Boys Lacrosse: Thomas Worthington Cardinals growing stronger from injury issues
Curtis Schriner just hopes he’ll be able to get back soon for the Thomas Worthington boys lacrosse team.
The senior attacker tore just about everything he could tear in his left knee. The injury taught Schriner a lot about himself, and it taught the Cardinals how to persevere through adversity.
“We were playing (Dublin) Coffman (on April 29, 2021),” Schriner said. “I was going to hit someone to keep them from crossing the midfield. My knee got a little caught where it was supposed to be and I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus.”
Schriner, who has committed to Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, was cleared to begin no-contact training March 21 and hopes to get in a game in the next few weeks. It depends on how his knee reacts to all the movements that go with playing the game.
But the adversity hasn’t deterred his state of mind.
“It’s really just been a test of how much I love this sport,” Schriner said. “It’s something that I wished never happened, but at the same time, I see the good in almost every situation. It’s the test of my discipline and hard work. Hopefully, it’s paid off and I’ll be healthy so I can play again this year.”
Second-year coach Collin Lisi can’t wait for Schriner’s return.
“We miss that leadership on the field,” Lisi said. “He’s an attackman, so he’s one of those guys we count on to score a lot of goals and finish inside. We miss that leadership that he brings and that composure he has on the field.”
Thomas, which opened March 19 with a 6-5 loss to St. Charles, is making the most of it, despite playing without Schriner and a couple of others.
Senior midfielders Sam Guy and Thomas Rick and senior defender Teegan Holcomb also are out with leg injuries.
“Missing a lot of seniors hurts,” Lisi said. “But luckily, we have a pretty big senior class, which helps with our leadership.”
Rick should be returning from a torn meniscus in mid-April, but Guy (Long Island commit) and Holcomb both will miss the season.
“We have this great next-man-up philosophy going for us,” senior goalie Sam Scott said. “We have a really great, mentally strong senior class that understands that setbacks are going to happen.”
Scott had nine saves against St. Charles, which scored the winning goal in the final minute. Sophomore midfielder Colin Scalise scored twice, including with 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining to tie the score.
“Our defense definitely looked really strong (against St. Charles),” senior midfielder Nate Hoover said. “I think playing good teams at the beginning of the year helps a lot because it exposes your weaknesses. When you know your weakness, you can learn how to fix them and get better.”
Last season, the Cardinals went 12-6 overall and 4-1 in the OCC-Cardinal Division to finish second behind Dublin Jerome (5-0).
“(Early on last year), they didn’t quite know how to prepare for a varsity game,” Lisi said. “That’s something we learned as the season went on. This year, they already know how to prepare and start games fast and not have to make up for lost time in the second half.”
Seniors Owen Ryan, Gabe Baker and Jack Moorma and junior Sawyer Simeone all return on defense.
“They create looks for me that just make the shots way easier (to defend),” Scott said. “I owe a lot to those guys. They make my job a hundred times easier.”
Senior attacker Logan Rinehart and junior midfielder Wyatt Estepp should be key players on the offensive end along with Hoover.
“(Hoover) is probably our offensive leader and our biggest offensive threat,” Lisi said. “Logan Rinehart is another huge goal-scorer for us with a lot of experience – a three-year starter. (Estepp) started last year as a sophomore (and) is a really talented guy.”
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KILBOURNE
•Coach: Brian Miller, second season
•Top players: David Bryant, Ryan Frech, Connor Henneman, Luke James, Lachlan Korn, Colin Machcinski, Reed Williamson, Tyler Yap and Jack Ziskin
•Key losses: Mitchell Abahazie, Cayden Dougherty, Harrison Kline, Ian Schupp, Charlie St. Myer and Jack Wasik
•Last season: 14-6 overall
•2021 OCC-Capital standings: Kilbourne (5-0), Delaware (4-1), Big Walnut, Westerville North and Westerville South (all 2-3), Dublin Scioto (0-5)
•2021 postseason: Def. Pickerington Central 13-8; def. New Albany 18-8; lost to St. Charles 8-5 in Division I, Region 3 semifinal
•Outlook: Coach Brian Miller strives for the best, so his distaste for an opening 9-8 loss to Watterson on March 18 was not surprising.
The Wolves recovered with a 12-6 victory over Big Walnut on March 22 to take their first step to winning the OCC-Capital for the second consecutive season.
Senior Reed Williamson and sophomore Luke James lead the attack, with senior midfielder Lachlan Korn an offensive threat as well. James had six goals and three assists in the first two games, while junior midfielders Nash Biglin (3 goals, 3 assists) and Ryan Fox (2 goals) also stood out.
Senior Colin Machinski and freshman Preston Hawkins both played in goal. Machinski had 10 saves in two games, and Hawkins had eight.
Seniors David Bryant and Connor Henneman anchor the defense.
•Quotable: “We have high expectations again this year – just as we have every year. We have goals of championships in the OCC and in the region and we strive for a state championship. Those are our expectations year in and year out. It doesn’t matter what changes – that’s where our bar is set.” – Miller
THOMAS
•Coach: Collin Lisi, second season
•Top players: Wyatt Estepp, Nate Hoover, Jack Moorma, Logan Rinehart, Owen Ryan, Curtis Schriner and Sam Scott
•Key losses: Jaylen Benjamin, Riley Bootes, Cole McDermott, Owen Appel, Eli Short and Carson Smith
•Last season: 12-6 overall
•2021 OCC-Cardinal standings: Dublin Jerome (5-0), Thomas (4-1), Olentangy (3-2), Olentangy Berlin (2-3), Hilliard Darby (1-4), Marysville (0-5)
•2021 postseason: Def. Westerville North 14-8; def. Centerville 12-7; lost to UA 16-0 in Division I, Region 3 semifinal
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Boys Lacrosse: Thomas Worthington growing from injury issues
