Ga Lacrosse

[Sack Attack]

practice on it more than any other team in the state, true?

...True. I'm just saying, we practice maybe twice a week on that field, not every day like you said.

[GAmc9]

pope 11
mcintosh 10

came down to the final seconds

[dc8rlax]

... ... ...

[Sack Attack]

Bracket needs to be changed to HIES as the 2 from Area 3 and Pace/West as the 1 from 3.

[loganlax]

I left early- it was 8-3 Alpha and they were dominating.
I think 7-0 at the half. Alpha just looked more physical and athletic at both ends.
Fraser looked good. only reason the score was not worse. Solan was not really tested.
no idea the final... interested to hear it

[galax2009]

final:

Alpharetta 8
Lovett 5

good game both ways, very physical. alpharetta looks alot better since the last time i saw them play. they just seemed to move the ball better than lovett did. the time of possession was very lopsidded the first half in alpharetta's favor. good game to watch

[justchillaxin88]

pace's field is awful. there IS a home field advantage. they practice on it every day and that is an advantage. if you're saying the field is not in pace's favor, then you're wrong.
and HIES played on Westm's turf due to rain.

most westminster lax games are played on their back field, their turf field. b/c track and soccer also use their stadium for meets and games.

The big region or rivarly games are in the stadium and most games are on the turf. HIES was going to be in the stadium, but was moved b/c of rain.
I watched them play Pius and Alpheretta, both games were on the back turf field.

[blahblah1234]

Bracket needs to be changed to HIES as the 2 from Area 3 and Pace/West as the 1 from 3.

hies could still be seeded 1. very small possibility but they could. if westy beats Pace by 1 or something like that. but i think pace has got it.

[justchillaxin88]

and the way things are looking for the playoffs is that you really cannot perdict with solid judgement, b/c teams are getting a little bit streaky this year more than others...

as for Pace v West, i think that it will go one of two ways:

The true west teams shows up, the one that beat BT 14-0 and was on fire...
West blows out pace. I can totally see this happening mainly due to the depth of the west team. They have got solid backups at all posistions, and run lots of bodies... Pace, not so much. Their entire O is one guy and if west D plays how the can, he will be shut down and Pace wont know what to do with themselves.

Or, the sloppy west team show up that let alph beat them in the last two minutes and pace wins by 1 to 3....

anyone else got some thoughts??

[justchillaxin88]

hies could still be seeded 1. very small possibility but they could. if westy beats Pace by 1 or something like that. but i think pace has got it.

No. HIES is the 2 seed no matter what happens in the pace v west game.

[split-to-roll]

as for Pace v West, i think that it will go one of two ways:

The true west teams shows up, the one that beat BT 14-0 and was on fire...
West blows out pace. I can totally see this happening mainly due to the depth of the west team. They have got solid backups at all posistions, and run lots of bodies... Pace, not so much. Their entire O is one guy and if west D plays how the can, he will be shut down and Pace wont know what to do with themselves.

Or, the sloppy west team show up that let alph beat them in the last two minutes and pace wins by 1 to 3....

anyone else got some thoughts??


well i think thats a little generous...

8-6 westminster in a tight game to the end. westminster defense keeps rhodes in check.

[Sack Attack]

and the way things are looking for the playoffs is that you really cannot perdict with solid judgement, b/c teams are getting a little bit streaky this year more than others...

as for Pace v West, i think that it will go one of two ways:

The true west teams shows up, the one that beat BT 14-0 and was on fire...
West blows out pace. I can totally see this happening mainly due to the depth of the west team. They have got solid backups at all posistions, and run lots of bodies... Pace, not so much. Their entire O is one guy and if west D plays how the can, he will be shut down and Pace wont know what to do with themselves.

Or, the sloppy west team show up that let alph beat them in the last two minutes and pace wins by 1 to 3....

anyone else got some thoughts??
Of course I am biased, but I'm going to have to say I respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you wrote. Are you saying if Westminster shows up ready to play, there is no way Pace can win even if Pace shows up with the same intensity? Pace did beat HI who beat Westminster...

I'm also going to have to disagree with two more of your comments. Pace has more than capable backups, and as much as you guys would like to believe it, a defense shutting Rhodes won't mean instant victory. While Rhodes can impact a game with the little things, Pace has plenty of capable players ready to make the play. Who scored the game winner against HIES? I'll give you a hint... it wasn't #20.

I rarely post like this and never about my own team, but I felt compelled to say something here.

[laxwar12]

final:

Alpharetta 8
Lovett 5

good game both ways, very physical. alpharetta looks alot better since the last time i saw them play. they just seemed to move the ball better than lovett did. the time of possession was very lopsidded the first half in alpharetta's favor. good game to watch

i agree with what you say. alph. went up 7-0 at half, but lovett came out fighting but it wasnt enough to dig themselves out of their hole. the team that has the ball the most typically wins the game. it was an exciting game

[galax2009]

from the times i have seen westminster play, their offense seems to always be spread out. the scoring seems to usually be distributed evenly. having said that, im not sure if pace has enough on defense to stop westminster's offense. pace's offense seems to be less balanced, however they have players other than 20. should be a good game depending on who shows up to play. looser doesn't make the playoffs

[dcsolo14]

The Harrison Roswell game is TONIGHT at 7:30

[farside]

Went to the Alpha vs Lovett game last night and it was actually like two games.

Alpha at 1/2 - 7 to 0 - Lovett 2nd half 5-1. Real exciting game in the second half.

Alpha is fast and they are the real deal. Agressive on all fronts. Very active goalie (who was not test in the 1st half). It seemed like they won every faceoff clean except for 2. Lovett ajusted in 2nd half and put a pole far down on the wing to cut off their fast break. These kids are fast and they don't let up.

Lovett made a valiant effort to make a game out of it. Their Goalie made some great saves to keep them around.

Looks like anyone can win it this year but after watching this game I am giving an edge to Alpha because of their speed.

Other notables to watch
Harrison
Pace or Westminster (whoever wins)
Roswell
Lovett - always in the mix
Lassiter - always in the mix
Holy Innocents
Maybe McIntosh
Pope looks good - if they beat Walton
Milton and St. Pius could surprize some folks

Should be a fun playoff :bye:

[12inchlaxer09]

I heard that the lovett goalie is gona miss some of the playoff games due to being held in rehab for prescription pain killers??

[rhslax25]

This isn't really the place to post rumors, don't you think?

[dcsolo14]

Harrison Roswell should be a great game to watch

[relaxified]

final:

Alpharetta 8
Lovett 5

good game both ways, very physical. alpharetta looks alot better since the last time i saw them play. they just seemed to move the ball better than lovett did. the time of possession was very lopsidded the first half in alpharetta's favor. good game to watch

Good game. I agree with farside.

My impression was that Alpharetta is faster especially at midfield. I know some posters say they don't have much depth at midfield, but they seemed to out hustle Lovett. I thought a couple of Alpharetta's middies were too much for Lovett on both ends of the field.

Lovett's goalie really held them in the game until Lovett was able to get it together in the second half.

How is the Lovett player who hurt his leg?

[Beta26]

Roswell has been hot lately. We'll see if Harrison can shut down Bender. A good matchup should be Roswell's LSM (Litton) and Harrison's #5 (Nick).

I predict a back and forth game, with Harrison's parents embarrassing their kids in the 2nd and 4th quarters.

:argue:

[luvitatLS]

pope 11
mcintosh 10

came down to the final seconds

pope has had lots of really close games this year

[luvitatLS]

I heard that the lovett goalie is gona miss some of the playoff games due to being held in rehab for prescription pain killers??

lawlz, maybe the cute eyepaint that they wear blinded him

[Laxdad1]

I agree with Farside's comments on the Lov/Alpha game. It seemed that Alpha got to every loose ball and all I saw for 95% of the game was Lovett guys chasing the Alpha guys down the field. Heck, their goalie is just as fast or faster than most of the guys on the field. Unless a team just gets a hot hand on the day they play Alpha, I really don't see a team that can beat them.
Farside, I think your list is being a little generous. Hies, Pace, SPX, and West,probably have very little if any chance of making it into the finals this year.

[justchillaxin88]

Of course I am biased, but I'm going to have to say I respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you wrote. Are you saying if Westminster shows up ready to play, there is no way Pace can win even if Pace shows up with the same intensity? Pace did beat HI who beat Westminster...

I'm also going to have to disagree with two more of your comments. Pace has more than capable backups, and as much as you guys would like to believe it, a defense shutting Rhodes won't mean instant victory. While Rhodes can impact a game with the little things, Pace has plenty of capable players ready to make the play. Who scored the game winner against HIES? I'll give you a hint... it wasn't #20.

I rarely post like this and never about my own team, but I felt compelled to say something here.


i am saying that if both teams show up to play, i think west has the better team. thats just my opinion. feel free to disagree with it.

and i know that you have more players than 20, but i wonder how many goals he has, how many assists he has, and how many plays were made because of him?
who assisted the game winner vs HIES?
i dont know, im just asking...

but feel free to disagree, and we can talk all we want, but thats why they play the games...

[tigerlax22]

if alpharetta wins state, im never touching a lacrosse stick again

[farside]

Thats why you play the game LaxDad -HIES, Pace, ST. Pius and Westminster all can get in the final.

The whole idea is to make the playoffs do well and play on May 10.

Just ask the NE Patriots and all the people that thought the Giants would lose.

Anything can happen in sports :)

[relaxified]

if alpharetta wins state, im never touching a lacrosse stick again

I assume you're kidding but in reality it should motivate you in the opposite direction. Those guys give up size to just about every team in the state but I'll bet they're the strongest. People say they don't have depth but its usually the other teams middies who have their hands on their knees by the end of the game. Why? lots of hard work. So pick the stick back up and go to the gym during the off-season ... unless you're from Milton, in which case I wouldn't touch it again.

[Laxdad1]

Thats why you play the game LaxDad -HIES, Pace, ST. Pius and Westminster all can get in the final.

