Boys Lacrosse: Poway hungry for another title
Poway, the defending Open Division champion after a 9-8 win over Coronado in the semifinals and an 8-7 triumph over Torrey Pines in the championship game, is primed for another CIF title run.
The Titans return a handful of players already committed to playing in college. There are others on the team who have yet to commit but will do so eventually.
That’s why Poway opened the season with four straight wins.
Rancho Bernardo lost most of its team via graduation, but return two senior scorers and a bunch of underclassmen to help mature the newcomers.
Del Norte is in the same boat as Rancho Bernardo. The Nighthawks are still a little inexperienced but have a trio of players who scored 63 goals last season to lead the way.
Here is a closer look at the local teams:
Rancho Bernardo
Copeland is the leader after scoring 38 goals and collecting 15 assists last year. Modlin had 10 goals and six assists. Spence won 64 percent of his faceoffs.
How quickly the newcomers adapt will determine what kind of season the Broncos and their rugged schedule will have.
Poway
Hodge tallied 29 goals, including three in the CIF finals.
Belasco brings some added strength to the field after an offseason in the weightroom.
Cutting claimed a CIF title in his freshman season, so the Titans will be strong to beat again this year.
Beeson is headed to Bryant, Hodge is going to Cleveland State, Belasco picked Westminster and Springett chose University of Maryland Baltimore.
Del Norte
Yohner is the top returning scorer after hitting the net 26 times last year. Rafie scored 22 times and added eight assists and Welch had 15 goals and six assists.
Mbuthia considers Penn one of the county’s best and likes what he sees on Luke Welch, the team’s leading scorer through those three wins.
Chambers was a second-team all-league longstick defender.
Monahan is a freelance writer