay for itself quickly through gate receipts. "We bring another Friday night sport like football in the spring for people to watch,'' he said. "It's a fast, high-scoring sport. Once you get a fan base, you'd be surprised how quickly those stands fill up. "It is a potential moneymaker.'' e trial period is officially over for girls lacrosse at Terry Sanford. Head coach Jennifer White is ready to move into the realm of chasing a berth in the state playoffs. "is is our second real year and our third year total,'' White said of the fledgling program she's leading for the Bulldogs. "I feel like we are a legit, established program. e first year I had bunch of new girls. Last year we were playing at, like, the junior varsity level.'' is year's team features mostly players who are sophomores and juniors, with some who've spent up to three years competing on recre- ation and travel lacrosse teams, some based in the Triangle where the sport is played at a higher level. Now that Cape Fear has added a girls team, there are three programs in the county at the high school level. But White said those numbers have to improve, and the best way is to take lacrosse demonstrations to schools that currently don't offer the sport. For now, she's hopeful her Bulldogs can earn a state playoff berth because she feels this year's team has the talent to make that happen. Among her best players is sophomore Mattie Davis. In a recent game with Holly Springs, Davis scored eight of Terry Sanford's nine goals. She's been playing the sport since she was in the third grade. Even if other schools aren't playing lacrosse, Davis thinks it would be helpful for them if they'd just come and watch schools like Terry Sanford play the game. "e more people we have that have played, the better we'll be,'' Davis said. "I play travel lacrosse in Raleigh, and my teammates have been playing together for a very long time. ey just have a lot more experienced girls so their programs are just better.'' Davis said it's hard to grow the sport when so many people know nothing about it. "Lacrosse is fun,'' she said. As for her personal goals this season, Davis said she constantly pushes herself, whether she's in practice or a game. "I try to be the best one there while working with my team,'' she said. "I try not to be lazy, even if it is practice.'' HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Buccaneer lacrosse ready for next level by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Bulldogs anxious for state playoff bid by EARL VAUGHAN JR. EARL VAUGHAN JR., Sports Editor. COMMENTS? EarlUCWSports@ gmail.com. 910-364-6638. Connor Funck (left) and team captain Matt Swierkowski (right) Jack Britt boys lacrosse head coach Scott Menoher Terry Sanford girls lacrosse head coach Jennifer White Mattie Davis