PCHS Runs First Official Girls Lacrosse Season

Maya Krone and Alyse Renda - PCHS Bulletin

This year is Parrish Community high school's first season with an official girls' lacrosse team. Head Coach Ozborn Stelter has already created goals for next season, as the team stated there is a lot of room for improvement. Some of those goals are to win more games and create a more divisive program, like adding a Junior Varsity team. 

This team has been working hard from the start and will be more prepared for next year. This year, Stelter has been getting to know the players. Next season, he plans to use that knowledge to place the players in stronger positions on the field. The team is also working on creating an atmosphere that elevates the level of play. This brand-new team is learning the sport and getting a feel for it as many of the girls are new to the sport. They started the season barely comprehending the fundamentals and have improved dramatically. With a lot of work and grind from each player, they have become competitors. This team has grown together like a family now and the comradery can be seen between the girls on and off the field.   

The team's most memorable experience happened during the first game of the season, on February 29, against Sarasota High School. Abby Delauder scored the first goal in program history. Delauder said, “This moment brought pure joy to the entire team and gave me confidence. It made me realize how much I loved this sport and when I scored it gave me a feeling I cannot describe.” 

The leaders and team captains this year were: Emma Dishman, Ava Tibbs, and Hailey Kerns. They have shown dedication to this team from the start and help every player on the team be the best version of themselves. Dishman stated that “even though there are many difficulties from starting a brand-new team and being the underdogs this season, we are going to come back strong next season and prove that to everyone.”  

In the future, there will be more standout players as there is no lack of leadership on the team. Stelter says it has been a wonderful season, he loves working with the girls, and cannot wait to see what next season brings.