Before the boys lacrosse season started this year, there was a sense of optimism. The key group of players, including upperclassmen Asher Friedman, Andrew Ozgen, Tyler Harrison, and Declan Packer, would be able to use their previous experience playing on the varsity team to elevate the squad’s level of play. It is no secret that the boys lacrosse team has not seen very much success in the past. 

Only being a team at Play for the last decade or so, they had never made a CCS appearance. Until this year, that is. 

The Vikings earned a 17-7 victory against Valley Christian early on into the season, but that excitement was cut short by the eventual loss to Los Altos, the first one in several years of Paly boys lacrosse. 

The team later proceeded to go on a four game winning streak later on in the season, followed by a five game losing streak. 

The constant ups and downs were tough on the team, which had their hopes high before the season even started, but they were able to use this to etch their names in Paly boys lacrosse history. 

Not only did the team as a whole have several ups and downs, but so did an individual player. Junior Declan Packer was injured for the majority of the season, but that only made his comeback that much sweeter. That comeback? It came on senior night. 

The journey to CCS peaked on that very night, which saw the Vikings beat Mountain View in front of a full house at home. Large numbers of students, parents, and teachers came out to support the team, and they did not disappoint, eventually coming out on top and making the seniors’ last ever game at home one to remember. 

“My favorite part of this last season was senior night because it was my first game back,” Packer said. “It was also a super exciting game because we came from behind to win.”

Senior night is meant to be a magical experience for the seniors on the team. A way to appreciate their involvement in Play sports and give them the send-off they deserve. But to have that be your first game back is nothing short of a Cinderella story. But at the end of the day, that was the theme of the boys lacrosse team’s season this year. Even though they believed in themselves, many people around the league did not. 

How did they react to these opinions? They showed what they had on the field and gave it their all, eventually qualifying for CCS for the first time in the program’s history, an immense achievement in the making for nearly a decade. Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey 

Even though they suffered a heavy defeat in the first round of CCS away to Menlo, the season for the boys lacrosse team ended on a positive note, with many around the team being hopeful for the future. With the improved record to last year’s CCS appearance, the Vikings can be proud of what they accomplished this year.