The whole idea is to make the playoffs do well and play on May 10.

Just ask the NE Patriots and all the people that thought the Giants would lose.

Anything can happen in sports :)

I did say "very little", that is a chance.

[dcsolo14]

it was something with his shin

[dcsolo14]

relating to laxdad's post about lovetts player who hurt his leg.....

[Laxdad1]

What's the story on the Pope game and the Walton score really surprised me.

[Laxdad1]

relating to laxdad's post about lovetts player who hurt his leg.....

Say what? I did see that. I hope it wasn't as serious as it looked.

[ScooPs-33]

Roswell has been hot lately. We'll see if Harrison can shut down Bender. A good matchup should be Roswell's LSM (Litton) and Harrison's #5 (Nick).

I predict a back and forth game, with Harrison's parents embarrassing their kids in the 2nd and 4th quarters.

:argue:

It should be a good game, Harrison has been close the past two years. We beat them in the playoffs two years ago, but lost regular season last year to them. Home field advantage will be a factor for Roswell in my opinion.

[keylimepie111]

I assume you're kidding but in reality it should motivate you in the opposite direction. Those guys give up size to just about every team in the state but I'll bet they're the strongest. People say they don't have depth but its usually the other teams middies who have their hands on their knees by the end of the game. Why? lots of hard work. So pick the stick back up and go to the gym during the off-season ... unless you're from Milton, in which case I wouldn't touch it again.

I dont get the milton reference relaxified.

[tigerlax22]

I assume you're kidding but in reality it should motivate you in the opposite direction. Those guys give up size to just about every team in the state but I'll bet they're the strongest. People say they don't have depth but its usually the other teams middies who have their hands on their knees by the end of the game. Why? lots of hard work. So pick the stick back up and go to the gym during the off-season ... unless you're from Milton, in which case I wouldn't touch it again.

haha why shouldnt the milton players touch their sticks? do they not work hard?

[relaxified]

I dont get the milton reference relaxified.

Just kidding, I thought by tiger's previous post that he might be affiliated with Milton and he said it would pain him so to see Alpharetta win.

[blahblah1234]

One thing i think will play a role in the outcome of the West pace game is the field. Westminster plays on the synthetic turf field, which is completely flat and very bouncy. Pace's field is grass / dirt. providing a VERY different surface. which may give pace an advantage on ground balls. jsut putting that out there

HUZZAH to you sir.

I heard that the lovett goalie is gona miss some of the playoff games due to being held in rehab for prescription pain killers??

i heard it too. thats why hes so good is because pain killers have a direct effect on reaction time i think... i'm not doctor.

[Laxnuthin']

Just kidding, I thought by tiger's previous post that he might be affiliated with Milton and he said it would pain him so to see Alpharetta win.
Ya, that was a really cheap shot - apparently u don't know what u'r talkin 'bout. Maybe you need to put your stick down and work out with sumptin other than your digits...

[lax_royalty]

Whatever people heard about any player is irrelevant and shouldn't be discussed here because that's how rumors get started.

And, for the record, as someone who has been on painkillers after surgery-they have a very poor effect on reaction time and judging distance hence the whole you shouldn't drive when you're on them advice that doctors like to give.

HIES 20 Northsprings 2

Tomorrow Pace vs. Westminster at 5 should be a good game.

[justchillaxin88]

shame on HIES for putting up twenty on NS... not good Karma

[lax_royalty]

They took the starters out second half. So it was basically JV playing, and they weren't rude about it. They were just letting the kids that never get to play get in the game and they happened to score. Nothing shameful.

[GAmc9]

What's the story on the Pope game and the Walton score really surprised me.

basically pope had no energy to start the game and were without 3 middies
7-3 at half then pope made a run in the 3rd bringing it 6-7 but lost it then finished a run late in the 4th

pope was down 9-10 with 1:30 and tied it up and won it with 20 sec left

[galaxcoach8]

I know the lovett goalie personally and this is something that would never happen to him. He comes from a good family and is for sure not into anything of that sort. This isnt the place for rumors. especially ones of this caliber

in regards to the pain killer claim

[dc8rlax]

IFarside, I think your list is being a little generous. Hies, Pace, SPX, and West,probably have very little if any chance of making it into the finals this year.
... ... ...

[flowtowin]

wow if they had any class they wouldn't have scored 20 on NS. I dont care who is playing in the game, you dont let your team score twenty in a blowout. That North Springs team has faced a lot of adversity and they fight hard every game. Its really a shame when good teams show an absolute lack of class and do something like that. It dosn't look good on the coaches, thats for sure.

[Attackalltheway]

wow if they had any class they wouldn't have scored 20 on NS. I dont care who is playing in the game, you dont let your team score twenty in a blowout. That North Springs team has faced a lot of adversity and they fight hard every game. Its really a shame when good teams show an absolute lack of class and do something like that. It dosn't look good on the coaches, thats for sure.
It shouldn't be this big of a deal. Lax is a tough sport the JV happened to go out there and play well no one expected the jv to score at all.

[Sack Attack]

wow if they had any class they wouldn't have scored 20 on NS. I dont care who is playing in the game, you dont let your team score twenty in a blowout. That North Springs team has faced a lot of adversity and they fight hard every game. Its really a shame when good teams show an absolute lack of class and do something like that. It dosn't look good on the coaches, thats for sure.

How is 20-2 different than 18-0 (Pace's margin of victory vs. NS). Chill out, the guy above said starters were pulled at half.

[flowtowin]

twenty is a whole different level than 18. yes the margin of victory is the same, good math. but mentally its not the same. when a goalie lets in 20 goals i bet he feels worse than when he lets in 18. when a team gets 20 gpals scored on them it just feels different

[Sack Attack]

twenty is a whole different level than 18. yes the margin of victory is the same, good math. but mentally its not the same. when a goalie lets in 20 goals i bet he feels worse than when he lets in 18. when a team gets 20 gpals scored on them it just feels different

When a goalie lets in 11 goals he feels worse than when he lets in 10. Sorry, don't see how a game by the same margin of victory (18...) is suddenly much different when it's 20-2 compared to 18-0.

[lax_royalty]

It has nothing to do with a lack of class. HIES is one of the most sportsmanlike and nicest teams that I know, and I know a lot of the teams pretty well.

I haven't seen people talk smack about when Pope vs. Chattahoochee 18-2, Walton vs. Centennial 17-4, Harrison vs. South Cobb 20-0, Roswell vs. Gainesville 18-1, Alpharetta vs. Marist 19-0, Milton vs. West Forsyth 22-0, Woodstock vs. North Springs 20-1, Wesleyan vs. Gainesville 20-0, Pope vs. North Cobb 20-5, McIntosh vs. Newnan 18-0, McIntosh vs. Whitewater 18-1, Pope vs. Louisville Trinity 17-3, Lovett vs. Wheeler 18-2, Pope vs. Darlington 20-3, Milton vs. Gainesville 17-2, Roswell vs. West Forsyth 23-2, Roswell vs. South Forsyth 18-2, Milton vs. Gainesville 21-0, SPX vs. North Springs 19-1...and that's not even all of the blowout games this year. Are all of those teams lacking in class, too? I wouldn't talk like that about one team unless you talk that way about all the teams that won in blowouts.

This is a game, and a lot of teams have faced a lot of adversity. No one said North Springs didn't fight hard. I thought they did ok. They're growing and need time to get better. I remember a time years ago when HIES got blown out in most of their games before they got good.

We play the game for a reason, and if you don't like the scores then maybe you should contact the GHSA and ask them to make it illegal to score, what more than 15 against a team? Good luck with that.

[galaxcoach8]

I agree with flowtowin. In a blowout, if a team isn't trying to hurt you and doesn't deserve it, it should be the coaches responsibility to not allow his team to shoot anymore. JV or not 20 should not be scored

[rhslax25]

RHS- 7
Harrison- 10

[Sack Attack]

I happen to disagree. I think 20 is the limit, but you should be allowed to go up to 20.

[dc8rlax]

... ... ...

[GALAX63]

RHS- 7
Harrison- 10


Harrison started very slow. Roswell went up 4-0 in 1Q. Harrison finally got a score in the 2nd and with the last 3 minutes of the quarter scored 3 goals to go into the half 5-5. 3Q Harrison controlled the flow and ended 8-5. Overall, Roswell started to get sloppy on their passes and catches. 4Q Harrison was up 10-5 with 1+ minute to go and pulled their starting long poles and also put in their 4th string middies. Roswell scored a quick goal on a EMO with about 35 seconds to go and their 7th goal with about 1.5 seconds to go. Overall, Harrison looked good. Harrison's d-poles shut Bender down, in fact I believe he scored a goal and and assist two man-ups. After the 1Q they just kept #28 (Lovelace) man-on-man the rest of the game as early on they were cutting to the middle and Harrison was too slow to get their middies to cover. #5 (Nick Kupcewitz) helped start the ralley in the 2nd half by scoring 2 quick goals before the end of the half. #42 (Brad Garner) scored 5 goals.

Overall, very entertaining game. Could be a preview of a second round game if both make it through. Great game for both teams. Good luck to both in the playoffs.

[Laxdad1]

Roswell, an easy place to wander around and get close to the game and the fans. The







Roswell,an intimate place to watch a lacrosse game. You can wander around and get a great feel for the game. The Harrison fans were moaning and groaning in the !st, Roswell came out fast and caught Harrison a little flat-footed but, not to worry, Harrison recovered and started getting good movement offensively and turned a 0-4,1st quarter, deficit, into a 5-4 halftime lead. Late third or early 4th, Harrison had them 8-5 and Roswell had a man-up but could not score and that was all she wrote. Harrison went up 10-5 and roswell closed it to 10-7 in the last 2 minutes. Harrison did and excellent job on Bender(not sure, maybe 1/1). He was a non-entity tonight. Roswell had no energy or intensity at all in the second half. Both goalies had a good game making really good outlet passes and excellent saves. Harrison showed why they have a chance to advance in the play-offs. They have more depth than people realize, they have plenty of speed, they can play the transition game well, and their D is under-rated

[dcsolo14]

Nicely put laxdad, in all seriousness people show no respect for Harrison. When their head coach (hunter) and defensive coach (renue) people thought they were done for. Having their head coach (Wallace) who nos absolutly nothing about lacrosse step in. All i no is that teams better be in the watch for Harrison they are legit and scrappy and not respected at all. But we will see how far they make it in the playoffs. Good luck to all teams as we enter the final stretch in the season .

