Hollister lacrosse a developing young team

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In a tough season where the Hollister High lacrosse team has won one game and lost the rest in a mix of nail biters and blowouts, earning experience is the key for future success. 

According to Brett Davis, in his second year as head coach, the most recent loss—to Aptos High in a 16-2 game on April 30—was representative of this season.

“Just a lot of newer guys in our roster and things don’t go our way,” Davis said. “It comes down to a lack of experience, not just as lacrosse players but as varsity athletes. We got a lot of young dudes.”

That day, the team celebrated its three seniors, who got to walk with their families through a team-made lacrosse sticks tunnel. The team also has three juniors on its roster of 24 players. 

Sophomore midfielder Thorin Rehak said the seniors and juniors have laid the foundation for the team and helped the newcomers. This is the first season Rehak has played lacrosse for Hollister High.

“They have been really beneficial in just showing me how to play the game and how to be an overall good teammate and good player,” he said.

The loss to Aptos was the second of back-to-back losses to the Mariners, followed by three more losses to end the season. The Balers finished with a 1-15 overall record. 

Despite the losses, Davis said the team is trending upward to where they can compete in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission division. 

“We’ve improved on game IQ and tenacity throughout the season,” he said. “They’ve really developed the kind of mentality of ‘never say quit.’”

Davis said moving forward the focus is on possession of the ball and playing with urgency from the start.

“We are our own worst enemies in the field sometimes,” he said. “We’ll take three steps back and then shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Davis said it’s a natural process a young team has to go through during the course of the season.

In the April 30 game, when Hollister was already down 3-0, Rehak put the Balers on the board following a change of possession due to a penalty. 

“I really hoped it was going to lift the team up and carry us through the game but sadly it was not true,” he said.

Rehak struck again in the beginning of the second quarter to make the score 5-2. Though Hollister had several more shots on goal, the Balers were unable to find the net again.

BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, Hollister Rotary, for helping expand the sports coverage around San Benito County. Rotary is a nonprofit organization that conducts humanitarian projects, encourages high ethical standards, and works toward world understanding. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.