by Aaron Jaffe ’21

 For the boys’ lacrosse team, it is safe to say that the season did not end up going quite the way that they had hoped it would. The Warriors did hit their stride straight out of the gate, effortlessly defeating Magruder 17-4, Springbrook 12-8, Paint Branch 15-7 at home and Northwood 16- 8, Blair 17-9, and Blake 14-7 on the road, en route to a 6-0 record.

 Then the biggest test of Warriors’ season up to that point arrived as the team faced Damascus on April 18 at home but didn’t put up much resistance in a 17-6 loss. “We treat each game individually and our season does not hinge on one game, win or lose,” Coach Matthew Schneider said at the time after the loss to Damascus. Sure enough, Sherwood cruised to back-to-back away wins by beating Wootton 8-3 and Gaithersburg 16-4.

 However, the Warriors then suffered two heart-wrenching losses by scores of 8-7 to B-CC on the road and then 7-6 to Whitman at home. Sherwood lost a third straight game, falling to Churchill 12-2 on May 3. Suddenly, the early-season successes seemed like a distant memory.

 In spite of the three-game skid, Sherwood finished first in the division and played Paint Branch at home on May 11 in the second round of the playoffs, after receiving a first-round bye. The Warriors regained their form and easily defeated the Panthers 12-3.

 With Urbana approaching in the third round, Sherwood had to match the same intensity from the previous game to have a chance of advancing to regionals. “Our best lacrosse will be played in May,” Schneider earlier had predicted.

 Sherwood went into the game against Urbana as the underdogs. The Warriors found out that the Urbana coach had said that he did not expect Sherwood to be a tough test for his team. This comment sparked a much-needed fire for a group of players who admittedly lacked some confidence about their chances. The Warriors played one of their best performances even if they ended up narrowly losing by a score of 7-6.

 Though the team did not reach their goal of making regionals, many players had tremendous years. Senior Wes Rhoades finished his last season in a Warrior uniform leading the team in goals and assists. Juniors Michael Feeney, Jack Hanrahan and Mitchell West all had strong seasons as Feeney led the team in assists, West led the team in ground balls, and Hanrahan played stellar defense all year long. Sophomore Johnathon Zibragos was a key spark in the lineup with solid numbers on offense. Freshman Charlie Matusek finished in the top-four in points, goals and assists. Sherwood had a bumpy season this year, but the future is bright for the young team.