[Sack Attack]

People respect Harrison just fine in my opinion, they just don't have a ton of hype. Two completely different things in my opinion.

[rhslax25]

They definitely deserve respect, their defense played some of the best team D I've seen all season.

[justchillaxin88]

It has nothing to do with a lack of class. HIES is one of the most sportsmanlike and nicest teams that I know, and I know a lot of the teams pretty well.

I haven't seen people talk smack about when Pope vs. Chattahoochee 18-2, Walton vs. Centennial 17-4, Harrison vs. South Cobb 20-0, Roswell vs. Gainesville 18-1, Alpharetta vs. Marist 19-0, Milton vs. West Forsyth 22-0, Woodstock vs. North Springs 20-1, Wesleyan vs. Gainesville 20-0, Pope vs. North Cobb 20-5, McIntosh vs. Newnan 18-0, McIntosh vs. Whitewater 18-1, Pope vs. Louisville Trinity 17-3, Lovett vs. Wheeler 18-2, Pope vs. Darlington 20-3, Milton vs. Gainesville 17-2, Roswell vs. West Forsyth 23-2, Roswell vs. South Forsyth 18-2, Milton vs. Gainesville 21-0, SPX vs. North Springs 19-1...and that's not even all of the blowout games this year. Are all of those teams lacking in class, too? I wouldn't talk like that about one team unless you talk that way about all the teams that won in blowouts.

This is a game, and a lot of teams have faced a lot of adversity. No one said North Springs didn't fight hard. I thought they did ok. They're growing and need time to get better. I remember a time years ago when HIES got blown out in most of their games before they got good.

We play the game for a reason, and if you don't like the scores then maybe you should contact the GHSA and ask them to make it illegal to score, what more than 15 against a team? Good luck with that.


True we play the game, but no need to be a**holes about it... You should never put 20 up on a team, no matter how bad they are. Its just one of those un written rules that a class coach will follow. THere is a huge difference mentally between 18-0 and 20-0...

And i wouldn't put a halo over HIES... They have had just as many cheap shots and slashes as the rest of us, but they are classier that the majority of the teams out there...

[blahblah1234]

And i wouldn't put a halo over HIES... They have had just as many cheap shots and slashes as the rest of us, but they are classier that the majority of the teams out there...

NOPE! WRONG

[I got man!]

I respect harrison in that they have some good players and can put up some good wins, but I do not respect some of the dirty players they have. hopefully in time the coaches can clean up the trash.

[farside]

I would like to ask any of the posters how they feel about teams running up the score.

Would you rather have the team that is beating you like a rented mule to pass the ball around the horn three or four times basically telling you that... sorry you are not good enough to play against our team.

Or... would you rather a team play as hard as they can and whatever the score is thats it.

Just curious.

While I subscribe that it is not the most sportsmanlike thing to do scoring as much as you can... however I feel it is more embarrassing to play catch while the other team gets more upset as you continue to play a game like monkey in the middle. GETS REAL FUSTRATING.

I don't believe coaches try to run up the score but you have to remember these are young men with a bunch of energy and sometimes they have trouble reining themselves in.:bye:

[Beta26]

I would like to ask any of the posters how they feel about teams running up the score.

Would you rather have the team that is beating you like a rented mule to pass the ball around the horn three or four times basically telling you that... sorry you are not good enough to play against our team.

Or... would you rather a team play as hard as they can and whatever the score is thats it.

As a coach, if a team is out to headhunt...scoring is best possible solution IMHO. If they are not out to headhunt...I would slow down the scoring and run set plays, give the JV guys some runs, etc etc etc. 20 sounds like a lot...but if a team is trying to take your guys out...let the flood gates open. It's the opposing coaches' J-O-B to make sure his team isn't out for blood. And if he promotes that kind of behavior...then his @$$ shouldn't be coaching.

As a player...I would rather a team go to the goal and make me feel like I were not as good as them...than if they were to toy with me (pass the ball around, stall, etc), and make me feel like I was not a player at all.

[Socrates]

I would like to ask any of the posters how they feel about teams running up the score.

Would you rather have the team that is beating you like a rented mule to pass the ball around the horn three or four times basically telling you that... sorry you are not good enough to play against our team.

Or... would you rather a team play as hard as they can and whatever the score is thats it.

Just curious.

While I subscribe that it is not the most sportsmanlike thing to do scoring as much as you can... however I feel it is more embarrassing to play catch while the other team gets more upset as you continue to play a game like monkey in the middle. GETS REAL FUSTRATING.

I don't believe coaches try to run up the score but you have to remember these are young men with a bunch of energy and sometimes they have trouble reining themselves in.:bye:

1. Because of the current playoff system, some games you have to win by at least 10 be competitive in the playoffs.

2. Coaches (on the long and short end of a uneven game), have to manage the game. This is what you do in a close game as well, it's just that the focus is different.

3. Some coaches do try to run up the score - no ifs, ands or buts about it. I've personally seen three different coaching staffs do it and it's very obvious when they do it.

[farside]

Roswell is a great place to see a game except the outrageous announcer

[tigerlax22]

1. Because of the current playoff system, some games you have to win by at least 10 be competitive in the playoffs.

2. Coaches (on the long and short end of a uneven game), have to manage the game. This is what you do in a close game as well, it's just that the focus is different.

3. Some coaches do try to run up the score - no ifs, ands or buts about it. I've personally seen three different coaching staffs do it and it's very obvious when they do it.

we take out our starters so they dont get hurt and let our lower strings work on the offensive sets we run. big deal if they score some, is more unsportsmanlike to hold the ball and run out the clock. not to mention the point differential rules, letting the team sit a couple goals behind is not very smart.

[justchillaxin88]

As a coach, if a team is out to headhunt...scoring is best possible solution IMHO. If they are not out to headhunt...I would slow down the scoring and run set plays, give the JV guys some runs, etc etc etc. 20 sounds like a lot...but if a team is trying to take your guys out...let the flood gates open. It's the opposing coaches' J-O-B to make sure his team isn't out for blood. And if he promotes that kind of behavior...then his @$$ shouldn't be coaching.

As a player...I would rather a team go to the goal and make me feel like I were not as good as them...than if they were to toy with me (pass the ball around, stall, etc), and make me feel like I was not a player at all.

I totally agree that if a team is out to kill somebody, the safest thing to do is to score. But, i highly doubt that this was the case in the HIES game.

[dcsolo14]

I respect harrison in that they have some good players and can put up some good wins, but I do not respect some of the dirty players they have. hopefully in time the coaches can clean up the trash.

dirty players? dont all teams have those? Its called a sport your going to get some of those.

[justchillaxin88]

1. Because of the current playoff system, some games you have to win by at least 10 be competitive in the playoffs.

2. Coaches (on the long and short end of a uneven game), have to manage the game. This is what you do in a close game as well, it's just that the focus is different.

3. Some coaches do try to run up the score - no ifs, ands or buts about it. I've personally seen three different coaching staffs do it and it's very obvious when they do it.

But there is a HUGE difference in winning by 10 and winning by 20.

[ny2galax37]

Roswell is a great place to see a game except the outrageous announcer

There's nothing wrong with enthusiasm for the sport. Yeah, it can get loud, but he's into it.

[justchillaxin88]

Roswell is a great place to see a game except the outrageous announcer

HAHAHAHAHA... i totally agree...

We had the ball and took a shot that was about half a foot to the left of the pipe, and the announcer says something along the lines of

And a shot WAAAAY outside of the goal, Roswell posession.

Also, a roswell shot hit the outside of the net, and he yells GOOOOOOOAL!!!!
and then the ref just looked at him...

And lastly, i watched the west v roswell game, which went into triple overtime, but after the second OT, the announcer said,

And thats the game, finial score a tie of (i cant remember the score), have a safe drive home...

The ref then yells at him, No its not!!! It is still tied! Stop talking!


hahaha.... ahhhhhhhh the crazy roswell announcer will forever be in my lax memories

[luvitatLS]

twenty is a whole different level than 18. yes the margin of victory is the same, good math. but mentally its not the same. when a goalie lets in 20 goals i bet he feels worse than when he lets in 18. when a team gets 20 gpals scored on them it just feels different

actually it was 2 goalies. but HIES needed to win by ten and they got that. then put in the JV team. they scored, when they werent expected too. big deal.

[I got man!]

Roswell is a great place to see a game except the outrageous announcer

To top it off they give him some huge and loud speakers or at least they did last year.

You have to take it in humore or else it iwll drive you nutz.:banghead:

[luvitatLS]

I don't see why its a big deal that HIES won 20-2. IF HIES had only needed a win then it would have been a little different. but they needed to win by 10 and they wanted to give the JV players some experience. stop crying justchillaxin88

[farside]

Classic - the guy is a TOOL

[Laxnuthin']

But there is a HUGE difference in winning by 10 and winning by 20.

The way some of u are talking it's like u think the games should be called off once a team has a considerable lead over the other. As is the nature of the way things go, what goes around comes around. There will be a time some day when the shoe will be on the other foot. It is just a game, so come to play. Playing better teams will ultimately make the lesser teams better in the long run, no matter how painful it seems at the time. Play hard and work even harder off the field...learn to take your lumps. It will pay off!

[rhslax25]

Classic - the guy is a TOOL

Calm down, bud. Sure the speakers are a little loud, but you're taking this a little too far...

