After all of the out-of-conference games were rained out, the Pride is off to a perfect start to the season in the CAP-8, holding a 5-0 record.
One of the key reasons for the Pride’s early success is the addition of head coach Frank Zirkle. Zirkle was formerly the head coach at East Chapel Hill high school and boasts a 133-29 personal record.
Zirkle was able to bring all his coaching skills and experience to the team. “Coach Zirkle really gave us a new offense that works well with our talent, and I think we are all really grateful and excited about that,” said Griffin McNamara, junior.
So far, the Pride has come up with vital wins against tough opponents such as Broughton High School. After being down 6-3 at halftime, Zirkle helped lead the Pride’s comeback to take a stunning 10-9 victory.
Zirkle has also coached the lacrosse team to victory against Millbrook, Heritage, Enloe and Sanderson where each game was won by at least six goals.
Zirkle knows what it’s going to take to make the Pride into a championship team. “When we increase the lacrosse IQ of the team and try to instill a sense of respect and honor for the game, we tend to see a dedicated team. We want to make the individuals understand their roles in making the team an indomitable force. We want to continue to improve with each practice and create a team that the entire Pride family will support,” said Zirkle.
The Pride has big games in the upcoming weeks that include Millbrook and an away game rematch against Broughton that will test Zirkle and the players. “Every game is important from here on out,” said Davis Sampere, junior.
The following weeks will test the team as they try to keep their title as the reigning CAP-8 champions. “The most important thing is taking it game-by-game and not making one game more important than the other,” said McNamara.
Be sure to check out the Leesville Loonies Twitter account for live score updates on the upcoming lacrosse games.
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