BOYS ’ JUNIOR VARSITY LACROSSE TEAM UNDEFEATED
The 2021 South Fayette Boys Lacrosse season was one for the books . The varsity team captured a section title for the first time in its short 7-year history . In another first , the team qualified for the state tournament after clawing its way through the WPIAL playoffs . Following a year where COVID-19 stole the 2020 lacrosse season , it was a sweet reclamation of normal play .
The varsity team ’ s accomplishments received much publicity and notoriety in our community . But , without fanfare , the South Fayette junior varsity boys ’ lacrosse team also shined . It took down opponents one-by-one and turned in an undefeated season , even though its roster included the smallest ever group of freshmen to matriculate into the high school program .
“ Our program operates as one family , a single unit dedicated to the advancement of our athletes as a team and as individuals . While we do field both a junior varsity and a varsity team , every activity is focused on our lacrosse family as a whole ,” notes head coach Shawn Leydig . “ Our junior varsity team is just as important as our varsity team . The successes that the JV team had on the field were a vital piece of the momentum for our program . Our varsity team fed off of those successes and carried it with them into their competitions . You won ’ t even find separate JV and varsity team photos because we simply don ’ t think of ourselves as two units .”
The JV team is key for player development . It helps coaches instill the team culture in new players , teach plays , and even train sideline management . Junior varsity allows athletes and coaches to bond and understand each other ’ s communication styles . Moreover , it is a place for further development of the coaching staff .
“ Every game I coach is an opportunity for me to improve my game-day coaching skills . Our junior varsity games can be as intense and hard fought as any varsity game and my coaching is tested and honed at these games as much as any other game ,” says offensive coach Jack Halley . “ And that means how I work with the players , the rest of our coaching staff , and the referees .”
Domenic Oliastro , a rising junior , remarked how rewarding it was for him to be a part of the undefeated JV team . “ We never really talked about it , but I think we all started realizing we could finish up the season without a JV loss and were feeling an
internal pressure start to build . So when that last JV game was over , it was an incredible feeling to have accomplished what we did , and then to acknowledge it together as a team .”
The future of both the JV and varsity teams is looking bright . Coaches anticipate that 15 or 16 boys will be coming up from the youth program to play as freshmen next year . Rising senior Tony Senisi said , “ The South Fayette class of 2025 has a lot of very talented lacrosse players who will make an immediate impact upon our program . We look forward to getting to know the incoming players during our fall tournaments and bring them into our high school lacrosse family .”
If you have a son who is interested in lacrosse here in South Fayette , you may find information for the youth program at SouthFayetteLacrosse . com . Find information for the high school level on the district ’ s website under Athletics , or at the South Fayette Boys ’ Lacrosse Boosters website at SFBLB . org .
outh Fayette SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
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