[Laxdad1]

You can almost stay home and listen to it on the radio.

[laxshooter18]

Calm down, bud. Sure the speakers are a little loud, but you're taking this a little too far...

agree with farside. From now on, i'll refer to him as "Bob Villa"

[World_B_Free]

I remember a time years ago when HIES got blown out in most of their games before they got good.

What year was that?

[World_B_Free]

shame on HIES for putting up twenty on NS... not good Karma

Frequent listener ..... first time caller

How do you decide the right number? And what actions do you use to make sure you win by only that margin, no more or no less??

If you must win by ten, what is a safe margin before you put in the third string? How many times should you pass the ball around before you shoot? Should you only allow shots with your off-hand?

[dc8rlax]

What year was that?

... ... ...

[GALAX63]

The Roswell announcer was pretty funny yesterday. At first a little obnoxious, but he did add some fun to the game. His comments are definitely entertaining.

[Sack Attack]

Westminster 11
Pace 9

Someone else can talk about the game, I don't want to.

[Laxdad1]

You obviously only go to Westminster for "big" games. Everything but their "biggest" games is played on a turf camp field.

I only go to the biggest games.

More later on Westm./Pace

[justchillaxin88]

West wins 11-9

Was an amazing game to watch, played by two teams with nothing to lose, and they played like it.
below is just my thoughts as they come to me...

got lots of high and crazy bounces off of the field.

Two long poles for west scored

PAce goalie got called for cross checking, coach complained, but ref shut him up when he pointed to the goalies stick... it was broken in two:read:
west goal one goal off that pentaly on their backup goalie.

were three refs, kept the game pretty clean and made pretty good calls.

20 for pace only had 1 goal, on an EMO.

West D played pretty well, most pace goals happened when west lost their man and he sneaked up on the crease

Pace goalie went out of cage alot, one west goal was on an open net.

pace also had one goal off an unsettled clear and noonan dived to try and save it but missed

twords the end, it was tied 8-8, but west got a couple goals in a row right off the face, or a fast break...

Ill add things later as they come to me, but Roswell vs west should be a great 1st round matchup...

roswell won previous meeting 11-10 in triple OT

[ScooPs-33]

Ill add things later as they come to me, but Roswell vs west should be a great 1st round matchup...

roswell won previous meeting 11-10 in triple OT

was 10-9, and i heard it was rhs vs pace even though they lost. but im not saying im right, "i heard it" so dont start yelling at me.

[justchillaxin88]

your right, got my facts wrong, previous west v roswell game was 10-9 in triple OT, but no pace is out of the playoffs,
seeds are as follows from that region
1. west
2. HIES

[Laxdad1]

WHAT DO YA MEAN, NO MINT JULEPS. Like at the Kentucky Derby, you could reach out and grab all the pre-game anticipation. Both clubs came out with a case of the jitters. Everyone was just standing around and watching the guy with ball for West. early in the game. LSM's slow to get off the field. #20 for Pace did an unbelievable job facing and that led to Pace jumping out to a 2/0 lead. West. finally got untracked a little and scored 2 and went to the half down 2/3. The 2nd half was exciting. Just about every kind of goal was scored. Some unsettled, some of good offensive sets, some fast breaks off the faces. The difference in the game was Pace allowing a goal from West's LSM and another from a D-pole who ran it all the way down and scored. Exciting stuff for the crowd. Late in the 4th West. went up by 2, then Pace scored to make it 10/9 and in the last 30 seconds West scored the final goal.

The goalie play tonight was perhaps the most entertaining part of the game. Noonan setting up a pass and then making an errant throw and then watching him sprint 25 yrds. to the goal to try to save it. He laid there for ten seconds face down in the dirt with the dust swirlling around him. Paces goalie was very active coming out and having a few close ones himself. #16 for West. is who I call the hero of the game. He won every face against Pace's #20 during the 4th.(I maybe be wrong but close)

All I've got to say is three refs are to darn many but overall they did an adequate job. I thought I was seeing "triple" at first.

OK, Pace, let's turf that thing you call a lacrosse field, for goodness sake.

I apologize for being a little late posting tonight, I had to stop for a shot and a beer.

Congats to Pace for a great season.

[dc8rlax]

was 10-9, and i heard it was rhs vs pace even though they lost. but im not saying im right, "i heard it" so dont start yelling at me.
... ... ...

[dc8rlax]

... ... ...

[Attackalltheway]

OK, Pace, let's turf that thing you call a lacrosse field, for goodness sake.




ahah! someone agrees

[Sack Attack]

This was the last year of playing on that field. Pace is building two satellite complexes for sports.

[LaxMom1]

pace did not look good tonight, but when i saw pace's opener this year i just knew they werent going to make the playoffs, so no surprise for me. west. just has a better team and it showed tonight. look for them to make a good run in the playoffs

[Sack Attack]

I'm not sure how a 6-4 win against Decatur in the beginning of February tells you how a team will perform in late April, but OK.

Last time Pace didn't make the playoffs? 1999.

[blahblah1234]

This was the last year of playing on that field. Pace is building two satellite complexes for sports.

GOOD RIDDANCE. HUZZAH

[Attackalltheway]

GOOD RIDDANCE. HUZZAH

how cute..

[galax2009]

pace/westminster was a great game

[dc8rlax]

I'm not sure how a 6-4 win against Decatur in the beginning of February tells you how a team will perform in late April, but OK.

... ... ...

[Sack Attack]

The OP saying the Decature win spelled doom is uninformed at best. It's probably just inflamatory for the sake of it. Decatur has a very solid team defense and have only thrown up one stinker (Pope).

That's what I was thinking.

[IronShef]

pace/westminster was a great game
agreed, the game was intense.
both teams knew that a loss meant elimination from the playoffs and for the seniors, their lacrosse careers, while a win meant winning the region championship.
It came down to the wire, and Westminster just finished

[GALAX63]

Now that the regular season is about closed, any predictions on playoff bracket winners and potential year end awards?

[justchillaxin88]

Did Suoza whip out the inverted zone tonight? 3 poles up top with 2 middies on pipes?

they went into it once, but pace passed off the poles to down low...

[luvitatLS]

how cute..

cute baumstarkerz

[rhslax25]

Now that the regular season is about closed, any predictions on playoff bracket winners and potential year end awards?

All Americans

Lukens- Attack- HIES
Bender- Attack- Roswell
Mustowy- Midfield- Alpharetta
Rhodes- Midfield- Pace
Gleason- Midfield- Roswell
Kupcewicz- Midfield- Harrison
Georgakakos- Defense- HIES
Soto- Defense- Pope

[I got man!]

All I've got to say is three refs are to darn many but overall they did an adequate job. I thought I was seeing "triple" at first.



I am fan of Laxdad1, but I have to disagree with this comment especially when everyone likes to complain about the lack of knowledge our refs have (lets not go a tangent and get back on this topic). So if they add an extra one then hopefully they should see things more as well as get more experience. I always wish for 3, guess that is what I was used to. Most of the time it is a money issue or the coaches forget to ask the booster club to budget for 3 or some don't realize the value. You would have an umpire, referee, and a side line judge. One benefit a 3rd could bring is catching the illegal substitutions, early releases, illegal procedures, etc and controlling the coaches and players on the sidelines not to metion a extra set of eyes from a different angle.

[luvitatLS]

DArius Bowling HIES Defense at least all state first team

[Beta26]

DArius Bowling HIES Defense at least all state first team

Not this year. Georgakakos will get first team. There's no way they'll both get on there. Darius will most likely get 2nd team this year at most. The only 2 players to ever be on 1st team all state for a single position were Hicks/Palmer in 2006 for attack, and Fanning/Erickson in 2004 for attack also. Darius is good, but he's not in the same ballpark as Phillip or Soto yet. He's a great sophomore. But he's not the best.

First team defense will most likely be:
Georgakakos (HIES)
Soto (Pope)
Peterson (Lovett)

[luvitatLS]

Not this year. Georgakakos will get first team. There's no way they'll both get on there. Darius will most likely get 2nd team this year at most. The only 2 players to ever be on 1st team all state for a single position were Hicks/Palmer in 2006 for attack, and Fanning/Erickson in 2004 for attack also. Darius is good, but he's not in the same ballpark as Phillip or Soto yet. He's a great sophomore. But he's not the best.

First team defense will most likely be:
Georgakakos (HIES)
Soto (Pope)
Peterson (Lovett)

Yeah i know he wont get it this year, i was just joking around

[Statman]

So we turn to Pope/Walton for last playoff slot, correct?

[luvitatLS]

i think so, and Stars Mill gets the Area 1 #2 right?

[jishlaxxer]

Not this year. Georgakakos will get first team. There's no way they'll both get on there. Darius will most likely get 2nd team this year at most. The only 2 players to ever be on 1st team all state for a single position were Hicks/Palmer in 2006 for attack, and Fanning/Erickson in 2004 for attack also. Darius is good, but he's not in the same ballpark as Phillip or Soto yet. He's a great sophomore. But he's not the best.

First team defense will most likely be:
Georgakakos (HIES)
Soto (Pope)
Peterson (Lovett)

Just out of curiosity, if Georgakakos gets AA (which from what I have seen is possible), doesn't that take him out of the running for All State? (even with him still joking around)

[Beta26]

If you get AA you can (and should) get all-state. Lukens was AA last year and was first team all state attack. And will (should) get the same accolades this year.

[luvitatLS]

Milton vs HIES

discuss

[relaxified]

Beta, what number is Peterson on Lovett?

[Beta26]

Milton vs HIES

discuss

Advantages

Goalie: Milton
Defense: HIES
Midfield: Milton
Attack HIES

Milton is young at defense and HIES is stacked at attack.

Milton's attack against HIES' position-based defense should make for some interesting matchups. However, HIES's poles are solid on-ball...they ball watch and slide late. That could prove debilitating at times for Milton's cutting attackmen.

I would still take HIES by 3.

