Quick with Sticks: Cougars Lacrosse Teams Prowl for a Successful Season

The Charlotte Catholic Men’s lacrosse team’s season is underway and the Cougars are hoping to make a run to the NCHSAA 4A state championship. Under the guidance of Head Coach Bo Turner, the boys look to build upon an impressive 22-1 season through the use of returning veteran seniors and fresh underclassmen talent.

Currently, the Cougars are 2-1 as they showcased 2 dominant 20+ goal wins over Ballantyne Ridge and Providence High School. However, they lost 16-14 in a close game against their fellow Catholic school rival, Cardinal Gibbons. Now the team is set to face off against the Lake Norman Wildcats, a top 10 ranked team in the southeast, on Friday March 7.

One of the biggest setbacks the team will need to overcome is the loss of crucial players on the defense such as Mark McMahon, Mason Graham, and Rowan Hedley. The team will also be missing Jack Ransom who currently plays lacrosse at Georgetown University and is CCHS’ all-time leader in points.

Sophomore midfielder Emmett Drensek, is confident that the team will be quite successful in their upcoming season. He mentions that the team has played well so far. “We couldn't get the job done against Cardinal Gibbons but we'll get better and be back,” he said. 

Emmet believes “discipline and focus when it gets late into the season” will be key to success and a deep playoff run. The boys hope to correct the mistakes they made in the quarterfinal loss against Marvin Ridge so they can make it back to the State Championship in 2025.

The men's lacrosse team has the tools for a very successful season that could result in a championship. Fans should expect exciting and action-packed games the entire year.

The Charlotte Catholic girl’s lacrosse team’s season is also in full stride and they hope to make a run in the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs. Led by Head Coach Dee Bier, the girls aim to make it back to states for the second season in a row. However, this time they want to bring a trophy back home with them.

The Lady Cougars are currently 2-0 with assertive wins over Ballantyne Ridge and Providence High School. The team now looks forward to their games this week against Weddington High School and the 2024 state champions, Cardinal Gibbons.

Sophomore defensive player Emma Kruger was a freshman on varsity last year. She said, “Last year went really well. We beat Weddington in the semi-finals and made an appearance at states where we played Gibbons.” She hopes that this year the girls will improve on their previous season by bringing home a championship. 

Emma feels that senior and Virginia Tech commit Maddie Baumgratz will have a huge impact on the team’s success this year. Emma says, “She is influential on both sides of the field, through her decisive communication on defense and her ability to score and assist goals on the attacking end.” 

Some challenges the girls will need to overcome include the loss of All-American midfielder Mary Catherine Farley and the return of the state powerhouse, Cardinal Gibbons. Gibbons has multiple Division 1 recruits this year and will be one of if not the toughest game during the girl’s season.

The girl’s lacrosse team looks forward to competing all season long and hopes to have success in the state tournament. Charlotte Catholic students and fans are excited to attend many of the girls games this season.