As a head coach, Tyler Gilbert sees the excitement surrounding lacrosse and the game growing in popularity.
“It’s fast-paced,” says the Agoura High School lacrosse coach. “It’s exciting, and I think what draws people to it is it combines a lot of the elements of other sports. You have the speed and grace of soccer and basketball, ball movement like hockey (and) how the game flows, (and) you have the physicality of football. You have hard hits and physical play.”
A club league comprising Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake, Calabasas and Agoura has been operating for the past two years. But the clubs are now switching to CIF. Oaks Christian and Oak Park used to be a part of the club league, but when they moved to CIF—Oaks Christian in 2006 and Oak Park in 2007—they were no longer allowed to continue as club teams.
ON OFFENSE—During a recent Thousand Oaks High School varsity lacrosse practice, Keegan Sauer carries the ball. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers
The lacrosse league is called the 101 Coast League. It will take two years before the sport officially becomes part of the Marmonte League, Thousand Oaks coach Justin Eaton says.
Newbury Park won the state club championship last season.
As the sport continues to grow, the move to CIF is seen as a big step. Teams will soon have their own practice fields on campus and not have to work out at local public parks.
“Lacrosse is a new thing, which I think is really appealing to people,” Gilbert said.
New, but old.
The sport was first played by North American Indians. Today, it’s caught fire on high school and college campuses across the country.
It’s still a work in progress trying to fit in practice times on the fields where the other spring sports dominate. The Agoura lacrosse team alternates practices between the football field and a nearby practice field.
“Since it’s our first year, there have been some headaches,” Gilbert said. “We have to work around track, and we just kind of make it work.”
Newbury Park coach Geoff Sebold said being able to officially represent the school is a big deal for the players.
“What it really means is the kids finally get to play for the school and get a varsity letter,” Sebold said.
Eaton said being able to join the CIF has changed the outlook of the Lancers’ team. Before, Thousand Oaks practiced only about twice a week, but now there’s more preparation time and a greater sense of urgency, he said.
Eaton has strengthened his team’s schedule with games against top opponents from Orange County and San Diego.
“For me, it’s been an opportunity to bring my experience and what I know about the game and the differences between East Coast and West Coast lacrosse to Thousand Oaks,” Eaton said.
College coaches seek out players who are versatile, he said.
“At the higher levels, college coaches will most likely recruit multisport athletes,” Eaton said.
High school athletes who play other sports are now trying lacrosse. Gilbert estimates maybe 12 to 15 of his players also play football.
“We definitely compromise and work together to make sure these athletes get what they need for both sports,” Eaton said.
The football players have to adjust to the nuances of lacrosse, Sebold said.
“They think they can run guys over,” he said. “You have to teach them. This is a very fast-paced, fluid game.”
Sebold said basketball players who join the team find similarities to their sport on offense, such as the give-and-go and the pick play.
The move to CIF allows schools to add non-conference games to their slate of conference opponents. Agoura has about 15 games scheduled. Teams are allowed 20, so Gilbert is trying to find more non-conference opponents.
Single-elimination playoffs will take place at season’s end. The league will receive an automatic berth for the league champion, with a second at-large berth also possible, Eaton said.
The first round of the Southern Section playoffs takes place May 4. The second and third rounds are May 6 and May 8. The finals for the Southern Section are May 11.
The winner of the Southern Section playoffs will advance to play the winner of the Orange County division on May 14 and 15.
Gilbert, a Philadelphia native, played lacrosse in college with the powerhouse University of Virginia team and graduated in 2001. He is now in his fifth season heading the Agoura program and said interest in the sport on the West Coast has grown by leaps and bounds.
The Agoura coach singled out a lacrosse camp called West Coast Lacrosse Showcase, held last summer at California State University Channel Islands, as an example of how the game is catching on.
Duke coach John Danowski ran the camp. Former Franklin Pierce coach Kevin Pezanowski and Cal Poly coach Marc Lea assisted.
“That’s just an example of the huge strides it’s making in the area,” Gilbert said.
Last year’s camp drew 150 to 200 participants, Gilbert said, with the number expected to double this year. Players from Arizona, Washington, Oregon and other states participated.
The truly elite players attend the 205 Lacrosse Camp in Maryland, another state with a big lacrosse following.
“Anybody who goes and plays college ball pretty much goes to that camp,” Gilbert said. “We’re trying to brand (ours) as the showcase, kind of the premier camp on the West Coast.”
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