<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Z8JDU_0lbfRrSy00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Z8JDU_0lbfRrSy00" width="1026" height="684" > If you take a look across the way at Oak Hall’s Athletic Stadium, there are more young men in the bench area than you’ll find listed on the roster for the school’s boys lacrosse team. Kids as young as fourth or fifth grade roam the sidelines with their own sticks and toss the ball back and forth to each other while the varsity Eagles play on, shoes waiting to be filled by the next generation of Oak Hall lacrosse players. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> For Eagles head coach Jonathan Montes, the past, present and future of his program is all laid out in front of (and behind) him. “These are fourth and fifth graders, and they want to touch greatness,” Montes said. “They dream of playing, wearing our jersey and being a part of this.” As for Oak Hall’s present tense, the Eagles (14-1) blitzed visiting Santa Fe 21-1 on a Thursday night where there was no selfishness in sight for the state’s 10-ranked program. Twelve different players, including all five seniors, scored goals, and nine different Eagles assisted on at least one in the dominant effort. Eighth-grader Dominic Moreschi and senior Luke Staab shared the game high with three goals each, and sophomore Pierce Montes led the game in points for Oak Hall with seven (two goals, five assists). <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Senior Karl Johnson scored the Raiders’ (4-6) lone goal in the third quarter as Santa Fe struggled to match the Eagles' offensive juggernaut, mustering four shots. Here are three takeaways from Oak Hall’s dominant performance. <h2 class="presto-h2"> Eagles score early and often with anyone on the field </h2> From the opening face-off, the Eagles made good on the old saying of a good offense being the best defense. It usually is for an attack that averages more than 14.5 goals per game. Thursday’s mark of 21 in the back of the net set a season high, although no Eagle scored more than three. Coast-to-coast, behind the back, or from distance. If you can think of it, Oak Hall probably scored that way. Although his team certainly has its stars, Montes noted the strength of the strategy to credit for the Eagles’ offensive success. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> “We are system-driven,” Montes said. “It’s not exactly plug-and-play, but how close we can make it.” Once Oak Hall made its way downfield toward the goal, its offense patiently whipped the ball around the perimeter of the crease before an attacker would make a scoring run. The Eagles did it efficiently, too, scoring their 21 goals on 34 shots. <h2 class="presto-h2"> Oak Hall senior class capping dominant run </h2> The Eagles honored the present of their program with a class of five seniors. It’s a group that obviously means a lot to their school and their coach, mentor to some of them since they were of the age to play on the sidelines. “Tonight’s special for me,” Montes said. “There’s no place they’d really rather be than playing lacrosse together.” <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> In four years, with aid from those five seniors, Oak Hall has amassed a 45-11 record and made at least the regional semifinal in every season that a state tournament has been held (The group were freshmen when the 2020 tournament was canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.) That record comes at a time of growth for the sport in the Sunshine State. Those seniors will leave Oak Hall and Florida lacrosse much different than they found it, witnessing many opponents growing their programs and the advent of expansion of the FHSAA state lacrosse tournament to multiple classes. Montes and his senior Eagles will have a chance to earn one of the only accolades elusive to them – a trip to the state semifinals. “Like every great thing, it has to come to an end at some point,” Montes said. “But it wasn’t tonight, so that’s a beautiful thing.” <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><h2 class="presto-h2"> Eagles’ future shines bright </h2> With all the depth of playoff experience Oak Hall will have come April, the Eagles’ aren’t without their young stars as well. Eight of their goals were scored by players in ninth-grade or younger. Moreschi, an eighth-grader, tied for the game-high in scoring and sits in third on the squad in scoring average at 2.1 goals per contest. Montes noted that although Moreschi was eligible to play Thursday night, many of his athletes in middle school could not since they participated in a game of their own earlier. A good problem to have in a powerhouse program like Oak Hall, Montes agreed. “We take great pride in our legacies,” Montes said. “We talk about the past, present and future. “And that’s what these guys did. The senior class did the exact same thing. It’s something that’s passed down.” <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> The Eagles will hit the road Monday with their nine-game winning streak to take on St. Augustine Tocoi Creek (5-5). Follow Caleb Wiegandt on Twitter at @CalebWiegandt. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: <a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/high-school/lacrosse/2023/03/30/oak-hall-boys-lacrosse-celebrates-seniors-with-21-1-win-over-santa-fe/70066838007/" rel="nofollow"> High School boys lacrosse: Oak Hall rolls to Senior Night victory over Santa Fe </a></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

If you take a look across the way at Oak Hall’s Athletic Stadium, there are more young men in the bench area than you’ll find listed on the roster for the school’s boys lacrosse team.
                        Kids as young as fourth or fifth grade roam the sidelines with their own sticks and toss the ball back and forth to each other while the varsity Eagles play on, shoes waiting to be filled by the next generation of Oak...