[Beta26]

Beta, what number is Peterson on Lovett?

#37 if I remember correctly.

[ScooPs-33]

All Americans

Lukens- Attack- HIES
Bender- Attack- Roswell
Mustowy- Midfield- Alpharetta
Rhodes- Midfield- Pace
Gleason- Midfield- Roswell
Kupcewicz- Midfield- Harrison
Georgakakos- Defense- HIES
Soto- Defense- Pope

Im not sure about Kupcewicz, he is very good but not All American IMO. He cant do much of anything with a defender that doesnt let him sneak. The others I will agree on, although I have not seen Georgakakos or Rhodes play this season.

[dc8rlax]

i think so, and Stars Mill gets the Area 1 #2 right?


I can't figure that one out because they've all played each other 10 times. Looks like it's probably Starrs Mill, but it depends on which games are the actual area games.

[blahblah1234]

is rhodes playing college anywhere?

[laxshooter18]

I can't figure that one out because they've all played each other 10 times. Looks like it's probably Starrs Mill, but it depends on which games are the actual area games.

I think this could be considered "official". http://ga.prepcountry.com/?m=33913&w=1&s=39 Starrs Mill is correct.

[Sack Attack]

is rhodes playing college anywhere?

Nope he's headed to UVA.

[GALAX63]

Im not sure about Kupcewicz, he is very good but not All American IMO. He cant do much of anything with a defender that doesnt let him sneak. The others I will agree on, although I have not seen Georgakakos or Rhodes play this season.

I'm not sure you have seen him then over the whole year then. He's getting doubled up on many plays and still manages to score 2-3 per game. Not to mention his shot is one of the hardest in the state. Having seen those that have been mentioned, I think he is as good, if not better than most listed.

I heard a lot on Bender's play throughout year, so was excited to see him play Harrison this past week. He's a definite big player (size wise), but he was shut down for the whole game with 1x1 defense. Not sure if that was due to the defender, or an off game. From a d-pole standpoint, Lovelace was able to handle him and I could see him garner some considerations for 1st or 2nd team All-State awards based on this and previous game results.

[jishlaxxer]

If you get AA you can (and should) get all-state. Lukens was AA last year and was first team all state attack. And will (should) get the same accolades this year.

Thank you for clarification

[relaxified]

All Americans

Lukens- Attack- HIES
Bender- Attack- Roswell
Mustowy- Midfield- Alpharetta
Rhodes- Midfield- Pace
Gleason- Midfield- Roswell
Kupcewicz- Midfield- Harrison
Georgakakos- Defense- HIES
Soto- Defense- Pope

A great list from what I've seen. Since you have two from HIES and Roswell, I'd like to pitch a couple of guys from the team I watch the most, not necessarily for AA, but certainly deserving of 1st or 2nd all state.

Mostowy got a lot of hype early this season on this board, and he deserves it. He's got great wheels, endurance, grit, and determination. He's a ground ball machine and is great on face-offs and on both ends of the field.

Three other Alpharetta players who you hear about, but not as much ...

Mostoufi on defense is not flashy and does not possess super stick skills. All he does is consistently limit the other teams top scorers to their lowest numbers of the season. He is smart, fast, persistent, reads well, durable, doesn't take penalties, and tenacious. He's a guy that you have to watch to notice. Once you start watching, you'll be very impressed. He's like the cornerback who doesn't have big numbers because the other team throws away from him, sometimes you don't notice Mostoufi because the other team can't get the ball to the man he's guarding.

Pearce at midfield, again not flashy, but gets his goals and assists. He's fast, strong, protects the ball well; a stud at both ends of the field. Just ask Lovett's goalie or their middies who tried to iso him. He's an outstanding face-off middie, plays on man down and EMO. WHen they are two men down, he'll probably be out there with a pole. He may be their best all around defender.

Stanton on attack, maybe a bit flashy. He has huge numbers on a team that has put up some numbers this year. He has a good outside shot and is tricky in close. He feeds well when not shooting and he is scrappy on ground balls and on the ride.

[Laxdad1]

I'm putting in Lamie's name for midfield, although he is a Jr., he deserves consideration. Very wicked shot.
As far as Bender is concerned, if the guys he plays with could do a better job of handling his passes when he is at X, Roswell would have maybe had a chance of winning a couple of those close games. He is at the top in his passing ability. Sometimes he holds the ball to long and tries to dodge to much when he is up against a quality defensive guy but, like most attackmen who have size their tendency to overpower gets to them.
Pope/Walton tonight ought to be interesting. Have to go with Pope but sometimes wierd things happen.

When and where do they post times of the 1st round of playoffs? Is the 1st round next Wed?

I didn't mean I did not like 3 refs and I agree with all the reasons, I just did not expect it. Even so, some calls made were borderline.

#8 for Pace had a good game last night as did the freshman #10 for West.

[unclax1]

A great list from what I've seen. Since you have two from HIES and Roswell, I'd like to pitch a couple of guys from the team I watch the most, not necessarily for AA, but certainly deserving of 1st or 2nd all state.

Mostowy got a lot of hype early this season on this board, and he deserves it. He's got great wheels, endurance, grit, and determination. He's a ground ball machine and is great on face-offs and on both ends of the field.

Three other Alpharetta players who you hear about, but not as much ...

Mostoufi on defense is not flashy and does not possess super stick skills. All he does is consistently limit the other teams top scorers to their lowest numbers of the season. He is smart, fast, persistent, reads well, durable, doesn't take penalties, and tenacious. He's a guy that you have to watch to notice. Once you start watching, you'll be very impressed. He's like the cornerback who doesn't have big numbers because the other team throws away from him, sometimes you don't notice Mostoufi because the other team can't get the ball to the man he's guarding.

Pearce at midfield, again not flashy, but gets his goals and assists. He's fast, strong, protects the ball well; a stud at both ends of the field. Just ask Lovett's goalie or their middies who tried to iso him. He's an outstanding face-off middie, plays on man down and EMO. WHen they are two men down, he'll probably be out there with a pole. He may be their best all around defender.

Stanton on attack, maybe a bit flashy. He has huge numbers on a team that has put up some numbers this year. He has a good outside shot and is tricky in close. He feeds well when not shooting and he is scrappy on ground balls and on the ride. Have to agree with you. Ive had the luxury of seeing every team a few times and Alpha is far more balanced than I sometimes see on the board and you have identified some guys I have noticed (although I didnt know Mostoufi's name - just know him as #28). Alpha's D is very solid and seems well coached and may be abit underappreciated. Mostoufi has been their shut down guy and the guy who makes most of thier calls. He's worth a second look. Pearce may be undervalued by many. Solid on faceoffs and a strong kid. Worthy of recognition as he plays both ways , is a good defender and is hard to not notice. not as flashy as some other guys Ive seen posted but, right there with them if you look at end to end contribution. Stanton is as good as a shooter as there is out there and may be more versatile than others posted. Personally, I think the Alpha top guys are in a good spot - they seemed well coached with a bag full of adjustments they make and a good supporting cast. Sometimes the guys you brought out get lost because Alpha is pretty balanced. Enough on them, on to some other teams that have players who dont get enough pub. Any thoughts? need to gather mine but first, looking forward to Pope/Walton tonight.

[unclax1]

Advantages

Goalie: Milton
Defense: HIES
Midfield: Milton
Attack HIES

Milton is young at defense and HIES is stacked at attack.

Milton's attack against HIES' position-based defense should make for some interesting matchups. However, HIES's poles are solid on-ball...they ball watch and slide late. That could prove debilitating at times for Milton's cutting attackmen.

I would still take HIES by 3. At the risk of saying I agree with you too many times........ HIES's attack is very strong. Thier advantage vs Milton's D is too much provded they get enough touches. Milton is hard to figure as they can look really sluggish at times and thier offense doesnt always click. I just dont see how that Milton D can shut down HIES unless they can really posess. Ive seen them each twice and I thik you know what you are getting with HIES. Milton - not always. Advantage HIES

[laxshooter18]

Have to agree with you. Ive had the luxury of seeing every team a few times and Alpha is far more balanced than I sometimes see on the board and you have identified some guys I have noticed (although I didnt know Mostoufi's name - just know him as #28). Alpha's D is very solid and seems well coached and may be abit underappreciated. Mostoufi has been their shut down guy and the guy who makes most of thier calls. He's worth a second look. Pearce may be undervalued by many. Solid on faceoffs and a strong kid. Worthy of recognition as he plays both ways , is a good defender and is hard to not notice. not as flashy as some other guys Ive seen posted but, right there with them if you look at end to end contribution. Stanton is as good as a shooter as there is out there and may be more versatile than others posted. Personally, I think the Alpha top guys are in a good spot - they seemed well coached with a bag full of adjustments they make and a good supporting cast. Sometimes the guys you brought out get lost because Alpha is pretty balanced. Enough on them, on to some other teams that have players who dont get enough pub. Any thoughts? need to gather mine but first, looking forward to Pope/Walton tonight.


Without a doubt, each of those 3 deserve mentioning when we discuss the best in the state.

[unclax1]

So we turn to Pope/Walton for last playoff slot, correct?
Walton is another one of those teams struggling to find consitancy. They have had some surprising games (both ways) but, I just dont see them being strong enough to win a big game like tonight. Pope is solid right now and even with thier back against the wall agaisnt SPX, found a way to win. I just dont see them letting this one slip away. But again, these are HS kids.......

[GALAX63]

Just out of curiosity, if Georgakakos gets AA (which from what I have seen is possible), doesn't that take him out of the running for All State? (even with him still joking around)

Looking back in '06 & '07, if you were AA you were also showing up as 1st team All State. I'm assuming it is a given if you make AA you are automatically on the 1st Team All State team.

[ATLredgoalie55]

Pope v. Walton at Walton tonight at 7:30. Hide your daughters.

