Building a successful sports program at the high school level involves a number of factors.
Perseverance, commitment and creating ongoing interest are just a few of the qualities any program needs in order to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit.
The Patrick Henry High School lacrosse program has continued to hit those high notes under 20-year head coach Josh Wilkinson as the 2015 season for the Patriots reached new heights. And, the prospect for more looks to be better than ever.
Patrick Henry had a banner year in 2015, reaching the VHSL 6A state championship semifinal before losing to eventual state champs Robinson in early June. Heading into that game in unchartered waters, PH fell behind 7-0 before valiantly fighting back in the 11-6 setback to a fast and talented Robinson team that acknowledged they had all they could handle with the Patriots. That loss ended a season that saw PH lose its season opener to Albemarle before reeling off 15 straight wins heading into the semifinal.
Many high school lacrosse programs are still in their infancy. Several local schools are now being sanctioned in the Virginia High School League after years of experimenting at the club level. It is a normal progression for a sport that continues to grow in popularity.
At PH, lacrosse has been around for a long time, with a very unusual set of circumstances setting the program in motion.
In 1990, former Roanoke College lacrosse All-American Bob Rotantz, owner of Mac & Bob’s Restaurant in Salem, was recruited by two of his dishwashers to help Patrick Henry form a lacrosse program. Rotantz agreed, getting the PH program off the ground.
Wilkinson, who had moved to Roanoke, joined the program as one of Rotantz’s assistants. Wilkinson, himself, brought plenty of experience to the table, having played high school lacrosse in the Denver, Colorado area before playing at the college level for Whittier College in Los Angeles where he was named to the Collegiate North-South All-Star team in Division III.
When Rotantz stepped down in 1995 to devote full time to his restaurant, Wilkinson was the obvious choice to take over the program as the new head coach. Wilkinson pushed the program forward.
“Those early years were ugly,” Wilkinson admits matter-of-factly with a slight chuckle. “We’d wait to see who’d get cut from the soccer team, then recruit them to play lacrosse. We would try to coach anyone who was interested, but we just didn’t have good athletes. Those were some lean years.”
In 1999, Roanoke attorney Mike Lonchar came aboard as an assistant, and a middle school program was started in 2000.
“That was the key to getting the program rolling,” Wilkinson says of getting younger players interested and learning the basic skills. “The results were quick. Getting younger kids involved created interest. Now, the Under-7 age is our biggest group.”
PH kept moving forward even though there were only three other lacrosse teams in the valley, Salem along with club teams at Cave Spring and Vinton. In 2003 Patrick Henry won their first Valley Cup, the champion crowned among those four teams,.
“The feeder programs began paying dividends and we went from 0-10 to 10-1 in one year,” Wilkinson noted. “Our only loss that second year was to Albemarle by one goal. I would call that the turning point of our lacrosse program. We had made a huge jump forward, players were becoming committed and I was blessed with those early coaches.”
“Lacrosse is taking off across the state,” Wilkinson adds. “There’s not a lot of high schools now that don’t have the sport. I think PH is among the top programs in this part of the state. Salem and E.C. Glass have also made good runs. Lacrosse has been popular and had its strength in the Northern Virginia and Richmond areas. Now, we’ve legitimized it in the western part of the state.”
So, what’s the key to attracting the players?
“Kids quickly fall in love with lacrosse,” Wilkinson says. “It’s a fun sport to practice. There’s scoring and there’s hitting. But, it’s not like football where everyone starts from a standstill. In lacrosse, players keep moving, are fast and constantly make quick moves. That’s the reason the contact is minimized. If you can’t catch ’em, you can’t hit ’em. In lacrosse, every size player has a place. If you’re committed, we’ll find a place for you.”
“I’m really pleased the way our program is going. I credit the youth coaches because I’m only as good as the way they are so talented in developing a kid’s skills. By the time players now reach the varsity level, I’m more concerned about the system and finding each player’s strength. Then, teaching them where the ball should go during the game.”
“The entire program keeps growing. We had 54 guys in the program this year, 22 on the varsity. I’m not going to move a kid up unless he’ll play. It’s a good problem to have and it makes my job easier.”
“Success breeds success,” Wilkinson adds. ” We were behind 6-0 in the first quarter in our opening loss to Albemarle, the defending 5A state champions. We fought back to lose by only one goal. That was the point where every player on this team realized they could play against the best.”
Despite not making the championship game, there’s little doubt coaches and others recognized the Patriot’s talent. Senior attack man Sam Boxley made the 6A Boys All-State First Team, while attacker Noah Hollander, midfielders Brice Johnson and Kyle Mollica, along with defender Andrew Hamilton were named to the 6A All-State Second Team.
Wilkinson likewise got the deserved recognition after being named 2015 6A Coach of the Year.
“I was totally surprised,” Wilkinson, now 42 and father of two with wife Cathy, said of the award. “It is definitely an honor and good for the program. It makes those twenty years of hard work worth it. I couldn’t have done it without my assistants, Ron Hasan and Josh Theomke.
Now, Wilkinson looks for the program to move to the next level, while PH moves to Group 5A in 2016. While Hollander was a junior this year, Johnson, Mollica and Hamilton were all sophomores.
“We want to continue this run, and keep the youth program moving forward,” Wilkinson says. “We have a lot of good players in the pipeline. We’ll get to the weight room in the off-season. It takes a lot to be at the level we want. And, we want academics to stay at the front. In the last seven years, 100% of our lacrosse graduates went on to college. We take a lot of pride in that.”
Under Wilkinson, the Patrick Henry lacrosse program is attacking from every angle.
Bill Turner
