(Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
LOVELAND — Andrew Firestone, living up to his name, replaced his lacrosse stick with a flamethrower Friday.
The Steamboat Springs senior, who had all of six goals last year, scored three in the first quarter and five in the game during a 13-11 road victory for the No. 8-ranked team in Class 4A at Thompson Valley.
TV is ranked No. 9, but have dropped to 3-4 with three of their losses to ranked teams Ponderosa, Cheyenne Mountain, and now Steamboat.
Despite a 200-mile drive from the mountains to Loveland, the game was played in the Sailors’ comfort zone in front of a substantial fan section.
An internationally known winter ski resort, Steamboat, with its stunning natural beauty, is located just west of the Continental Divide. They have endless amounts of trails, popular hot springs pools, restaurants, and numerous other tourist attractions. Oh, and they have lacrosse.
“Steamboat is a special spot,” coach Jay Lattimore said. “With 75 kids in the program and all the fans that travel four-and-a-half hours to come watch us, it means a lot for us to work hard for everybody that comes to support.”
Despite a smallish enrollment of only 645 students, numbers are up and wins have been flowing with back-to-back 4A semifinal appearances entering this season.
“It’s the most popular sport in town,” Lattimore added.
Andrew Firestone of Steamboat Springs. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
On Friday, the Sailors boarded ship early with a 2-0 lead on goals by attackers Firestone and William Gunn, a second team all-state honoree last season.
Thompson Valley answered early and throughout, but was never able to take the lead despite a fantastic individual effort from Johnny Parsons, a senior with six goals.
Steamboat, seeming to feed off their large crowd, had a small step up on the Eagles as Firestone scored four goals in the first half and five of the Sailor’s first eight as Steamboat led 7-4 at halftime and had an 8-5 lead with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter.
The teams traded scores the rest of the way as Thompson Valley got within two, 12-10 with 4:35 left in the fourth and 13-11 with 1:49 on the clock, but couldn’t overcome a seasoned group.
Steamboat was able to grind out a road victory, one they viewed as critical after losing to Valor Christian, the No. 1 ranked team in 4A, on March 17. They also struggled a bit in an 11-8 victory over Douglas County last Saturday.
“We had a close game against Douglas and we didn’t come out very strong, but we had a good week of practice and we just came out and came together today,” Firestone said. “I think it was just team play. We all passed it once we got pressure on us and none of us were afraid to shoot.”
Of course, it was Firestone who did a good amount of not just the shooting, but finding the net.
“I have to give it up to my teammates,” the senior said humbly. “I had a couple goals on the crease that were just great passes.”
“Andrew continues to do the right things and putting the ball in the cage is what we ask of him,” Lattimore added. “It definitely speaks high volumes for all our seniors right now. They’re all really feeding off him and hustling hard.”
Of course, Firestone wasn’t the only player who served as a weapon against the Eagles as six others scored goals. Gunn and Drew Williamson had two each in the win.
“Our depth is really strong and besides Andrew leading the way today, we really do a good job spreading the goals and assists around,” said Lattimore, in his second season as the head man. “Our goalie, Peter Wharton, is playing really good right now too. We just need to keep supporting him and making sure the defense is protecting him.”
If there’s one thing to know about Steamboat lacrosse, it’s that Wharton will have the backing of his teammates and community.
“We’re a really tight knit group of guys,” Firestone said. “It’s a small town and we all know each other really well and we just love each other. We’re a family out there.”
Steamboat continues their road trip at Windsor (2-2), a team that beat Thompson Valley 12-9 this week. The Wizards host the Sailors at noon on Saturday.