By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

Before the past several days, it was difficult to judge just how good Sherwood’s boys lacrosse team is this season.

The Warriors had just one early season loss entering this past weekend and plenty of blowout wins against the lower-tier of Montgomery County’s boys lacrosse.

But after a win over Churchill on Friday and following Monday’s 11-8 win over Quince Orchard, the Warriors can officially be put on the Montgomery County boy’s lacrosse map this season.

Quince Orchard (6-3) beat the Warriors by nine goals last year, a season in which Sherwood 8-1) went 8-6 and fell to Churchill in the second round of the playoffs.

Sherwood welcomed in new head coach Chris Saputo, who headed the junior varsity program last year. According to the players, Saputo changed everything.

“Every single thing is different,” sophomore Kevin Laskin said. “I think it took us by surprise too.”

The Warriors, who have more than a dozen players recruited from this year’s 4A championship football team, play an up-tempo offense that is averaging 14 goals per game.

That group is led by senior Kyle Johnson, who recorded five goals and two assists Monday to raise his goal total to 30 on the season. Johnson notched 42 goals last year on attack.

Laskin notched three goals and two assists Monday. Michael Begley scored the game’s first goal to get the Warriors rolling and notched perhaps the biggest goal with two minutes, 54 seconds left with Quince Orchard trailing by just one.

The Warriors took control early but fell behind at the half by a goal after three straight Quince Orchard goals.

Much like it did against Churchill, Sherwood rebounded with four straight goals to start the second half that ultimately decided the game. Johnson scored the first three goals in the four-goal run and Laskin provided the final of the streak to take a 7-4 lead.

“We’re starting to mesh together really well and that’s helping even more,” Johnson said. “People knew we were good, but they weren’t expecting us to pull it out.”

Quince Orchard got three goals from senior Chris Hower and senior Sam King each and two goals and two assists from sophomore Eric Simon.

Sherwood travels to Damascus Tuesday before a big matchup against undefeated Wootton on Thursday.