On Tuesday afternoon, February 24, players in white jerseys and gold helmets gathered on the sidelines of Hunte Fields for the season opener against the San Marcos Knights in blue. One athlete from each team met at midfield, and as the referee dropped the ball between the two sticks, the Bishop’s Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Team’s season was officially underway. 

Going into the season, Bishop’s hoped to build on last year, in which the team made it to the CIF Open Division Semifinals as the number five seed. Unfortunately, the squad was knocked out in a gut-wrenching 2-5 loss to La Costa Canyon.

Ryder Sherman (‘28), who plays attack for Bishop’s, explained the focus of the home team in practice leading up to the game. “Coach put a big emphasis on stick work and making sure we don’t miss any passes in this game ‘cause last year a lot of our turnovers were off of passes,” he said. 

Captain and defenseman Tyler Sepeta (‘26) described the play style of the team, saying, “We’re very physical defensively. We’re gonna play hard and make big hits.”

Offensively, his fellow captain Jack Ryan (‘26) explained, “Everyone’s playing into a system.” He added, “We don’t really have one great player. We have six really good players who are great when they work together.”

The home team showcased that system early, quickly gaining possession after the face-off and exhibiting smooth ball movement as they felt out the defense of their opponents. Their flawless passing created a scoring opportunity for #1 Brady Fagan (‘26) as he received the ball in front. Brady cut right, losing his defender, and buried a shot in the net, putting Bishop’s up 1-0 just one minute and eighteen seconds into the first 12-minute quarter. 

The team in gold maintained the high intensity, winning the next face-off and controlling the ball. Brady caught a pass in the same position, ripping a shot into the bottom left side of the goal, giving Bishop’s a 2-0 lead.

San Marcos fought back, taking a shot on goal created by a quick counterattack, but goalkeeper #30 Beckett Neilson (‘28) successfully protected the net. 

The home team swiftly shifted possession to the opposite side of the field. Ryder received a pass, faking right then cutting left, and fired the ball past the goalie. Bishop’s was now up 3-0. 

The rest of the quarter featured much of the same: Bishop’s domination. The home team tallied four more goals, scored by Jack, Isaac Hoang (‘27), Brad LaDrido (‘26), and Cooper Armstrong (‘27). 

Watching from the sidelines, Head of School Mr. Ron Kim expressed his appreciation for the athletes. “I just love watching the students play,” he said, “Because it’s something they enjoy and have intrinsic motivation for.” He added that he was impressed “to see our kids working hard and supporting each other.”

The away team won possession to start the second period and managed to score a goal, cutting the hosts’ lead to 7-1. 

Following the score, the defense from both teams tightened, limiting chances. Tom Lowe (‘26) showcased the physicality of the Bishop’s team, knocking the stick out of the hands of a San Marcos player with a powerful stick check, to which Bishop’s fans erupted with cheers. 

After minutes of passing but no goals, Ryder ended the drought, making a spin move to create space and converting on his shot, putting Bishop’s up 8-1. Brady added to the lead, skipping the ball off the ground and into the net, handing Bishop’s a 9-1 lead at halftime. The bleachers bustled with mostly Bishop’s supporters, clearly content with the performance of the home team.

Austin Hill (‘26), a former JV player, said he enjoys coming to lacrosse games: “Lacrosse is definitely one of the most entertaining Bishop’s sports, just because they’re honestly probably one of the better teams on campus.” 

Austin also commended the team’s adherence to their game plan, commenting, “They’re passing the ball around a lot, which is really great because, honestly, the other team doesn’t really know what to do.” 

After the break, Bishop’s returned to the field in command, holding onto the ball through quick and coordinated passes in the opponent’s half, just as the players had planned. Even as Bishop’s controlled possession, San Marcos managed some breakaways — two of which goalkeeper Beckett saved — but one of which culminated in a shot that escaped Beckett’s grasp, making the score 9-2. 

The home team’s concession sparked renewed intensity, and the game grew increasingly physical with players from both teams executing stick and body checks, to which fans from both sides protested fervently. 

In a back-and-forth battle, Bishop’s and San Marcos exchanged shots and eventually goals. Ryder’s third goal of the night from a diving shot was immediately canceled out by San Marcos, the scoreline now standing 10-3. 

However, Bishop’s remained composed and in possession throughout most of the third quarter. The away team seemed deflated, a San Marcos fan even yelling out sarcastically, “Only eight more.” 

With the temperature cooling from a setting sun, so did the game. Bishop’s held onto the ball for nearly the entire rest of the quarter, until a defensive error led to a San Marcos goal, the scoreboard now reading 10-4.

The hosts dove into the fourth and final quarter of play up by six, adding one more to the scoreline within 20 seconds of the quarter’s commencement thanks to a forceful shot by Cooper. The team celebrated with fist bumps, and fans cheered from the sidelines. Victory was all but sure. 

Math Teacher Mr. David Johnston enjoyed watching the fluid teamwork presented in the fourth quarter. He noted, “It looks like they work incredibly well together. It is just super fun to see the end result of all of that hard work.”

San Marcos resisted with physical play once again, even securing two more goals before the final buzzer sounded, but so did Bishop’s, setting the final score at 13-6. 

After the game, Isaac discussed the Knights’ teamwork: “I feel like, from this game alone, we’ve seen, if we work as a team, if we get the ball around, we definitely can score a lot more points.” 

For players and fans, the home opener served as a launching point for what they hope will be a successful season, aiming to win the CIF Open Division Finals. The team is, in the words of Ryder, ready to “ride hard.”