E.C. Glass boys lacrosse: Blue Storm Rising

E.C. Glass’ boys lacrosse coach Brad Barth remembers the way the Hilltoppers used to play when he started the program six seasons ago.

Comparing that to how they are playing now is like night and day.

“We’re having a fun year and it’s about time,” Barth said with a laugh. “We had some rough years. Those years we were getting beat 22-0 weren’t fun. My wife likes me a lot more now because I’m happy. She used to hate when I’d come home after one of those losses.

“We’re in our sixth year and … the building’s almost there,” he added. “It’s not done yet, but it’s almost there. It’s a real competitive team. It’s the best we’ve ever had.”

The Hilltoppers are 9-1 after beating cross-town rival Virginia Episcopal School, 9-8, Saturday night at Lynchburg College’s Shellenberger Field. They were paced by five goals from freshman Sam Craighill, who netted the game-winner in the final minute.

“I tried with 45 seconds left but missed the first time,” he said. “Then we got it back and I got it again and I just tried to create a shot and finally I just underhanded it and it went in.”

“It was a shot,” added fellow freshman midfielder Jimbo Moore.

It was the Hilltoppers’ first win over the Bishops in six tries.

“We call this the year of firsts,” Barth said. “It’s the first year we beat Salem, the first year we beat VES (and) their goal is this is the first year we’re going to win the Western Valley District. The goal this year is to go play in that state championship.”

The Hilltoppers host Patrick Henry, the only other school in the district with a lacrosse team, for the first time this season tonight at 8 on Glass’ home turf. After splitting the series with the Patriots the past two seasons only to lose in a one-game playoff, the Hilltoppers hope to sweep PH to earn the district’s only berth into the Northwest Region tournament.

“It’s always a tough match,” Barth said. “We’ve played some of our best games against PH. They get up for us, we get up for them. It’s physical, it’s good lacrosse.”

He expects the game to be tightly played from start to finish.

“The dream is to always be up seven going into the fourth quarter, but this game always comes down to the end,” Barth said. “Last year, when we played them here, we won with just a few seconds left and it’s going to be that way this year.”

“It’s the biggest game of the season by far,” Craighill added. “We’re definitely shooting for state, but we’ve got to get past this team first. We’re just ready to go out there and play.”

The difference between this season’s squad and those in the past is experience.

“This team has kids that are lacrosse players,” Barth said. “In the past, we’ve always had kids who came out and played lacrosse and we had two or three lacrosse players. This team’s a bunch of lacrosse players.”

He said many of the current players are James River Day School graduates or Blue Ridge Lacrosse Club members.

“That’s Lynchburg’s club team and the first thing we started when we came here eight years ago,” Barth said. “(BRLC) is really helping us a lot. The parents down there are training the kids. They know how to play lacrosse when they come here now.”

If the Hilltoppers hadn’t started a program, Barth said many of his current players would have gone to VES.

“They’re coming to Glass to play lacrosse,” he said, noting many also play football, basketball or other sports.

Playing in a team camp this past summer at Lynchburg College was a turning point.

“That was the best thing that happened, just the bonding at that summer camp,” Barth said. “They stayed up late and had fun and played some good lacrosse. (Now) we’ve got a bunch of kids who love lacrosse, and they like each other.”

The Hilltoppers won the team tournament at LC, beating some of the best teams in the state, including Woodberry Forest and Albemarle, and carried that momentum and enthusiasm into the school year.

“The kids were excited to play lacrosse last year,” Barth said. “If we could have started the season in September, they would have all been there. They were ready to play.”

This season’s squad is young, with a strong foundation of underclassmen in place.

“We only have three seniors (so) it’s exciting for the future, definitely,” Craighill said.

Moore, a James River graduate, splits faceoff duties with Craighill and the duo has won more than its share this season, sparking numerous fast breaks.

They often set up scores by fellow middie Charles Himel or attack Steven Webb, who turned out to be decoys for Craighill on Saturday against VES.

“We have six cannons on the field all the time on offense,” Moore said. “Anyone can score, it’s awesome.”

While they thrive in the transition game, the Hilltoppers score most of their goals out of their set offense.

“We’re good at one-one-one and once we finally settle down into the (half-court) game, we start moving around and dodging,” Moore said, noting they have the technical passing and stick skills to work the ball into the crease for high-percentage shots, such as dumps to Webb in the middle. “We can get physical, but I think both of our games are more finesse.”

Glass’ attack is more balanced now, making it more difficult to defend.

“In the past, when we had my son (Eddie) here, all they had to do was stop him and they stopped us,” Barth said. “Now they can’t stop us.”

And the Hilltoppers, anchored by defenders Joe Vincent, John Bush and Lynch Christian, can shut down opponents.

“Our big key is the defense,” Barth said. “It’s a good group of kids. The defense all played together last year. They talk well, they work together well and Dunn Richards (a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Forest) is having a tremendous year in goal. Against VES, he was stopping shots dead right on top of him. He kept us in the game.”