Lacrosse: it is probably not a sport you commonly think about. However, there are thousands of high school lacrosse athletes across the nation that love the sport they play. The common stereotype about lacrosse players is that they practice constantly, are overlooked constantly and party constantly. A group of relaxed, social and determined White Station lacrosse athletes are demonstrating this right here in this city.

Memphis has been a hotbed for high school lacrosse for a long time. Teams from Memphis University School and Hutchison have been ranked nationally, but White Station is not renowned for its lacrosse program. In fact, lacrosse is not currently one of the 14 funded sports under the state’s athletic association, the TSSAA. Both the WSHS boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams are identified as clubs.

Although the team does not receive state funding, there are still many skilled players that are passionate about the sport they play. Michael Johns (12), Nyenlla Fontenot (12) and Garrett Fuson (12) are just three of these players leading their boys’ lacrosse team through the 2015-16 season.

“It has honestly been a rather interesting year,” Fuson said. “I feel as if my teammates and I have grown closer both on and off the field.”

Now nearing the end of their last year of WSHS lacrosse, these students are currently finishing off their season with a bang. All three of these seniors started playing high school lacrosse as freshmen and have grown significantly since then.

“I’ve gotten a lot better at getting the ball down the field and playing defense. My stick handling skills have also improved,” Johns said.

As seniors on the team, Johns, Fontenot and Fuson feel their duty is to provide leadership and guidance to the younger players. On and off the field, these three have expressed their passion for lacrosse by doing just that. This is what has made them leaders amongst this group of athletes.

“I try to calm everyone down on offense, and try to keep everyone level-headed whenever we are playing a tough game,” Fontenot said. “And in turn, my teammates have helped me grow in this game too.”

When it comes to the actual game, these three players mostly lead the team on both sides of the field. While Michael Johns is guarding attackers on defense, Fontenot and Fuson are providing  assists and attacking the opponent’s goal on offense. This sets the team up for efficient gameplay and helps these players set goals for themselves during the regular season.

“My number one goal during my time playing this sport was to learn more about the sport itself and to better develop myself as both a player and a person,” Fuson said. “I believe that over the years I have come to fulfill this goal.”

College lacrosse has been a big decision that these seniors have thought about for a long time. However, it does not look like these players will choose to continue this sport after high school. Johns has considered playing for the University of Memphis, but is not completely sure it’s the best decision for him.

“After recently hearing about Memphis and their lacrosse team, I’m really starting to think about it. As long as college lacrosse doesn’t interfere with my hunting and fishing, I should be fine,” Johns said.

The future of this WSHS boys’ lacrosse team is in question. After this year, the team will be in the hands of the next three boys’ lacrosse leaders: Zachary Matheney (11), J.C. Busby (11) and Ben Charney (10). This trio makes up most of the team’s offensive presence and have been nicknamed “Wasabi.” They enjoy assisting the senior players and have fun doing it.

“I assist the older players on the team by providing smooth, crisp passes that lead to the head of their stick and into the net,” Charney said.” We keep the offense moving, and the seniors help me in unimaginable ways.”

As for their peculiar group name, these players truly wanted a nickname that exuded their passion for the sport and their unique personalities.

“There’s the Harlem Globetrotters, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Spartans; we needed a team name. So, we came up with “Wasabi” because it’s just a chill name. We like to kick it, we like to get loose and we like to LAX,” Matheney said.  

Despite playing for an underfunded lacrosse club, Johns, Fontenot, and Fuson have shaped this team from the beginning of their WSHS lacrosse careers. This trio started strong and plan on ending strong. They have experienced defeats and victories; however, nothing can amount to the experiences they have had nor the lessons they’ve been taught while playing lacrosse at White Station.