Championships are a great indicator of success. So is the fact that roughly one out of every five boys at Christ School plays lacrosse.
Expectations are high for the 2020 varsity season, but that is nothing new for the three-time defending NCISAA Division I champions, who have appeared in the state finals the past four years.
“Our main message to the boys is we want them to take advantage of every day they have,” first-year coach Benjie Colberg said.
“I think it’s a balance. Obviously, we are playing to win a state championship but it’s a different team, a different group. Everything is earned and not given. Anything less than (a state championship) might feel like a failure to some, but that’s not how we’re trying to look at the season. There is more than just winning or losing. We want to be together as a group for as long as we can. We want the boys to play for each other and not themselves. I feel super fortunate to step into such a great program that (former coach Jeff Miles) built. A lot of guys have come before us and a lot of guys will come after. We’re just trying to be good stewards and build a program from top to bottom where we care about more than your ability as a lacrosse player. We care what kind of student you are, what kind of young man you are.”
Six starters are back from last year’s 22-2 team that set a single-season school record for goals (337).
Davis Lindsey ’20 is bearing down on just about every one of the program’s career offensive records after a 2019 season in which he had 124 points, 69 goals, and 55 assists. The gaudy numbers earned the Greenie attacker/midfielder All-American status and a spot on the NCISAA all-state team along with goalkeeper Beau Hecimovich ’20.
Davis (Loyola University Maryland), Beau (High Point), midfielder Jack Fitch ’20 (Vermont), and defender Kevin Masson ’20 (Rollins) have signed with colleges. The rest of Christ School’s 10-man senior class is made up of Grant Majewski ’20, Theo Pearson ’20, Richard Zantzinger ’20, James Cinque ’20, Charlie Tucker ’20, and Jack DuBose ’20.
Sean Dow ’21 is only a junior and was recently named one of the top 25 players in the country by U.S. Lacrosse Magazine. He won 82.5 percent of his faceoffs in 2019. Sean has committed to play college lacrosse for Lehigh, while goalkeeper Sam Brie ’21 has given an early commitment to St. Bonaventure.
Sophomore attacker Sam Bassett ’22 was voted last year’s Most Improved Player by the coaching staff.
Sizing up this year’s team, Coach Colberg said he is happy to see that newcomers will provide added depth.
“Right now, I’ve got 12 guys I can put on offense and be confident in," Coach Colberg said. "We’re trying to run a system where the point production is hopefully spread out and we’re not living or dying off of one player. Energy is going to be everything for us. I look at lacrosse as the best part of the day. I’m an energy guy and I think being grateful to be out there on the field sets the tone for practices and games. One thing is evident with this group. They love lacrosse and love being together. To have those two things makes it easy to coach.”
Varsity lacrosse's season opener is Feb. 28 at home against George Washington (W.Va.), a perennial power in its state. The schedule that follows includes a Spring Break trip to Tennessee for games against Montgomery Bell (Feb. 29), Baylor (March 2), and McCallie (March 3), and is one of the toughest that a Greenie lacrosse team has ever played.
"We're really excited to test ourselves, especially early in the season," Coach Colberg said.
