By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The Lake Orion varsity lacrosse team is off to a 5-5 start after a brutal week of play where the Dragons went 1-3 against some top-ranked teams.

The Dragons lost 4-18 to state-ranked Detroit Country Day (12-1) on April 26 at Lake Orion High School.

Lake Orion senior midfielder Kyler Carson put the Dragons on the board with a goal six minutes left in the first quarter, tying the game 1-1. Senior attacker Brady Drury got the assist.

Senior midfielder Cross Papadelis scored the second Dragons goal with 4:42 left in the first quarter, giving the Dragons a 2-1 lead, their only lead of the game.

The Blue Jackets scored five unanswered goals and held a 6-2 lead at halftime.

Senior midfielder Chase Whitaker scored the Dragons third goal with 6:29 left in the third quarter, making it 3-10.

Senior midfielder Braden Brown notched the Dragons fourth and final goal of the game at 6:27 of the fourth quarter, 4-16 Blue Jackets.

Country Day is second in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) lacrosse power ratings, behind Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice. Lake Orion plays Brother Rice on May 16 at home.

Lake Orion then traveled to Midland to take on the Chemics, losing 5-15 to another perennial state powerhouse.

The Dragons rebounded with a 9-7 win over Grosse Pointe South on April 30 before taking on rival Clarkston on May 2.

The Dragons lost 7-8 to the Wolves at Clarkston, which remained undefeated at 12-0 with big wins over Cranbrook, Oxford, Okemos, Brighton, Rockford, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester Adams.

The Wolves are also ranked sixth in the state, third in division one, in the MHSAA lacrosse power rankings.

Lake Orion has a relatively young team, with 16 underclassmen, many of whom have not played at the varsity level. The team also returns 14 seniors.

Hall of Fame coach Ron Hebert is back on the sidelines. In 2021, the Dragons lost in the D1 state semifinals to Brother Rice.

The Dragons take the field against Rochester Adams at 7 p.m. Thursday at Lake Orion High School.