[unclax1]

All Americans

Lukens- Attack- HIES
Bender- Attack- Roswell
Mustowy- Midfield- Alpharetta
Rhodes- Midfield- Pace
Gleason- Midfield- Roswell
Kupcewicz- Midfield- Harrison
Georgakakos- Defense- HIES
Soto- Defense- Pope
Now for the All State Goalies.........not that easy - Lovetts, Lass's, Pope, Alpha,Milton and west goalies are all solid and have different strenghts....glad I dont make these picks

[rhslax25]

Yea, I left out a goalie selection because it's just so close. From what I've seen firsthand, though, I would have to say Hostetler from Milton, even if he is a junior.

[rhslax25]

I'm not sure you have seen him then over the whole year then. He's getting doubled up on many plays and still manages to score 2-3 per game. Not to mention his shot is one of the hardest in the state. Having seen those that have been mentioned, I think he is as good, if not better than most listed.

I heard a lot on Bender's play throughout year, so was excited to see him play Harrison this past week. He's a definite big player (size wise), but he was shut down for the whole game with 1x1 defense. Not sure if that was due to the defender, or an off game. From a d-pole standpoint, Lovelace was able to handle him and I could see him garner some considerations for 1st or 2nd team All-State awards based on this and previous game results.
He's been all-state his previous 3 years, and he didn't have the best game against Harrison, but he has had numbers that very few come near, and is one hell of a player.

[luvitatLS]

Now for the All State Goalies.........not that easy - Lovetts, Lass's, Pope, Alpha,Milton and west goalies are all solid and have different strenghts....glad I dont make these picks

The one time i saw West's goalie i wasnt all that impressed, it was the HIES game. but ive heard that he's pretty good most of the time.

[Laxdad1]

Is there anywhere to access team/individual stats?

[rhslax25]

Our site does, but it's under a protected section.

[ny2galax37]

Looking back in '06 & '07, if you were AA you were also showing up as 1st team All State. I'm assuming it is a given if you make AA you are automatically on the 1st Team All State team.

To clarify for everyone:

All coaches have already been asked to submit nominations of their players and statistics for post-season awards (All-America, All-State, All-League, Academic All-America) to the awards meeting coordinator. This Sunday, the coaches of playoff-bound teams will meet to vote on post-season awards. A player does not necessarily have to be nominated to receive an award; any coach at the meeting may open up discussion on a player who may not have been nominated, and the group may decide that he is worthy of recognition. So, even if your coach does not submit a player/players for consideration, others may chose to grant recognition to him/them. It is the desire of the committee to recognize at least one player from each team playing lacrosse.

To be named All-American, a player must first be voted onto the 1st Team All-State. Therefore, an All-American player also shows up on 1st Team All-State in that year. This year, I believe Georgia boys lacrosse qualifies for 8 or 9 All-Americans.

Academic All-America soley recognizes academic achievement for athletic participants, and is not determined on the basis of lacrosse statistics. Georgia boys lacrosse will award 4 Academic All-Americans this year.

[relaxified]

While we are talking individual honors as well as Pope/Walton I'd like to bring up a point which I know will spark controversy. However, I was a little surprised last year how the top awards were concentrated on relatively few teams.

Some examples:
1. Lovett, Westminster, and Milton accounted for 40% of all the 1st and 2nd team awards. They accounted for nearly 60% of all the 1st and 2nd team awards distributed amoung the top ten teams.
2. Four of the top ten teams only had one 1st or 2nd team player.
3. Private schools accounted for 6 of the 8 all americans although only 3 private schools were in the top 10 and only about 25% of the teams playing lacrosse last year were private.

I'm not saying any of those players didn't deserve recognition but maybe some deserved it more. It's just hard for me to believe that Lassiter who played in the championship only had 3, 1st and 2nd rounders while Lovett and Milton, who didn't make the dance, had 6 and 5 respectively. It is harder for me to believe that Roswell, Alph, McIntosh, and Northview only had one apiece and Walton and Etowah, who finished 11th and 12th, had none.

I think most of us agree that Lovett, Westminster, Lassiter, and Milton are powerhouses in this state and one bad year won't change that. Similarly, a great year by an upstart team won't grant them "dynasty" status. I also think that most of us agree that when more teams evolve to challenge the powerhouses, the overall state of the game will improve in Georgia.

Maybe dc8rlax can help me here ... if this kind of change is good, I have a feeling that the "established coaching power structure" is going to have to let go of the status quo a little more when it comes to honoring the state's best players. I may be wrong, but when I look at the awards from last year, I envision a meeting where some coaches have to do a lot more selling than others while other coaches pretty much get their way.

Very few people really know who the best in the state are. Most just cheer for their team. On this forum, I hear the same names all the time. Some players seem to have a P.R. staff. Sometimes flashy poles get more respect than the guy that makes it look easy. Middies who put up scoring numbers are honored more than defensive middies. Shooting attackmen get more press than the setup guy or the guy that keeps it alive.

It is incumbent for a coach to sell his players, but it is equally important for a coach to be realistic, honor other teams accomplishments, and accept change. While it might be hard for the Gainesville coach to sell one of his players as an all american, I get the feeling that some of the established coaches might be hanging on a bit too tightly.

[Beta26]

Relaxified,

Good points.

That is why (IMHO) that coaches/parents/fans/players should spend more time talking about players on other teams...than the ones on their teams.

[relaxified]

Relaxified,

Good points.

That is why (IMHO) that coaches/parents/fans/players should spend more time talking about players on other teams...than the ones on their teams.

Thanks, and I agree. I've watched a lot of games, but I focus on one team. Those of you that have the real love and watch lots of different teams play, carry that torch.

[rhsgoalie35]

If you get AA you can (and should) get all-state. Lukens was AA last year and was first team all state attack. And will (should) get the same accolades this year.

For a player to get All-American, he has to also get 1st Team All-State or he doesn't even contend for All-American honors.

[Statman]

I think this could be considered "official". http://ga.prepcountry.com/?m=33913&w=1&s=39 Starrs Mill is correct.
Isn't Northview in playoffs as #2 in their area and against Harrison???

[World_B_Free]

16 coaches voted. 10 of the 16 were from public schools. they chose the AA and the All-state. Decatur's vote is equal to Lovett's vote, no more, no less. and i don't think most of the coaches pay attention to this website. the good coaches sell their "set-up guy" and "not-so-flashy" d-men. and the good coaches know who are the better fundamental players on the teams they have played. i think you need to give the coaches more credit for knowing their competition.

hopkins fans talk about .........hopkins
duke fans talk about .........duke
why would decatur fans not talk about decatur?
why would lacrosse be any different than any other sport?

[laxshooter18]

Isn't Northview in playoffs as #2 in their area and against Harrison???

I think if Hooch beats Alpha and Wesleyan beats Northview, then there is a 3 way tie for the #2 seed. I'm not sure who would win the tie break, otherwise it's Northview but someone should check this.

[relaxified]

16 coaches voted. 10 of the 16 were from public schools. they chose the AA and the All-state. Decatur's vote is equal to Lovett's vote, no more, no less. and i don't think most of the coaches pay attention to this website. the good coaches sell their "set-up guy" and "not-so-flashy" d-men. and the good coaches know who are the better fundamental players on the teams they have played. i think you need to give the coaches more credit for knowing their competition.

hopkins fans talk about .........hopkins
duke fans talk about .........duke
why would decatur fans not talk about decatur?
why would lacrosse be any different than any other sport?

I appreciate the input and the insight. I just didn't see such a concentration of talent last year. However, I disagree with your last sentence. Teams can only play a maximum of 18 regular season games and there are 48 teams, how can coaches really know what's out there before playoffs? For whatever reason, I gather you don't see it as disproportionate as I do.

[rhslax25]

Both those are pretty unlikely; I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

[Sack Attack]

If we have 8-9 All-Americans this year, does that mean basically half of 1st Team gets A-A?

[World_B_Free]

actually, lacrosse is a "smaller" world vs. other sports. football teams only play 9 games, but pick from a much larger pool for all-state. it is disproportionate, but i think the current system works, can't think of a better way to do it. each year, more kids from PS in the AA and all-state mix. lacrosse is a revolution but some of the change is an evolution. i like ALL of the trends as it pertains to AA and All-State.

[Crew_Socks]

Relaxified, that could possibly be the best post on this forum. On last years 3 All State teams there were *maybe* 3 players from non playoff teams. It seems like its the same teams over and over again, with different players getting shout outs. Lovett had eight kids spread out throughout the All Americans last year. Thats ridiculous, those kids are definitly good, but I have seen most of them get worked by kids from lesser programs. The coaches who vote dont open their eyes to kids on the lesser teams, I dont think it will really change, but hopefully some of these playoff coaches could show some love to some good players on the lesser teams in their own division, rather than pimping out their own players year after year...

[gclark94]

I am just wondering. Is there any way for some one who plays club ball to get all state?

[Crew_Socks]

No, isnt there a seperate vote for club guys, like NGCLL or something like that?

[UDaMan]

Pope 12
Walton 9


More to follow

[blahblah1234]

i'm pretty sure the best goalie in the state is brian garber. hands down.

[dcsolo14]

So how does everybody feel about playoffs? Who do yall think has a legit chance of winning it all this year....It seems pretty equal to me at this point but what does everybody else think??

[laxshooter18]

So how does everybody feel about playoffs? Who do yall think has a legit chance of winning it all this year....It seems pretty equal to me at this point but what does everybody else think??

On 3/26 I said,

ST.PIUS v Etowah
McIntosh v POPE
WESTMINSTER v Roswell
HARRISON v Northview
ALPHARETTA v Woodward
MILTON v Holy Inn.
LOVETT v Stars Mill
LASSITER v Decatur

Two great teams, Walton and Pace, miss the playoffs because they play in the toughest Areas.

Comments & 2nd Round
- Pope beats Pius (7-4).
- Westminster finds their groove before seasons end and wins a classic (Noonan v. Bender) over Roswell. Shows everyone why they are defending by topping Harrison.
- Milton musters some pride after an otherwise disappointing season (7 losses) by beating HIES, but is no match for Alpharetta.
- Lovett beats Lassister because, well, they are Lovett.

