Outlaws lacrosse falls in first round

The boys lacrosse team lost 7-6 to Harney County in the first round of playoffs on Friday, May 14, which brought their season to an end. Three days earlier, the Outlaws suffered a 4-1 loss to Summit in their last league game of the season.

Coach Bill Rexford told The Nugget that his team tried very hard to get a win over Harney in Friday's matchup but just had an off day. Still, the Outlaws never gave up. Sheer will and determination kept them in the game, and Sisters had a chance to tie with time running out.

If the Outlaws could have capitalized on just a couple of opportunities, Rexford stated he felt they would have relaxed and been able to raise their level of play.

"We dropped key passes, took poor shots, made mental mistakes in key situations and collectively were just not on top of our game," stated Rexford. "We were so tight and the boys wanted to win so bad. What should have been goals morphed into turnovers."

Rexford said his team ended the season wanting more.

"The boys that are coming back will lick their wounds and start to prepare for next season today," said Rexford. "We end the season with a beautiful effort and will miss the leadership and maturity of our seniors."

The Outlaws will have some big shoes to fill next year. According to Rexford, this group of seniors gave their very best and brought the program up a notch. Sisters will say goodbye to defensemen Billy Sampson and Drew Johnston, midfielders Cam Valdez, Seth Schneider, Alex Novotny, Drew VanDiver, Justin Duvenick and Gilbert Porraz; and attack Ben Bremer and Isaac Gonzales.

Senior Billy Sampson said, "The season was great. We had a lot of personal and team improvement, but most importantly, we bonded as a team."

Rexford told The Nugget that what he will miss most about this group of seniors is their friendship.

"They supported one another yet also held each other accountable," stated Rexford. "If subsequent classes meet the behavior expectation set by this group of seniors, every year will be a success. I'm not talking about wins and losses but about learning and growing."

The Outlaws end their season disappointed because they know they could have beat Harney County but on the upside they agree that this season was the most successful the team has experienced to date.