The boys have their lacrosse sticks are poised to go for their first face-off this week.
‘The season looks pretty good,? said Brian Kaminskas, head coach of the boys varsity lacrosse team.
‘We are faster. We are more athletic. We are smarter,? he added. ‘We look a lot better than where we ended last year and we thought we had a good year last season.?
The boys have worked on their skills from last May up to the beginning of March in training and going to camps and clinics.
‘They have put a lot of time in the off season and it really shows,? said Kaminskas. ‘They are starting to understand with the time they put in the offseason and during the season they can be a better team than they give themselves credit for.?
Leading the team in their captain roles are seniors Jeff Turner, Andrew Miller, Hunter Layson and Luke Platte. All four add their own touches to different areas on the field.
Turner’s place is in the net, guarding against any opponents wanting to shot past and score on Clarkston.
‘He is tremendous and one of the best in the state, without a doubt,? Kaminskas added.
Miller serves as the main midfielder.
‘He should be able to face off 60-70 percent this year and those are huge numbers for a face-off guy,? said Kaminskas.
Leading the attacker is Layson – controlling and running transition and Platte leads defense.
The team plays the season without one of last season’s strong players Jon Avery due to an injury.
‘I give a lot of credit to these guys instead of panicking and worrying about it they are picking up the slack and filling in the gaps,? said Kaminskas.
The boys begin the season this week with their first game at Walled Lake Northern on Wednesday.
‘We have never played them, but we are in the same region,? said Kaminskas. ‘We always seem to mirror each other. We either win the first rounds or lose in the first rounds. It should be an interesting match up just because we always seem to be doing the same things.?
The team then takes on Perrysburg in their home opener on Friday.’The guys are really moving,? said Kaminskas. ‘They are faster and hungrier than they were. These guys step back and realize we can start the tradition Clarkston has (and have it in lacrosse).?
The game begins at 5:30 on Friday for JV and varsity follows.
The boys head to Walled Lake Central on Tuesday.