Semi and Finals
- Pope beats Westminster due mostly to the consistent performance over the season.
- Alpharetta tops Lovett by 2 learning much from their 3 goal loss during the regular season on 4/23. They go on to beat Pope in the finals.

Now it is nothing more than blind luck that I was right on the first round match-ups especially how exciting the season ended. However, I'll still take Alpharetta to win it all.

[ScooPs-33]

So for All-state Team 1...
What are the guessses on whose going to be getting it for:

Attack:
Middie:
LSM:
D:
Goalie:

[dc8rlax]

[QUOTE=relaxified;1539881] i just got asked to stop coming here.... later y'all

[galaxcoach]

to talk about the selection process:

all coaches are asked to submit their nominations from their team, with statistics if they want.
the coaches from the playoff teams meet before the playoffs start. each coach is handed a list of players broken down by position first and school, each player on list has a little info on him and stats.
the coaches go around the room and talk about each player as they come up on the list. coaches are asked that if they have 2 or more players on the list to keep it short and encourage on over the other, i.e. not "well tim and tommy are obviously the two best attackmen in the state they should both get first team" but, "while both these players are very good, tim is the better of the two as he sets up everything for everyone else, i would vote tim 1st team and tommy 2nd or 3rd."
after the coaches go through each position they are given a list with 1-10 to fill out. points are added up and the teams are made.
you may have noticed that some years we have 3 1st team attackmen and some years we have 4 etc. this is becuase there is no set number, it is done by large breaks in the points. i.e. if tim gets 42 tommy gets 41 john gets 41 joey gets 39 and bob get 36 the break of 1st team would come between joey and bob. generally they try to keep the numbers down so we dont have 6 1st team attack 9 1st team middies etc.
it is a fairly good system but the problem comes when coaches havent done their homework and seen the kids on the list ( i know this is next to impossible but we can see most through scouting etc) then we have to rely on what we hear from other coaches and the numbers, which can sometimes be misleading.

this year will be interesting becuase as stated we have 8-9 aa spots. only 1st teamers are eligible for aa so depending on how many 1st teamers we get it seems that most of them will be aa as well.

hope this helps.

[relaxified]

Thanks galaxcoach, dc8rlax, and world B. The process, as you described it, is much as I suspected; where persuasion plays a role. The fact that I perceived a questionable concentration of selectees at certain schools could be because those coaches are influential or could be a result of abdication by some of the "newer guys on the block". Or as dc8rlax said, "coaches see the game a little differently ..."

I realize that there is a concerted effort to be fair. However, there are many non pedigree teams poised to make some noise this year and I'd like to think that the coaches from McIntosh, Decatur, Pope, Roswell, Alpharetta, Harrison, and others will be heard to the same extent as the powerhouses. I also realize that Westminster could play Lovett or Lassiter in the final.

[split-to-roll]

3 - Coaches see the game a little differently than players.



I think this one is the most important. I don't think anyone even knew Noonan's name until he beat Axford out for first team all state last year. Unsurprisingly, coaches are a better judge of talent than the average fan.

[gagalax18]

#2 for westminster is the best defensive middie (short stick) in state

[Attackalltheway]

how was milton playing this season?

[Sack Attack]

When someone knows the A-A's and the All-State lists, please post them.

[rhsgoalie35]

how was milton playing this season?

From what I have heard and seen, they have a lot of young talent. They have been somewhat inconsistent but they know how to play and when they do show up, watch out. They also have a dominant goalie, attackman, and midfielder, and these players combined carry their team for the most part.

[Laxdad1]

Thanks for the great explanations you guys have given but the most influence seems to have been weeled by the most influential coaches. We will see soon who holds that power/or what group of coaches. I predict more kids from more schools will make 1st team. Times are a changing.

Gettin back to the playoffs:

The Milton/Hies game seems, to me, the toughest call in the 1st round. I've seen Milton play twice(Alpha/Lass)and Hies game w/Pope. I think if Milton runs and does not slow the game down, Hies D may break down as they did v. Pope. Milton must contain Lukens. I don't know if they have the D to do it. Maybe some of you know Milton and could give everyone an opinion on this. What do you guys think?

Westm./Roswell We may be heading to another OT game here. Westm. D may be a little soft and Bender could have a good game. Westm. although they seem to be playing a little better looked a little disorganized in the Pace game. They had trouble offensively during the 1st half and difficulty getting the ball out of their end of the field. Noonan would be smart staying closer to home in this game.

McIn/Pope Looks like
Pope has to go down to McIn twice this season. They made it out of there with the W last time and I believe they will do it again. Pope has found a way to make it through their close games all year. They are just a deeper and stronger team than McIn. Pope by 2-3.

Other winners will be: SPX,Harrison,Alpha,Lovett,and Lass.

[rhslax25]

Is all-state/AA stuff coming out on Monday?

[laxdog27]

Should we even show up for the first round if SPX, Harrison, Alpha, Lovett, and Lass won already? Be prepared for a surprise or two, including but not limited to the 3 obvious tough first round games.

[ny2galax37]

Is all-state/AA stuff coming out on Monday?

No, focus on your 1st round game. :grin:

[keylimepie111]

Wow, i can't stand those people who hack this forum.

Milton beat HIES
Northview beat Harrison
McIntosh beat Pope
Westminster over Roswell

I can give the HIES game recap can other people post the other game summary's.

Milton came out against HIES with a four or five goal lead, but by half time HIES was within one point of Milton. HIES looked good but Milton just was played better lacrosse it was a lot like Milton vs Roswell . I don't know if Milton can play well enough to beat Alpharetta.

[GK32]

17 8 Westminster
Westminster came out to play and Roswell couldn't stop them.
The first quarter ended 7-4 Westminster with not much defense on either side, Bender got de-sticked twice by the Westminster All-American Stewart Seigel or something like that? I'm not sure. Bender didn't have any goals and I'm fairly sure he didn't have any asists. After the first quarter it was really Westminster for the rest of the game. I don't know what team the coaches thought Westminster was but I'm pretty sure they deserved more than the 3 or 4 state spots than they got, and maybe it was just the one westminster player shutting bender down but he certainly didn't look like an all american, he missed the goal twice in shots, none on goal I'm fairly sure. I'll have updates on some other games later, glad the forums are back up.

[Statman]

Wow, 4 upsets out of 8 games.......GA Lacrosse playing field is leveling. Now, which Milton and Lassiter teams will show up for next round? Will Westminster tradition & experience win out? Pius and McIntosh game looks like the most interesting.

[theking2]

so what does the next round look like?

[Beta26]

St. Pius at McIntosh
Northview at Westminster
Lassiter at Lovett
Alpharetta at Milton

[dc8rlax]

-- i just got asked to stop coming here.... later y'all

[Beta26]

What's scary is that those comments from those fans is extremely consistent from what I've seen out of the Lassiter stadium this year.

[ny2galax37]

17 8 Westminster
Westminster came out to play and Roswell couldn't stop them.
The first quarter ended 7-4 Westminster with not much defense on either side, Bender got de-sticked twice by the Westminster All-American Stewart Seigel or something like that? I'm not sure. Bender didn't have any goals and I'm fairly sure he didn't have any asists. After the first quarter it was really Westminster for the rest of the game. I don't know what team the coaches thought Westminster was but I'm pretty sure they deserved more than the 3 or 4 state spots than they got, and maybe it was just the one westminster player shutting bender down but he certainly didn't look like an all american, he missed the goal twice in shots, none on goal I'm fairly sure. I'll have updates on some other games later, glad the forums are back up.

Seiler played Bender well, but Bender had a much better second half and finished with 1G/3A. The goal by the way, was a phenomenal one-on-one match up of big man vs. big man. Bender dodged from X, backed Seiler over GLE, did a swim dodge and stuffed the ball one handed into the goal. He's an All-American, and a great kid too.

Westminster came to play and Roswell was flat.

Oh, and I would say that the Westminster student section vs. Lassiter's would be a good matchup. They are loud, lewd, rude and obnoxious. Fortunately, Westminster's players have more class than their fans.

[dc8rlax]

-- i just got asked to stop coming here.... later y'all

[Beta26]

How/where were the kids on field level? They should have been in the stands.

Refs can flag the home team for the crowd...if I am not mistaken.

[I got man!]

How/where were the kids on field level? They should have been in the stands.

Refs can flag the home team for the crowd...if I am not mistaken.


Once again Beta is correct.

[dc8rlax]

-- i just got asked to stop coming here.... later y'all

[relaxified]

Wow, i can't stand those people who hack this forum.

Milton beat HIES
Northview beat Harrison
McIntosh beat Pope
Westminster over Roswell

I can give the HIES game recap can other people post the other game summary's.

Milton came out against HIES with a four or five goal lead, but by half time HIES was within one point of Milton. HIES looked good but Milton just was played better lacrosse it was a lot like Milton vs Roswell . I don't know if Milton can play well enough to beat Alpharetta.

Three of these results were mild surprises to me. The extent of the McIntosh and Westminster victories pushes them to major surprises. But the Northview victory blows my socks off. Did anyone see that game? Congratulations N.V.

[dc8rlax]

The Pope score has to be the upset of the year. I believe Pope has 20+ seniors and Walton is rising.

[GK32]

Oh, and I would say that the Westminster student section vs. Lassiter's would be a good matchup. They are loud, lewd, rude and obnoxious. Fortunately, Westminster's players have more class than their fans.

I sat in the W. Section last night and though I did hear some jeering and I have in the past I would say it was nothing compared to the Lassiter games I have been to. I went to the Pope Lassiter game and the heckling was little more than threats of brutality towards Pope players. Though Westminster may need to calm down the heckling a little bit, comparing them to fans who would freely use racial slurs isn't quite fair. The Westminster fans yelled the most at refs and at the goalie when he ran off and threw his helmet at the bench. I'm not defending them because heckling doesn't have much of a place in any sport, but racial slurs have a place nowhere.

