After winning the Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse Association State Championship in 2015, the McCallie lacrosse team is looking to push itself to an even higher level this spring.
The Blue Tornado will play a difficult schedule with several ranked teams from different areas of the nation. The schedule includes the No. 2, 55, 59 and 95 teams ranked from last season.
Head Coach Troy Kemp feels this year’s squad is up to the challenge.
“The hottest fire makes the best steel,” said Kemp, entering his 25th season as the head coach at McCallie.
“We realize there are teams in the country who could beat us, but we know we have to make the move and fight the bully.”
The squad opens the schedule March 3 with Memphis University School in a rematch of the 2015 state title game in which the Blue Tornado won 13-11. National top 10-team Severn visits McCallie in the Scenic City March 19, and the squad makes a return trip to the State of Maryland to take on Landon. The trip includes a stop at Patrick Henry in Roanoke, Va.
McCallie visits Atlanta schools Pope and Westminster in April followed by a trip to Indiana to face highly-rated Culver Academy and Carmel.
While last year’s team forged a 19-2 record and defeated MUS in the championship match, Coach Kemp feels the 2016 team has a chance to be better because of talent and team chemistry.
Players to watch for the Blue Tornado include: Zach Hutchko, Charles Dumas and Andrew Klementz at attack; Trevor Miller, Sterlyn Ardrey, Sage Rieth and Pierce Johnson at midfield and defensemen Mick Upchurch, Jeff Durden, Jonathan Lipman and Nic Najjar.
Hutchko, a senior, has signed to play at the University of Denver, last year’s NCAA Division I National Champion. Durden, also a senior, has signed with the U.S. Naval Academy. Three other seniors have pledged to play at Division III colleges – Klementz at Greensboro College, Lipman at Rochester Institute of Technology and Najjar at Denison University.
The March 3 opener begins at 7:00 pm at Spears Stadium.