An Overview

Coming off of a stellar season, Judge lacrosse is back and with a new set of goals. This past spring the team went undefeated in region, was ranked in the coaches poll as a top 10 team in the state multiple weeks in a row, and of course, brought home a state championship. This year the teams schedule is jam packed with action, taking on every past state champion and every other team in competition for number one rank in the state. The season starts with an optional “fall ball” to set the stage for the rest of the year. 

Looking Back

At this point, the story of Judge lacrosse is widely known throughout the school but in case you missed it, Judge lacrosse started as one of the first highschool teams in the state and set the stage for Utah lacrosse. After the discontinuation of the youth feeder program, Judge lacrosse began a slow decline. Finally in 2022 there was not enough interest expressed in the program and no team was fielded. The next year a wave of freshmen came in from the newly formed youth program and just a year later, Judge became state champions once again. 

Last Season

The second year of the rejuvenated program was even better than the first. Senior close defenseman Pierce Isaac had this to say about his favorite event. “Obviously winning state was awesome and like that should be everyone’s favorite part, but I’d say like another good thing was beating Juan Diego 17-5.” Any game against school rival Juan Diego is a big one but this year they came to McCarthey Stadium and weren’t ready for the strength of the Judge team. Offensive coordinator and part time comedian Walker Bateman stated, “the fun we had, whether it’s in the hotels or team camp or on the bus, which I never rode, but I heard it was fun….cussing, with each other, because its ok on the field, anywhere else we were gentlemen about it.”

Goals

This fall will be very important for the team as it sets the stage for the spring season. Walker Bateman, “fall, it’s kind of the pregame, we’re pregaming for the state championship.” When asked about which team he was most excited to play this fall senior Pierce Isaac replied, “Probably Sky View because, you know, we already beat them in the championship and it would be fun to run it back with those guys and hopefully get another one on them in the fall.” Senior captain Erik Mickleson will unfortunately not play this fall due to injury but when asked about his most anticipated spring game he has this to say, “Probably Corner Canyon, due to the fact that in 8th grade we lost the championship game in little league to them and a lot of those players are still on that Corner Canyon team and it’d just be sweet revenge to beat ‘em.” Corner Canyon is typically dominant in most high school sports and lacrosse is no exception. They will be one of the Judge teams toughest opponents in the fight for the number one spot in the state. 

Final Remarks

After coming off a great season and not losing many players, this year there is no sign of the Judge lacrosse program slowing down. Coach Jeff Brzoska has built an incredible coaching staff and encouraged the team to recruit as many players as possible, bringing in around 50 kids last year and even more this year. With one strong varsity roster and a JV and Frosh roster to challenge the starters for their spots, the future of Judge Lacrosse is bright and we are excited to see how this season plays out.