Prep previews: huge — and hungry — senior class will lead Battle Mountain boys lacrosse
After losing four one-goal games last year, Battle Mountain's 16 seniors hope to flip the script
Rex Keep/Courtesy photo
Looking back at the number of one-score losses from last spring is a somewhat painful exercise for Pat Doherty.
“We were in so many close games,” the Battle Mountain boys lacrosse coach said recalling his team’s 9-8 campaign, which ended in the second round of the state tournament when Steamboat Springs handed the Huskies’ their fourth one-point loss of the year.
“That’s where, to me, the rubber is going to meet the road.”
Fortunately, Doherty has the most important crunch-time asset on his side: experience. The Huskies return 16 seniors for the 2024 season, which begins March 13 against Mullen.
“The expectations are pretty high,” the coach said. Doherty had a front-row seat to observe this senior class’ potential while coaching them through the middle and high school club ranks. They’re a big reason he came back to the Battle Mountain coaching staff last spring.
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“I think this group is a special group,” he said. “They’ve been pretty committed to this program. It’s rare that you have this many seniors stay together all four years.”
Flipping the script
Last year, Battle Mountain wound up 6-6 in league-play and earned the 20th seed in the 4A state tournament. While the Huskies swept the season series against Eagle Valley, they lost two one-goal games to Aspen and were swept by both Vail Mountain School and Steamboat Springs. Doherty knows once again there will be no easy games on the league schedule.
“We don’t get a breath of fresh air,” he said. “I think it’s going to be really competitive again — like it always is.”
Steamboat Springs is the team to beat, Doherty said. The Huskies scrimmage the defending 4A Western Slope champions this Saturday before facing them on the road on April 5.
“I think the boys are going to be pretty hungry,” he said of avenging last year’s season-ending 9-8 loss. “That was tough. We really felt like we could have won that game. I know they’re all circling that on the calendar for sure.”
Doherty also believes Eagle Valley’s core starting group, led by Peter Boyd, will be formidable. “He’s probably one of the best offensive players in the league, to be honest,” Doherty said. “And they have some talent around him.”
Then there’s Glenwood Springs. The Demons only finished with a 4-8 mark, but took league runner-up VMS to the brink in a 12-11 loss at the end of the season.
“I think they’re a team people might overlook,” Doherty said. “Their coach does a great job with them.”
In order to flip the script from close losses to clutch wins, the Huskies will lean on returning scorer Garrett Ast and last year’s team MVP, Thomas Dekanich. The pair has diligently met in the weight room before school this offseason.
“There’s just not too many kids that are that motivated,” Doherty said. “Those two guys are certainly going to draw a lot of attention this year.”
Dekanich’s midseason shift from midfield to attack “changed the entire season” last year, Doherty said.
“Moving him down low where he can operate from ‘x’ and be able to manipulate the offense from behind the goal was a huge thing for us,” he continued. “It really kind of changed our offense.”
Ast poured in 53 points last season, including a team-high 43 goals.
“He’s just an offensive juggernaut,” Doherty said. “He does a really good job of creating offense on his own.”
Battle Mountain will continue to use picks to give Ast opportunities in space.
“We know he’s going to have a long stick on him most of the season,” Doherty said. “When you look at that, you know you look at other guys that need to step up and score.”
Battle Mountain will depend on the emergence of Jack Kovacik at the midfield and Keelan Losa on the left attack. Doherty said fans should also keep an eye out for Carter Shonk, who played almost every game last year as a freshman. Defensively, the Huskies are anchored by goalies Cash Case and Seth Bamford.
“It allows us to do a lot knowing that we have two unbelievable goalies in the cage and a defense in front of them that’s pretty dang good, too,” Doherty said.
“This will be a fun team to watch.”
