Boys' lacrosse: Surging CB South learned a lot from early-season loss to Pennridge
That old saying about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery can be much easier said than done.
To do it — truly imitate — it really helps to have the ability to make it happen. Especially when you're talking about a whole team, not just one person.
For Central Bucks South's boys' lacrosse team, the imitation came in the form of Suburban One League National Conference foe Pennridge, a PIAA Class 3A qualifier last season.
A loss benefited Central Bucks South boys lacrosse
"We had a bit of a hiccup when we played Pennridge," said CB South head coach Mike Strayline of his team's 19-8 loss to the Rams about a month ago.
"Pennridge is really good, and they took it to us. We reviewed what we did in that game and what they did and we've added some of the things that they were doing.
"They capitalize on what's going on in the middle of the field and turn that into instant offense and that's a credit to them. We watched the film and said that we have to try and start doing that, too. Getting turnovers, extra possessions, those are the things that help you win games."
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Central Bucks South has gone on a run
Since that loss to the Rams, South has gone 5-3 in its last eight games and 4-1 in its last five outings with big wins over rival Central Bucks West and Souderton, two teams that were ahead of it in the SOL National Conference. (One of the losses in that stretch came against defending PIAA Class 2A champion Marple Newtown, a team that features 16 seniors this season.)
"Things really started to click after the Pennridge game," said Titans senior captain and midfielder Mark Etgen, who got his start in lacrosse playing for the Warrington Warriors.
"That flipped the switch and we just kind of locked in last week against West and Souderton. Those were two really good wins for us."
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District playoffs up next for Central Bucks South
The Titans' improvement — they're 9-6 overall — has them 15th in the latest PIAA District One Class 3A seedings (the top 24 teams qualify for the district tournament) with two regular-season games remaining.
If they can stay at No. 15, they would host a district playoff game, a nice bonus for a team that hasn't made the tournament since 2021 and hasn't won a district playoff game since 2015.
"One of our goals all season was to get to districts and make a nice run," said dynamic Titans freshman Landon Amorim, who leads the team with 46 goals.
"The (12-9) win over West, a team we hadn't beaten in a long time, was really good for our confidence. We played the most unselfish game we've played all season, moved the ball at light speed and got goals out of it."
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Seniors have led Central Bucks South's turnaround
While it took the Titans a little while to jell, Strayline credits his five senior captains — Etgen, Keith Conner, John Henson, Matthew Waltrich and Anthony DePedro — for leading the way.
"We have a great group of seniors led by our captains and they've done a great job incorporating the younger guys into the program," Strayline said.
"They're just a great group of leaders."
Youngsters also fitting in for Central Bucks South
Those leaders have allowed underclassmen like Amorim and 6-7, 200-pound defender James Vargason, among others, to fit right in.
"I give a lot of credit to the seniors and everyone on the team," Amorim said. "They trust the younger guys on the team and treat us like seniors.
"The team is unselfish and will do whatever it takes to try and win."
Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: CB South boys' lacrosse learned tough lesson early and made most of it
