“Within the first day of lacrosse practice, [Coach Richardson] got all of the lacrosse players to learn new things,” varsity captain, Trey Peavler said.

Coach Richardson was the varsity captain of the Coppell HS team, leading them to win the THSLL DII State Championship in 2009, and the team is hoping for the same this semester.

“Coach Richardson seems to know what he’s talking and has a general better understanding of the sport Lacrosse,” sophomore John West said. “I even think we are going to playoffs!”

With a new coach, come new exercises and techniques. West said that they have begun hardcore practices every day of the week, and they have been working on their passing, ground balls and a little technique called “wall ball.”

“Wall ball is when you throw the ball at the wall, and it has to bounce back to you perfectly! It’s like your perfect best friend,” Peavler said.

The first game is on Saturday, February 18, against Vandergrift HS. Varsity play from 5- 6:30pm and JV will follow at 7- 8:30pm.

 “[Students] should come and support us,” West said. “Everyone loves a little extra support!”

“We’re really excited for playoffs, and we think we have the chance to go a long way,” junior Amanda John said.

This is the third time the team has made playoffs. The team plays its first game on either Oct. 31 or Nov. 1. Their opponent is still undetermined.

“The seniors really want to leave a strong legacy,” senior Fran Whitworth said. “And this is their chance to do it.”

“We had a great week of practice and were focused all week on the task at hand,” senior wide receiver Chris Schneider said.

The game was a defensive struggle, with each defense having two interceptions, and the only points coming from two field goals by Chris Nichols. Linebackers Mason Thom and Jamison Geracci led the team with 16 and 14 tackles each, respectively. Senior Cooper Foster also had two sacks.

“The defensive staff’s goal is to be the best defense in the district,” senior Ricky Anciola said.  “With that being said, there is a standard of effort and pursuit of perfection that we are always trying to achieve. This standard pushes all of the defensive players to excel every game, and this has been showing on the field. “

Senior quarterback Blake Estes completed 10 passes for 141 yards, 44 of which came on a screen pass to Schneider.

If there was an offensive silver lining, it was the running game. Blake Estes had 17 attempts for 70 yards, and sophomore running back Stedman Mayberry had 10 runs for 51 yards. All in all, five backs combined for 162 yards on 34 attempts.

 “We’re not so individualistic this year, and it’s more team-oriented,” Schneider said. “We still need to learn how to finish games and to be more enthusiastic at practice.”

The team improved its record to 2-3 with Friday’s win.

The team plays cross-town rival Cedar Park tonight at Gupton. Cedar Park is 4-1, with its only loss coming to a much-improved Westwood squad. Still, Cedar Park is ranked 41^st in the state.

“Cedar Park is very well coached team overall,” senior Ricky Anciola said. “The strength of their offense is definitely the quarterback position. He runs the offense really well, and we are going to have to stop the run. Offensively, we are going to have to make plays and be consistent.”

The team hopes the season will be better than last year, and is preparing for another playoff run.

“The team chemistry we have is very impressive,” Anciola said. “We all support each other in all aspects and have bonded through all the hard work.”

 “We don’t always live up to being ranked sixth because we have roller coasters throughout matches,” senior Beka Erickson said. “We will have one very good set and the next will not be good at all. It is something we are working hard to push past.”

The team won their first six games, including the first LISD Volleypalooza tournament.

“The highlight of this year has either been placing at the LISD tournament defeating [seventh-ranked] Aledo – after losing the first [set] 7-25 – or beating Leander at their house,” senior Meredith Crawford said.

While their skills have been a factor in their success, the girls also rely on off -court chemistry as well.

“The best quality of our team is definitely the way we treat each other,” Erickson said. “There have been no problems between any of us so far, and it really shows when we get out onto the court to play.”

Though playoffs start Oct. 31, the team is focused on district play, which begins Tuesday at Dripping Springs.

“Our biggest challenge will definitely be going up against Lake Travis, who won state last year,” Crawford said.

Though the team has its standout players, the girls hope that their success will come from teamwork rather than individual stars.

“There are a lot of schools that have amazing individual players that they look to get something done,” Crawford said. “We have good players that work hard to get things done together.”