The growth of lacrosse continues in Washington state as nine new boys and three girls high school programs take the field for the first time as the 2015 season kicks off tonight.
For the state’s 37th year of organized play at the prep level, the South Sound is experiencing the highest level of growth with four boys and two girls programs coming on-line in 2015. New South Sound boys programs include Bethel High School, Bonney Lake High School, White River High School and Sumner High School, while new girls program include Auburn Riverside and Sumner High Schools.
Other new boys programs include Everett’s Archbishop Murphy High School in the North Sound along with Inglemoor and Juanita High Schools on the Eastside. San Juan High School and Seattle’s Garfield High School will rejoin play after not fielding teams in 2014.
New girls programs include Auburn Riverside and Sumner High Schools in the South Sound and Bellingham in Whatcom County.
More than 4,000 student-athletes attending some 200 high school state-wide play prep lacrosse in Washington state.
Tonight’s games include Eastside Catholic School taking-on defending state champion Issaquah, a program of student-athletes from all Issaquah School District high schools, in a 7 p.m. start at Robinswood Park in Bellevue, while Garfield High School takes on Sumner High School, a new Tacoma-area program, also in a 7 p.m. start at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. Monday’s schedule is rounded out with Klahowya Secondary School taking on Stadium High School in an 8 p.m. start at Stadium High School in Tacoma.
Washington High School Boys Lacrosse Association play gets underway Friday, March 13 with five contests including three-time defending state champion Bellevue meeting rival Bainbridge. The Wolverines, Spartans matchup gets underway at 7:30 p.m., this Friday at Bainbridge High School.
Other opening-day boys contests this Friday include a West Sound matchup between Klahowya and Peninsula. The game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at Peninsula High School. State runner-up Issaquah takes on Tahoma in a home-start at Issaquah High School, while Blanchet squares-off against Lake Washington at Lake Washington High school and Seattle Academy visits Mercer Island at Islander Stadium on Mercer Island. Those contests all get underway at 8 p.m.
New Boys and Girls High School Programs and Changes for 2015
South Sound
The South Sound is experiencing the most growth in 2015 with four new boys programs and two girls programs.
New boys programs include Bethel High School, Bonney Lake High School, White River High School and Sumner High School. Auburn-Riverside High School’s program has been elevated to formal ASB status with long-time South Sound prep lacrosse coach Louis Lucchesi continuing at the helm of the Ravens’ program. The five will play in the Division II, SPSL Conference along with Peninsula, which migrated to the SPSL from the Olympic. For the girls, Auburn Riverside and Sumner High Schools will field varsity squads for the first time in 2015.
North Sound
In the North Sound, Archbishop Murphy High School will field a new boys varsity program for the first time in 2015, playing in the Division II, Wesco/NW Conference, while Friday Harbor High School, after missing the 2014 season, rejoins the conference. Shorecrest and Stanwood move up to join the Division I, Wesco/NW Conference.
Eastside
On the Eastside, two new boys programs have emerged at Inglemoor and Juanita High Schools. Inglemoor is a spin-off from the former Bothell-Inglemoor combined program and Juanita emerged from the success of the Lake Washington High School program, which formally drew student-athletes from both schools. Both will join the Kangs, playing in the Division II, KingCo Conference. Providence Classical Christian School will play in the Division II Metro Conference after the school moved to the Eastside from Lynnwood.
Southwest Washington
In Southwest Washington, the former King’s Way program will operate as Columbia River High School, with the majority of its student-athletes now attending the Vancouver School District school. The Chieftains will play in the Division II, Central South Conference.
Inland Empire
In the Inland Empire, Central Valley will play independently, dropping its lacrosse relationship with University High School, as will Mt. Spokane, dropping its affiliation with Mead High School. The programs play in the Division II, Eastern Conference.
Bellingham-Area
In the Bellingham-area, Bellingham High School will field a girls club for the first time in 2015.
