Despite a season in which they did not win a game, the Archie Williams boys varsity lacrosse team remained resilient. They faced adversity throughout the season, especially as it was the first time Archie Williams had a boys lacrosse team since 2021. Nevertheless, the season still produced positive outcomes, especially the play of the freshman class, most of whom will be returning to the team next spring.
“The year felt good, and it felt like a good foundation year,” said freshman starter Dominic Cox. “I got into lacrosse from [senior captain] Timmy Cahill, and he brought me into lacrosse as a good sport to have as an off-season plan [for football].”
Dominic played a crucial role in the offense, and he had several assists throughout the season. Like Dominic, many other boys followed Timmy from the football team to lacrosse.
“In my opinion, I think that lacrosse was a lot more fun to play than [football]. It was almost all action and not a lot of stoppage time,” said sophomore Matt Chamberlin. “I got into lacrosse because I wasn’t doing anything else [at the time], and I saw that the team needed people, but also, because my mom played in college.”
Overall, the team went 0-6, including 0-4 in league play, but they continued to persevere throughout the season. No matter the deficit they faced in any game, they played their best until the end.
“Many of the underclassmen are new to the sport, but they brought with them determination and athleticism that we hope will allow us to grow as a program and thrive for the years to come,” said head coach John Zerbe.
Such a new team leaves time for steps toward improving the team’s overall performance and work ethic. Senior team captain Teddy Catrini says that having a developed team culture parallels success.
“Since there wasn’t already a culture and team infrastructure set up, it was hard to get stuff going,” Teddy said. “It took a lot of convincing for the school and kids to even have the team.”
Often, the ability to create a connection with a team or coach comes with multiple seasons worth of experience. Teddy found his passion for lacrosse at a young age and credits his joining the Archie Williams team to his early involvement in the sport.
“I’ve been playing since elementary school. My brother started playing it before me and inspired me to try it out all those years ago. I lived on the East Coast where it was a lot more popular than it is here,” Teddy said.
Taking on the role of team captain comes with many responsibilities, including being a leader for the younger players. Teddy hopes that the younger athletes will continue to improve from this past season in the following years with hard work and discipline.
“I was trying to teach the underclassmen that to actually accomplish anything, you need to try; nothing comes instantaneously,” Teddy said. “Since we were losing games, it was difficult to stay hopeful, but our team’s progression throughout the season showed that in the coming years, we should have a program that lasts.”
Despite having one of the roughest seasons in Archie William’s history, the Falcons boys varsity lacrosse team plans to keep improving its player base with dedication and work ethic.
“With a young team, it’s really about gaining momentum… We have about a dozen freshmen and sophomores and the goal is to bring them back along with some new players next season. I saw these guys getting better, 1 percent a day, it doesn’t happen overnight,” Zerbe said.
