The Rockbridge County High School boys lacrosse team concluded its season with a record of 4-9 after a 19-3 road loss to Patrick Henry on Monday of last week in Roanoke.
Grayden Brown led the Wildcats with two goals, while Jayden Layman scored one goal, and John Brooke dished out two assists.
Ashtin Taylor and Chase Pooley split time in goal for RC, with Pooley making nine saves and Pooley making two.
RC head coach Davey Jones said Patrick Henry, which improved to 7-2 with the win, was “big, physical and fast. We knew it was going to be tough going into the game.”
Concluding his first season as the Wildcats’ head coach, Jones said he was pleased with his players’ improvement in what was a rebuilding year, after the Wildcats graduated several strong seniors from last year’s team, which went 6-8 and lost to Cave Spring 8-7 in the Region 4D quarterfinals.
“I’m really pleased with how the guys progressed throughout the course of the season,” said Jones. “We had a number of guys who had never played before who were significant contributors for us.” Jones noted the Wildcats had a totally new defense.
“A lot of guys stepped up in their first year on varsity,” he said.
The Wildcats were 3-2 after their first five games this season, but they lost seven of their final eight games, including one-goal losses to Cave Spring and William Byrd.
Last Thursday, six of the Wildcats’ players graduated: Brooke, Layman, Taylor, Elijah Fox, Quincy Speers, and Caedon Friski. Most of the seniors were key to the Wildcats’ offense.
“They’re a really strong group of seniors that I’m sad to see go,” said Jones. “They’re guys who can play ball with the best of them, and they’re leaders on and off the field.”
The first-year coach said it was a fun season, and he looks forward to working with the returning players in the offseason.
