Opening the league season after two years, Downey Boys Lacrosse went head-to-head against El Segundo High School March 16th 2022. The boys were excited to get back into the league, “there’s more pressure on these league games but it’s just another game and we have to go out there and do our thing,” said Captain Chris Trejo, 12.

In the first quarter of the game, Boys Lacrosse experiences a rocky start. The Vikings and the Eagles battled back and forth to gain a lead. Trejo helped lead his team in achieving this goal. Trejo pushed hard on offense in order to gain a sense of security on the field for the Vikings. Senior Captain Victor Arellano contributed as well, building the momentum by making back to back goals. 

Not only did offense come through to gain a lead, defense worked hard to keep the Vikings in the game. Senior Richard Santos made multiple saves as goalie that prevented the Eagles from obtaining a lead in the last quarter of the game. The Vikings defeated their opponent 10-9 after an intense battle. Boys Lacrosse took their successes into their second league game, but ran into difficulty against Culver City High School. The boys worked hard to get on the scoreboard, but could not seem to put it together. “You have to go out there and play for the person next to you, it just wasn’t there tonight, “ said Arellano, “it wasn’t a ‘win at all costs’ mindset.”

Despite a loss, the team looks ahead: planning on regrouping and focusing on building up skills for their next game. New player Demetrius Stinson, 11, shares his confidence in his team, “being around a good group of guys, they’re teaching me and the rest of the team a lot of good skills which plays a huge part in us learning everything.” The boys hope to come together for the rest of their season and get more wins for their record. 

Downey Boys Lacrosse is determined to move through their season with strength and head to CIF competition. The boys are currently second in the league, and they have until late April to improve their rankings. They rely on reflection and practice to achieve their goals.