Prince George’s County has rarely seen a high school sport take off as lacrosse did in just one year. “You can see them get better during every practice,” Charles H. Flowers High School’s assistant coach and former DeMatha Catholic High School lacrosse student-athlete Michael Fazio told the AFRO. “The reason why I’m so excited and passionate about Prince George’s lacrosse is that I’m a product of Prince George’s County. In the next five years, we are going to be on the map; I think it is gonna be big.”

DuVal High School girls lacrosse team. (Photo by Daniel Kucin)

Even though no team in the county had enough talent to win state championship titles, the foundation was laid for a game that shows promise to stay for the long haul. A majority of the teams in the county did not have any players with previous experience in the sport, but that didn’t stop the student-athletes from having fun and expanding their horizons at the same time.

“They are wonderful kids, and they come from all different avenues, and this is their first year, so it is all uncharted territory,” Largo High School Boys Lacrosse Head Coach Raymon Crawford told the AFRO about his team. “We have heart, and we keep fighting. I ask for effort, and they always give it to me.”

On the boys’ side, Largo High School captured the imaginations of many who had a chance to witness a Cinderella story unfold before their very eyes. Entering the playoffs as a No. 2 seed in the 2A/1A West bracket, Largo defeated its opponents by a combined scoring margin of 22-8 and took down No. 1 Gwynn Park 4-1.

The Lions fell to South Carroll in the regional championship, but Largo proved to be a competitive force that could make some noise soon as the players become more technically savvy and familiar with the game.

“I started playing this game because I wanted to play with my brothers as seniors so we can play a team sport,” Largo senior attacker Collins Nwadike told the AFRO after scoring two goals against Gwynn Park in the playoffs. “I was always good at moving my feet because I was an Allstar soccer player, but I am just working on cradling now and taking good shots.”

Bowie reigned supreme as the best team in the 4A/3A division after it defeated Eleanor Roosevelt 14-9 advancing to the regional championship game. Sadly, the Bulldogs fell to Montgomery Blair 19-10 as a No. 1 seed in the 4A/3A North division.

In the 3A/2A division, No. 1 Oxon Hill got ousted by Rockville 26-4, and No. 4 Crossland only managed to muster a single goal against Rockville (25-1).

The Eleanor Roosevelt girls’ squad bested Bowie 17-6 in the 4A/3A division as the top team in the north, but they couldn’t squeak by Montgomery Blair (17-9) after hosting the regional championship in Greenbelt.

In the girls 2A/1A division competition, Fairmont Heights was a dominant force in the western division. Entering the tournament as a No. 1 seed with a first-round bye, the Hornets took down Largo 13-1 and then dismantled Gwynn Park 13-2. However, the Hornets couldn’t advance past Century in the regional championship game.

The No. 4 Oxon Hill girls didn’t fair well against Rockville in the first round of the 3A/2A West division and lost to their Montgomery County rival by double-digits (15-3). Seneca Valley dropped Crossland in the first round as well 12-2.

Even though the county has enjoyed success in its first year, there have been some growing pains. Scheduling issues with referees were prominent throughout the duration of the regular season. Sometimes the required number of refs for a game did not show, and the coaches had to decide if they wanted to count the game as a regular season match or scrimmage mid-season. Also, the boys and girls county championship games were canceled due to “safety reasons.”

Nevertheless, the players and coaches have gravitated to the sport, and the essence of the game has struck a positive chord with everyone apart of the program.

“I have played a lot of sports, but this is an all-in-one sport,” Flowers attacker Jalen Lee told the AFRO. He had never played the game before and said he hopes to play in college. “I saw a poster on the wall, and I wanted to see what it was all about. It is my junior year, so I am trying to get better before my final year.”