On Saturday, Nov. 3, North Forsyth High School’s Junior Varsity Lacrosse team played head-to-head against West Forsyth High School. The tournament took place at the home of the Wolverines from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. With West scoring 10 and North scoring 8, the Raiders let the win slip past them last minute. Although the Raiders lost, they put up a good fight. Swooping in as the winning team during the first half, everybody participated in an aggressive but fair game.

When asked how he thought the team did on Saturday, No.10, Xander Long, a freshman, stated, “We were pretty good, but I feel like events could have played out way better. After the second half, we started to let our guard down, and for future reference, we know not to make that mistake again. I also feel that the loss towards the end wasn’t entirely our fault. Our components did multiple illegal strokes and slashes and the refs weren’t that great. Overall, the game was fun to play and being with my teammates made the whole experience thrilling, even if we did lose.” Long did see some of the slip-ups that the referees did not seem to notice as well. The blame is not entirely put upon West, though. Long also expressed how the Raiders had a few weak points saying, “Our defenses, which includes me, needed some more work. We were kind of willy-nilly and all over the place at the conclusion of the game. On the other hand, though, our strongest points were the offense side. They played really well.”

As soon as halftime came along, both competing teams huddled up to give a group talk then switched positions on the field. North went on the opposite end they originally played on, and West did the same. When the Raiders stepped their foot back on the field, both teams got in their starting positions. One player from each team got selected to go into the middle for the face-off. Once the Wolverines gained ownership of the ball, three players from each team chased the possessor. West ran the ball to the goal before North could even think about their next move. The Wolverine took his shot and scored.

Despite North’s loss, the Raiders’ friends and families continue to support them. The players are excited to see how they will turn around from this loss and go for the win next time. Until then, North Forsyth High School Lacrosse Coach, John Garrish, will help build the team up to be faster, better and stronger.