Blake Boys LAX Season Preview

(Photo Courtesy of SmugMug)

The Blake Lacrosse Team looks to have a fresh start this spring season under new head coach James Potts.

Coach Potts enters his first season coaching lacrosse at Blake, replacing former coach Patrick Howley. Potts has a lot of experience with the game of lacrosse. He has been coaching for 10 years, previously at Northwood High School for the past three years and club teams as well.

The team itself has been preparing for this season, practicing and conditioning since the fall. The team got an early start to workouts, to ensure themselves that they will be more than ready when spring came around. Senior Alec Reyes agrees that these off season workouts were very helpful.

“[Coach Potts] has made mandatory workouts during the off season and practice everyday, no matter what the weather is, so he makes us work hard and I think that is good,” Reyes says.

“I think that we have done a pretty good job this off season. In regards to weight lifting. We , in the fall had morning workouts and then we moved on to afternoon workouts in the winter season, if you weren’t playing a winter sport. Now me and Coach Bader, my assistant work out most days after practice and most kids are welcomed to stay if they want. We actually had a couple kids stay, which had been awesome,” Potts adds about the team's offseason conditioning and workouts.

With a new coach, the team is learning to adjust to Pott’s system and style of play for this upcoming lacrosse season.. There are some who say his style of play is more intense than other systems they have played in, Senior Ethan Weaver is familiar with Potts’s system from his club team experience. Weaver intends to use his leadership role on the team and his knowledge of Potts's play calling to help the team adjust easier to his system.

Potts and players on the team agree that the team has some great strengths that will help carry over into the actual season itself. The team has a really strong offense and defensive game. The team has also been bonding and has great team chemistry.

“I really enjoy the way the offense has been playing and there has been some younger surprising players on the defense,” Potts says.

“I feel like the strengths on our team is the offensive side of the ball. We have a lot of returning players that have played before, so I think that is a strength we have,” Reyes adds.

Come out and show your support to the Bengal Lacrosse Team this season. The team has a very exciting schedule this year including some big matchups at rival Paint Branch on April 3, Sherwood at home on April 13, and at Damascus on April 16.

“...I really hope to just make lacrosse more than just another spring sport. I want it to be the football of the spring, where everyone in the school can get behind it. I think if you never seen the sport, you should come out and check out a game..,” Potts says