Two years ago, a new era in Dryden boys lacrosse began with Colton Oliver taking over the program. 2024 was a resounding success as the Lions qualified for sectionals for the first time since 2017. Last season saw a slight step back as they missed out on postseason play, falling just one win short of that magic number of a .400 winning percentage. This year has gotten off to a more challenging start, but there have been plenty of bright spots with a younger squad.
It’s been a season of ups and downs so far at 2-8. After dropping their first three games, the Lions pounced back with back-to-back wins over Windsor and Waterloo but have since lost five straight contests. Despite their recent run of form, Oliver has seen great strides from how they began the campaign.
“The stick skills have improved immensely, which I’m thrilled about,” Oliver said. “You can be the best athlete, but if you don’t have that stick dialed in and your stick is not where it should be, then it’s going to kind of be a tough go of it. I’ve been really happy with the stick skills improving and just the passion for the game.”
The Lions have only three seniors this year after graduating six from last year’s team. With plenty of new sophomores and juniors, the Lions have found their own identity that they can build upon in the games (and years) to come.
“The theme of this team is we’re gritty, but also it doesn’t have to be the prettiest,” Oliver said. “Obviously so far, the record isn’t exactly what we had hoped for. And the biggest thing is telling them every single day, ‘Let’s just get one percent better.’”
There are quite a few players who have stood out on the turf. Gray Haines has excelled at the faceoff X, winning 66 percent of those battles. No matter what level of lacrosse, it is crucial to have a reliable faceoff specialist, and the junior has consistently delivered from that aspect over the last three seasons.
“His growth from his freshman year to now has just been incredible,” Oliver said. “He’s grown up a lot, which you would expect, but also he’s become a lot more of a leader. He’s super receptive with feedback. He also is a little bit more involved with the offense. I’m just super, super proud of his growth, and it always helps when you have a really good faceoff guy to get you those extra possessions.”
The biggest change in the starting lineup from last season to this one is in goal. Hunter Covington graduated after starting in between the pipes the last two years. The Lions now turn to junior Jonah Elkins to defend the net in his first year at the varsity level.
“I think it’s just knowing that he has to be a leader,” Oliver said. “[He’s] kind of the quarterback on the defense, just being a leader out there as well as getting everybody on the same page on defense, getting them to talk, rotate, you know, finish their slides. He is another player who I’ve been really, really happy with his growth within the last month or so.”
From defense to attack, the Lions are not short on goalscoring options. Senior Brayden Wood and juniors Oscar Brotherton, Masyn Holmes, and Kai Riggs have all reached double digits in points. The quartet has also shown versatility as some can play in the midfield, as well. In fact for Brotherton, he actually played on defense last year and earned Section IV All-Star honors and has continued to thrive further up the field this season.
“I’ve been super happy with the attack,” Oliver said. “The biggest thing I’ve seen this year is that when they dodge, their heads are up and they’re looking for cutters. We preach that all the time in practice. But I couldn’t be happier with the attack group and how they’ve been performing. I wish we could find the back of the net a little bit more, but that’ll come.”
It will be an uphill battle for the Lions if they want to make it back to sectionals. They’ll have to win the majority of their remaining games if they even want a chance to qualify. But even if they fall short of that quest, the future of Dryden lacrosse is certainly bright.
“It’s a very, very young team who has a lot of potential,” Oliver said. “But with potential, you still have to work hard at the end of the day. You got to work hard and put the work in or else it’s just potential. It’s just on paper. Definitely with that growth mindset, I think that’s been our biggest challenge this year and kind of what we’re focused on as of right now.”
