Lacrosse team has high aspirations
By Hector Trujillo
After a solid start to the 2023 season that saw the Scripps Ranch High School varsity lacrosse team win three of its first four games, the Falcons now enter the second half of the season with plans for redemption on how they finished last season.
“The varsity team is healthy overall and they’re putting in the work,” said head coach Bo Francy. “There’s a different energy this year. There’s a willingness to learn, along with a willingness to put in the extra work in order to become better.”
Scripps Ranch High opened up the season with a dramatic 6-5 road victory over Carlsbad High School on Feb. 28, and followed that up with a more dominant 9-5 win at Mt. Carmel High School on March 3.
The Falcons suffered their first loss five days later against Poway High School by a score of 8-5, but were able to bounce back on March 10 with a resounding 16-9 victory versus Westview High School.
“No one is trying to be a hero this year,” Francy said. “Everyone is coming together as one to become a better overall team. Last year they had a really good squad, we just made some minor modifications that coach Blake (Champoux) and I felt would benefit the boys more and, so far, it has been successful.”
In the final 10 remaining games this regular season, the Falcons will square off with five teams outside their league starting on April 7 at home against Wenatchee High School from the state of Washington; followed by a game versus Stevenson School from Pebble Beach the following day.
Scripps Ranch will close out the season with five-straight league games starting on April 21 against La Jolla High School and then against Cathedral Catholic High School on April 26 before closing out with three-straight home games, including the regular season finale on May 5 against Patrick Henry High School.
“Cathedral Catholic is always our biggest competition of the year. It’s a hard game for us, and those are the guys who are in our way in terms of winning the league and CIF,” Francy said.
Scripps Ranch High School last beat Cathedral Catholic High School in 2015 with the Dons winning their head to head matchup last season 16-6.
Among the most outstanding players so far this season helping Scripps Ranch improve its level of play are midfielder and captain Stephen Bousquet, who was recently selected as a New Balance All-American. Other standouts are senior Brady Durkin and goalie Trevor Granucci.