[longpole58]

Seiler played Bender well, but Bender had a much better second half and finished with 1G/3A. The goal by the way, was a phenomenal one-on-one match up of big man vs. big man. Bender dodged from X, backed Seiler over GLE, did a swim dodge and stuffed the ball one handed into the goal. He's an All-American, and a great kid too.

Westminster came to play and Roswell was flat.

Oh, and I would say that the Westminster student section vs. Lassiter's would be a good matchup. They are loud, lewd, rude and obnoxious. Fortunately, Westminster's players have more class than their fans.

I was at the Roswell/Westminster game and saying W came to play is an understatement... also shows you that a team approach to offense it THE way to win. Not sure what the stats were but the W offense was on fire and balanced. #3 and #6 came out smoking, #5 looked like he was in on half the goals and assists, #17 and #10 and #4 were all moving with and without the ball. Don't know if the killer was Seiler's (29) long stick goal or, more likely, when the Roswell d-pole tossed one past his own goalie (always hate to see that).

As for W's fans, they were load and pulling for their team, but it looked and sounded clean to me. Please don't equate pulling for your team with gusto with the sort of behavior that went on at the Lass/Decatur game.

[JogSplitBurn]

I sat in the W. Section last night and though I did hear some jeering and I have in the past I would say it was nothing compared to the Lassiter games I have been to. I went to the Pope Lassiter game and the heckling was little more than threats of brutality towards Pope players. Though Westminster may need to calm down the heckling a little bit, comparing them to fans who would freely use racial slurs isn't quite fair. The Westminster fans yelled the most at refs and at the goalie when he ran off and threw his helmet at the bench. I'm not defending them because heckling doesn't have much of a place in any sport, but racial slurs have a place nowhere.

the West. fans were definitely giving it to bender, mainly because of the hype and the disappointment (somewhat) he was after getting handled by 29 on west. that crossed the line a little, but the starting goalie on Roswell threw his helmet 15 or 20 yards. i think he might have been hurt, but he very well could have been just angry at his d. not very sportsmanlike.

[longpole58]

so back to the playoffs... at least in the upper bracket, who now is the favorite? The four that remain look to be fairly even - guess it depends on who shows up. Thoughts?

[Beta26]

St. Pius at McIntosh
Northview at Westminster
Lassiter at Lovett
Alpharetta at Milton

[ny2galax37]

the West. fans were definitely giving it to bender, mainly because of the hype and the disappointment (somewhat) he was after getting handled by 29 on west. that crossed the line a little, but the starting goalie on Roswell threw his helmet 15 or 20 yards. i think he might have been hurt, but he very well could have been just angry at his d. not very sportsmanlike.

He was hurt, but it was an unfortunate display of sportsmanship, for which he was benched for the remainder of the game.

Dunlevie (#6) and Jump (#17) pumped in four goals apiece. Definitely not the same team they were in February/March.

When Roswell went into its zone defense, Souza made some amazing in-game adjustments .

[farside]

Sorry for the Long Post everyone but after reading about parents and fans from your recent posts I thought it would be a good idea to post this recent Blog for the guy that runs E-Lacrosse. It makes perfect sense for all the jerkoffs that shoot their mouth off at games and how in the world did the Decatur Coaches not pull their team off the field if some Moron's was yelling racial slurs. If the refs questioned him he could have said we are not playing anymore until you remove the filth in the stands. While I agree with many of the posters... rooting for your team with Gusto is ok... but F'Bombs and racial slurs are out. Again sorry for the long post, just thought it was important.

================================================== =======:loser:
Time for some lax dads to shut up and sit down
Covering a D3 game recently, I was appalled by the behavior of about five or six of the home team players’ fathers toward the officials. It is not the first time this year I have encountered such conduct, and the identity of this particular school is not important. I took particular notice this time because it was so out of place in the otherwise perfect lacrosse environment. Unfortunately, I am constantly editing E-Lacrosse video to eliminate loud and nasty jeering by a parent or group of parents. I can tell it’s getting worse.

Various Googled, bookmarked and never-read studies seem to indicate that fan behavior is getting worse all over. YouTube is populated with various sideline arrests, fights and other parent-related sports incidents. Parental behavior has been a serious problem from youth leagues through high school for years. The issue of unruly parents, while isolated to dads (meaning men and not women, generally), is not isolated to D3 or even men’s lacrosse. I have personally witnessed many dads in DI women’s lacrosse behave atrociously.

While the abuse that I witnessed wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, it was perhaps the most illustrative. Each of these dads had their own theme or personal approach in the harassment of the officials. With every hit, out of bounds ball or close play, a cacophony of signature jeers would begin, interrupting the constant loud muttering which still lingered from the last. There was the astonished dad. His shouts always indicate surprise, like:

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ONE! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!”

He stood next to the aggrieved dad, who would yell things like:

“YOU ARE KILLING ME! JUST GIVE THEM THE GAME ON A FREAKING PLATTER, WHY DON'T YA?”

Nearby was the harbinger of doom dad, offering up his loudest advice:

“I”LL JUST CALL THE AMBULANCE NOW!”

The sarcastic dad threw me. For a moment, I thought he was supporting the refs against all the other dads. He shouted something like:

“THAT’S A GOOD ONE!”

A bit later, during a flurry of haranguing, he yelled again:

“THAT’S A GOOD NO-CALL! THAT’S A GOOD NO-CALL!” but followed it up with “OH YEAH, GREAT NO-CALL! JUST GREAT!” and I was deflated. He was one of them.

The naive dad kept yelling “WARD! WARD!” over and over every time the other team had the ball. There were times when it was obvious he had no idea what a ward -- interfering with a defender’s stick with your off-hand -- was.

The accusatory dad piped in with “HOW MUCH DID THEY PAY YOU?” just as the humorist hit the official with some cataract surgery reference or maybe “YOU’RE MISSING A REALLY GOOD GAME!”

Grand conspiracy theorist dad belts out “WHAT? DID YOU COME ON THE BUS WITH THEM?”

One guy would follow the action, literally moving with the game along the sideline just deriding the official closest to him. Another kept bringing God into it, yelling “OH MY GOD” and “HOLY JESUS!”

The abuse started early too. After the second play of the game, an eruption of critical shouts were highlighted by the singular bellowed follow-up of “OH, ITS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE?” which not only forewarned those in attendance of the behavior to come, but indicated to me that these guys had been here before. This was ongoing behavior. These were serial offenders.

By game’s end, it was obvious that this team’s games had become a participation event for those dads as much as for the kids. At one point, a dad ran the sideline alongside the ref, with his head in his hands in terrible grief, all the while, hurling invectives. His buddies pointed at him and laughed. This group of dads looked like they had a system. They split up, covering both ends of the field with their abuse in two little packs. They stood as close to the sideline as they could.

One of these bullies actually carried a camera around with him so he could stand closest to the field. I never once saw the camera lift to his eye, but his mouth just moved for the entire length of the game. He cursed, insulted the ref some 20 times, commented on EVERY hit of the game and engaged the referees directly.

This man was easily the worst of the bunch because while he had a kid on the field, he had two on the sideline with him, who would look at each other and smile whenever he acted up. They admired it. By game's end, one of the young men harassed a ref himself in one of the ugliest tirades I have ever seen while his dad stood next to him, arms folded in disgust -- AT THE REF!

The opposing team was physical. The game was hard-fought. You could audibly hear most of the checks from both teams. The play was fair for the most part, and fouls were called when it wasn’t. A few calls were missed on both sides like every game I have ever seen. I do not know these refs personally, though I know quite a few all over the world. I have, however, seen them officiate many times without thinking any were less than competent or fair, which is to say they are excellent refs. I film many games and watch every game I film at least three times in the production process, so I do not miss much. I know who the bad refs are, and there are far fewer than many fans think.

Refs are human though, and at the end of this game, I might have seen a call or non-call go the way of the complaining parents, whose team had long been out of contention. Any person who interprets that as a good reason to continue this behavior should stay away from lacrosse fields altogether. This is a gentleman’s game, and spectators should behave accordingly.

Other than offering the appropriate spirited encouragement, fans attempting to influence the game in any way, are cheating. Frankly, at the college level, parents who take their offspring’s sporting events too seriously and cannot control their poor sportsmanship, are pathetic. I played on a team with a really terrible dad once, and the son was so embarrassed and horrified by the parent’s behavior at games that it affected his play and even his life off the field.

At a major college game, there is an announcement before the start that requests the fans not to use foul language, be racist or sexist in any way or show unsportsmanlike behavior. It also forewarns that such behavior will be met with more than just disapproval. The offenders will be removed from the game premises physically. I have not seen too many removals over the years, but I have seen some.

At the smaller college games where less than 100 parents converge with less than 60 girlfriends and frat brothers to watch a game, sometimes at a venue that is not even on campus, there is no security. Why should there be? The kids in the stands are well-behaved, and the rest of the audience pays tuition. Where there are no public announcement systems, there are no public announcements and no sportsmanship warning.

Policing the sportsmanship at these games will become a problem that requires addressing if we can’t just get the few dads to act responsibly. But that’s harder than it seems. In this game, there were more harassers than there were refs, so if the refs had confronted the group, they might have been assaulted. Maybe not. But I would not say anything to them, due to their numbers, and I am not bashful about such things.

So how does a kid stop his father from behaving that way? How do a few of the offended moms or perhaps opposing team's parents approach or confront the ever-growing issue of terrible dads, much less the actual dads themselves? They can’t. If the “dad community” doesn’t get a handle on the issue, behind the scenes, at the tailgates, over a beer at the hotel, it will escalate and hurt the game. That is your challenge, Lax Dads, before it’s too late.

That fan behavior policy which is read at the big games, and the security that would enforce it are really just an extension or embodiment of an NCAA's strategi