Although Bonita Vista High School’s boys lacrosse team lost their senior night game against Eastlake 2-14 on May 1, many of the senior players were proud of the what they have accomplished in their years of lacrosse and the experience that it offered them.

As senior and middle player Christian Piamonte (3) put it, the game against Eastlake was fierce.

“This game was relentless,” Piamonte said. “Our offense and defense had the tenacity to keep on going. There were a lot of emotions on our side of the bench, especially since it was Senior Night, but I’m glad that all of our players played at their full potential.”

The team has expressed gratitude in being able to play their final game as high schoolers. Additionally, players that typically play less had the opportunity to show off their skills on the field, due to it being Senior Night.

“I’m proud of our seniors, especially those who don’t get a lot of playing time. They worked hard today. We definitely had spontaneous moments on both sides of the field, and our defense performed [extremely well],” Piamonte said.

Seniors like attackman Noah Cancel (25) have reflected on their years in lacrosse and have admired the sense of unity that being on a team provides.

“I’m more involved with my teammates and I can be more open. I’m in a brotherhood with [my teammates] and it’s changed me socially,” Cancel said.

Due to the end of the season, many players got sentimental, with Cancel describing the final team hurdle for the seniors as “very emotional.”

Coach Peter Locke explained the impact that lacrosse had on senior players.

“A lot of [players] get emotional because it just doesn’t hit them athletes, especially until the end this is our last high school game that they’ve been here for four years and some of them are playing since they were little kids,” Locke said.

As with any extracurricular, playing lacrosse requires hard work. However, players like Cancel describe lacrosse as a unique sport, which requires a certain type of player.

“Lacrosse is not for the weak hearted. If you decide to play lacrosse as a sport, make sure that you can take hits and make sure you’re skilled athletically but really you just want to work on yourself,” Cancel said.

Although the players gave it their all in their final game, Locke details how the team is still young, and is hoping to build them up in an even greater capacity in the future.

“We’re a young team. A lot of [the team] are first year players still learning. [We played against] Eastlake, which has a lot of experience, and pretty tough today at times. We looked really good, so it just speaks to [how we’re] trying to build up our program,” Locke said.

Locke hopes to recruit younger players in future years, and give them opportunities on the field.

“We’re playing our young guys and it’s gonna pay off in the next couple years,” Locke said. “We had some breakthroughs at times but overall we played well as a team. I have a lot of respect for them as players and I wish them all the luck in the future. They have their whole lives ahead of them and I hope they all achieve their dreams.”