Spring Sports Preview

As our spring sports start up again, let’s take a look at some notable parts of this upcoming season.

Baseball:

One sport we’ve got to look forward to this season is Baseball! Unfortunately, the team started off the year with two losses to Walter Johnson and QO. But, they are looking to improve. Last year, the boys went 9-2, ending their year with a close loss in the 4A North Region II Semifinals. Junior Tanner Sanderoff has been contributing to the Bengals offense at the plate, starting off the season with 3-4 in plate appearances. We hope baseball has a good season!

Softball:

Softball is making a comeback! This week they lost 7-6 to Walter Johnson but won their most recent match against Quince Orchards 9-6. Head Coach Amanda Peterson and Assistant Coach Dave Schipani and Captains Kat Comer, Shayla Growney, and Sophia Totaro are striving towards a promising season. Growney emphasizes how rewarding becoming a captain feels, “It shows that all of my hard work has paid off and I finally get to officially take on that leadership role with a label.” Last year, our softball team came off their playoff season 12-0 . With there being an influx of team members with different experiences, the team hopes to improve as a team this season. “We’ve been working on being aggressive on the base paths and..we’ve been working on communicating and knowing what plays need to be made in every situation,” Coach Peterson explains. Through their hard work and dedication, we’re looking forward to a rewarding season. Let’s cheer on the Softball team!!

Co-Ed Volleyball:

The Co-Ed Volleyball team is back in action, winning their latest match against Northwood 3-2. So far they have started off the season 1-1, already a major improvement from last year. The year before the Co-Ed Volleyball team was a staggering 0-8. One of the main struggles Co-Ed volleyball has had is the lack of boys trying out. Coach Franklin talks about this saying, “We had a very good turnout for tryouts, which I was hesitant about. We have players at various levels of play but I think if we communicate with each other and stick to our fundamentals this should be a great learning experience.” A majority of Co-Ed volleyball players are new to the game, making games challenging at times. Coach Franklin says that, “We have a cast of young ladies form the girls’ volleyball team plugging in to help the team get better.” Their season is just starting, and the coach and players are optimistic and excited to keep the good season going.

Boys’ Volleyball:

Boys Volleyball has already started their season off strong with two wins already. The boys won 3-0 against Kennedy and followed that up with a 3-1 win over Northwood. Coach Dana Mitchell-Barstow will look to continue this winning trend. After going 4-6 last season and ending the year with a run to the MCPS County Tournament Quarterfinals, Boys Volleyball is eyeing a strong, improved season.

Boys’ Lacrosse:

Boys Lacrosse is back! The Bengals are returning to the field to defend their Regional Championship after an outstanding 9-1 season last year. Coach Potts says that he gets back pieces from his region title run last year, including key pieces on offense and defense. He adds, “As for goals this season, the expectation remains the same year in and year out: win 10+ games, win the division, win the region and make a run in the state playoffs.  We got a good group here, this year we are a small but [resilient] unit.” He also adds that he encourages everyone to come out to a game, as you won’t be disappointed by the product on the field. The Bengals started their title defense on Wednesday against Rockville High School and won 21-2.  Let’s go Bengals!

Girls’ Lacrosse:

Another fan favorite sport upcoming this season is girls lacrosse! Coached by Lindsey Chamberlain, the girls lacrosse team is shaping up to be a force to watch out this spring. Last year, the girls lacrosse team had a game record of 8-2! We can only imagine how amazing the team will do this season. In fact, their first game, our Girls lacrosse team beat Rockville 8-7. Girls lacrosse’s next game is the 28th, versus Kennedy. Support our Lady Bengals and get watching!

Boys’ Tennis:

Although Boys’ Tennis started off this season with a loss to Whitman, the boys are looking forward to a competition season. Coming off a 7-2 record, this year Boys’ Tennis welcomes new head coach Benjamin Na. “As my first season as a coach, I have been blessed with having wonderful players who are willing and understanding,” Coach Na says. Building on hand-eye coordination and teamwork skills will be the focus for this upcoming season. Senior Captain Alan Kim has high expectations for the team: “We have fair matchups besides our first three games.” Captains Kim, Joey Ferguson, and Easton Zimmerman will be a big part of the team’s success this year. But, also keep an eye out for freshman Eldrick Mugerwa, a top 4 member of the team.

Girls’ Tennis:

Girls’ Tennis also took a loss to start the season, but things are looking up. Girls’ Tennis finished last season 5-4 with many of their losses only by one or two matches. Good teams like Whitman will fill out a good part of their schedule, so we’re looking forward to some competition as well on the Girls’ side. Senior Captain Deena Habash says, “I’m pretty confident about the team this year. We haven’t gotten to actually play with a full team since my sophomore year and now we have a really solid singles line up. We have a really good dynamic. I’m most excited for our Sherwood Match.”