The West Ranch Wildcats girls’ lacrosse team started its Foothill League campaign on Wednesday on the brightest of notes.
Facing the Valencia Vikings, last year’s co-league champions along with the Wildcats, at West Ranch High School, the Wildcats used a nine-goal second quarter to take the first league matchup of the season, 23-11.
The score was tied at 6-6 after the first quarter, but West Ranch (3-4, 1-0) buckled down on defense and upped the offensive tempo to take a 15-8 lead into the half. The Wildcats continued their offensive assault in the second half, to the delight of West Ranch head coach Leesa Chelminiak.
“It definitely meant a lot to the girls,” Chelminiak said. “I mean they’ve taken home at least champions or co-champions ever since the league has been around, so they’re not going home with a ‘co’ this year. They’re fighting hard for that. Valencia put up a good fight in the first half. We were able to figure out some changes on our offense and on our defense and be able to put it together for the second half.”
At the forefront for the Wildcats on a rainy Wednesday were junior Lauren Lamb, last year’s Foothill League Player of the Year, sophomore Grace Manning and sophomore Raquel Olmos. Lamb and Manning each recorded seven goals and five assists, while Olmos had three goals.
Chelminiak said “it’s hard to tell” who is better between Manning and Lamb, but that she enjoys watching the entire team perform well.
“We say this all the time, you know, we can’t win a game with just two players,” Chelminiak said. “We need the entire team. So, it was really a team win.”
Valencia (2-5, 0-1) ran out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to sophomore Gianna Castro. She had four goals on the day, one behind freshman Reese Howard’s team-high five goals.
Castro is now up to 11 goals on the season.
“Being a sophomore, she’s not a captain, but she’s one of the leaders on this team and she excels at everything she does,” said Valencia head coach Andy Steier. “She works hard at the mid and the attacking position, and she’s just gonna continue to get better and better as a player.”
Senior Devyn Brown had the other two goals for Valencia.
Steier said the first quarter that saw Valencia leading at the midway point showed that the Vikings were capable of hanging with the Wildcats, but there were a few miscues that led to breaks for West Ranch.
“We graduated a lot of good seniors last year,” Steier said. “And, you know, we’re getting better. We have young girls. We have a freshman playing at mid, Reese Howard, and, you know, the girls have to start learning … I’m proud of the way they played. You know, they played hard and you’re just gonna get better from here.”
Valencia is set to face Newport Harbor at home on Saturday before hosting Saugus Wednesday.
West Ranch has a home matchup against Mullen High School out of Colorado on Saturday. The Wildcats’ next league game is set for Wednesday at home against Hart.
