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Oakton boys 'flip the switch'
It is not unusual for a team to progress as a season goes along, but for the Oakton boys lacrosse team, it's starting to get ridiculous. Cougars coach Tony Gray admits that since the postseason began a month ago, he hardly recognizes his squad.
“I think they've grown a lot since the beginning of the year,” Gray said. “As soon as we went into the playoffs, they flipped the switch. All the stuff we taught them [in the regular season] that they didn't respond to, in the playoffs they started to do it.
“It's unbelievable. It's like two different teams.”
Oakton has lost just twice since the start of the postseason – to Chantilly in the Concorde District and Northern Region finals – and continued its successful run with a 14-6 win over Broad Run Saturday in the opening round of the state tournament.
For most of the year, the Cougars relied on their defense to win games, but Gray points to the improvement of their offense as the reason behind the late-season surge. He credits his entire midfield for the change.
“The key is the offense is starting to produce,” said Gray, who has led Oakton to the state tournament in five of his eight seasons with the team, winning three state titles. “You can have a good defense, but if you don't get it done on the other end of the field, it doesn't matter.”
Oakton is scheduled to face Albemarle in the state semifinals tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Westfield High School. Check back later for a full recap of the game.
The Oakton girls also won their quarterfinal matchup Saturday, defeating Forest Park, 27-5. Senior Ashley Kimener scored eight goals to lead the Cougars, who are scheduled to face Loudoun Valley tomorrow night as they pursue their third straight state title.
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