After a large turnout at tryouts this year, the Warriors were excited to build a competitive team this season, led by the leadership of five senior captains. The team recently edged by one their top opponents in the county, Quince Orchard, with a final score of 9-7 on April 22. They also pulled out a close 13-12 win against Wootton on Senior Night, April 29. Remaining undefeated in the regular season, the Warriors are one of the top teams in the county, further proving this with their county championship win against Walter Johnson.

The team took a hit after losing star midfielder Avery Graham, who is now playing DI at the University of South Florida. However, the Warriors intended to be stronger than ever this year with a skilled and experienced junior class. Currently, five juniors are committed to continuing to play lacrosse at the Division I level after high school. Not to mention, eight juniors total have been on the varsity squad since their freshman year.

The team is hungry to accomplish more in the playoffs after finishing in the state semi-finals last season, losing to Marriots Ridge 16-6. They are on the right track to do this after securing a 10-7 victory against WJ on May 4, keeping their undefeated streak in the county for a fourth consecutive year. In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors demolished Guilford Park by a score of 16-0 to set up a second-round matchup against Marriotts Ridge.

“We are working on our defense a lot. We need to be able to defend [Marriotts Ridge], the reigning state champions. We have plans to switch up defenses throughout the games to stay alert and exert pressure differently, but that takes a lot of time to perfect,” said Coach Kelly Hughes.

High-level players are ready to show what they can do on the field through their dedication and strong skill sets. Twins Melanie and Courtney Payne, along with Ashlyn Hambrecht, Emerson Philips, and Libby King, are all phenomenal athletes who worked hard to be able to compete at the Division I level. In the 2025 season, Courtney Payne broke the single-season draw control record at Sherwood with a total of 143 wins, and she demolished her own record this year.

The girls have been bonding this season through team dinners, allowing them to get to know each other better off the field and become a stronger team. They are also learning each other’s strengths on the field, playing cohesively as a single unit. The real test will come in the postseason when the Warriors face skilled teams outside of Montgomery County.

“We’re preparing for the harder teams by working on all our skills, conditioning, and stick work, so when we do play better competition out of county, we can keep up with them,” said junior Melanie Payne.