Raptor Men’s Lacrosse Spotlight

The Team:

The Lacrosse team has gained 7 promising players in the freshmen class. Coach Cosgrove is looking to mold these players, along with sophomores, into the future of the program. A very recent addition, Jacob Beuk looks to make an impact at Defensive Middie. On offense, Quin O’Keefe, Jack Tierney, and Zavier Nutting show major promise, with fantastic foundations of skills that will prime them for future success. Eli Mitchell, brother of senior Cooper Mitchell, joins the team as well, looking to transform his hockey abilities into success on the Lacrosse field. Ellison Ryan, despite his age, is a force on the defense, a Close D player that will only improve over the course of his career. Lastly, Teddy Lorusso boasts skills deserving of a starter position. However, an unfortunate injury to his back will cause him to miss a part of the season. 

The sophomore class’ presence on the team has grown this season, with several new players joining the returners. John Thomasson, Emilio Roxas-Peirano, and Garrison Gray all join the squad on offense, looking to improve their skills and lead the team in the future as upper-classmen. Returner John Silveston has carved out a spot for himself on defense, picking up the long pole and diverging from his previous participation on offense. Finally, Thomas Hershey makes the return as well, seeking to build on his performance last year and use his excellent athleticism at defensive middie. 

Similar to the sophomores, the junior representation on the Raptor Lacrosse team consists of returners and new players alike. Wilson Burns returns, finding himself as a central contributor after changing from offense to defense. Wyatt Mahoney and Isaac Cherry join the squad for the first time, looking to contribute to the offense. Isaac’s previous lacrosse experience has propelled him into a starting position, an excellent ball-handler and playmaker. Ford Martin returns to the offense, threatening defenses with passes and shots. An unfortunate injury to returner Nate Markin will leave the Raptors without a major contributor, a faceoff veteran and reliable offensive player. James King is a versatile defender, with the ability to succeed with either a short stick or long pole. Jackson Ethredge returns, as well, a powerful defender known for hitting and slashing his opponents into submission. 

Last but certainly not least, the seniors boast the largest presence on the team, with 11 players, about a third of the team. Jack Houseal and McRae Wallace seek to use their carefully crafted skills to make major contributions to the offense as middies, dishing out accurate passes and lethal shots alike. Shane Hoffman is a leader on the defense, an excellent close defender, and an asset on clears. Luke Vazquez seeks to utilize his athleticism as a defensive middie, along with bravely becoming the backup goalie for the season ahead. Boris Pekar and Andrew Moise, major contributors to the defense, will rotate at close D and long-stick middie, contributing on clears with speed and ball-handling. Joe Dragich, last season’s most prolific offensive player, seeks not only to continue his domination, but improve, beating his previous 24 goals. The stacked attack consists of seniors Ransome Hudson, AJ Silber, and Cooper Mitchell. Ransome seeks to improve on his previous stats, along with aiding the team as the faceoff man. AJ, a stellar passer and shooter, will undoubtedly end the season with an impressive point total. Cooper Mitchell, the Raptors’ resident lefty, will transfer his hockey skill set into success at attack. Rounding out the squad is senior goalie Andrew Nichols, the centerpiece of the defense. Andrew’s reliability in cage, along with his presence as a leader on the team, will lead the Raptors to success this season. 

Schedule:

The Raptors have secured a 14 game schedule, with promising matchups throughout the season. The team hopes to boast a winning record come April, a task unattainable without teamwork and practice. 

The first game of the season falls on February 21st, an away game against Bishop England. The Raptors hope to start the season off with a win over a tough opponent. Shortly after, the Raptors are set to play James Island on the 23rd at 7:00 P.M., the first home game of the season (be sure to attend!!!). Following an away game against the Philip Simmons Iron Horses on the 28th, the Raptors will host a team from Georgia, Island High School, on the first of March. The team will play at North Myrtle Beach on March 4th, the first instance of significant travel for the Raptors. Another matchup against Philip Simmons, this time at home, will fall on the 8th, three days before the team must travel to Hilton Head on the morning of Saturday, March 11th. On the 16th, the team will face off against Porter-Gaud and the former Raptor, Mac Grubb. The last away game of the season falls on the 18th, a ways away at River Bluff. The most recent addition to the season, a game against Bluffton, will fall around March 23rd. To close out the season, the Raptors will have three home games, playing Hilton Head, AC Flora, and Waccamaw on March 27th, March 29th, and April 6th, respectively

Be ready for the games, Raptors, we want to see the Birdcage packed this year!