Seattle
In Seattle, Roosevelt and Ballard move into the Division I Metro Conference along with O’Dea and Seattle Academy, while Franklin and Garfield High Schools elevate to play a varsity schedule in the Division II, Metro Conference.
Washington State High School Lacrosse Schedule: Week of March 9 – 15
Monday, March 9
Girls Games
Garfield at Sumner (7 p.m. / Sunset Stadium – Sumner)
Eastside Catholic at Issaquah (7 p.m. / Robinswood Park – Bellevue)
Klahowya at Stadium (8 p.m. / Stadium High School, Tacoma)
Tuesday, March 10
Girls Games
Bainbridge at Kennedy (4 p.m. / Sunset Park – SeaTac)
Curtis at Gig Harbor (5 p.m. / Sehmel Homestead Park – Gig Harbor)
Evergreen at Bethel (5 p.m. / Art Crate Field – Spanaway)
Lakeside at Nathan Hale (6 p.m. / Jane Adams School – Seattle)
Tahoma at Graham-Kapowsin (6:30 p.m. / Art Crate Field – Spanaway)
Roosevelt at Lake Sammamish (7:30 p.m. / Marymoor Park Turf #1 – Redmond)
Wenatchee at Snohomish (7:30 p.m. / Glacier Peak HS – Snohomish)
Wednesday, March 11
Girls Games
Holy Names at SW Seattle (7:30 p.m. / Mosier Field – Burien)
Thursday, March 12
Girls Games
Stadium at Lakeside (4:30 p.m. / Lakeside School — Seattle)
Sumner at Bellarmine Prep (5:30 p.m. / Mount Tahoma HS – Tacoma)
Evergreen at Tahoma (6 p.m. / Tahoma HS – Covington)
Gig Harbor at Bethel (6:30 p.m. / Art Crate Field – Spanaway)
Friday, March 13
Boys Games
Bellevue at Bainbridge (7:30 p.m. / Bainbridge HS – Bainbridge Island)
Klahowya at Peninsula (7:30 p.m. / Peninsula HS – Gig Harbor)
Tahoma at Issaquah (8 p.m. / Issaquah HS – Issaquah)
Blanchet at Lake Washington (8 p.m. / Lake Washington HS – Kirkland)
Seattle Academy at Mercer Island (8 p.m. / Mercer Island HS – Mercer Island)
Girls Games
Graham-Kapowsin at Holy Names (3:30 p.m. / Magnuson Park #3 – Seattle)
Roosevelt at Issaquah (5:45 p.m. / Skyline Community Fields – Sammamish)
Ballard at Bellevue East (7 p.m. / Robinswood Park – Bellevue)
Snohomish at Eastside Catholic (8 p.m. / Eastside Catholic School – Sammamish)
Lake Sammamish at Puyallup (8 p.m. / Redmond HS – Redmond)
Saturday, March 14
Boys Games
Providence at Juanita (1:15 p.m. / Juanita HS – Kirkland)
Bellarmine Prep at Liberty (3 p.m. / Maywood MS – Renton)
Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) at Newport (5 p.m. / Newport HS – Bellevue)
Sehome-Bellingham at Woodinville (6 p.m. / Woodinville HS – Woodinville)
Franklin at Garfield (7 p.m. / Lower Woodland #7 – Seattle)
Klahowya at Peninsula (7:30 p.m. / Peninsula HS – Gig Harbor)
Girls Games
Klahowya at Wenatchee (4 p.m. / Wenatchee Valley College – Wenatchee)
About Lacrosse in Washington State
Lacrosse has over 100 years of history in Washington state with clubs playing in the early 1900s and high schools now in their fourth decade of state competition. With Native American origins, lacrosse is one of the oldest organized sports on the continent and today is considered the fastest growing sport in America. In Washington state, some 4,000 student-athletes attending over 200 high schools play prep lacrosse, while another 6,000 play lacrosse at the youth, adult and collegiate club levels throughout the state. For more information on high school lacrosse in Washington state visit http://www.WashingtonHSLAX.com.
