High school girls' lacrosse: All Saints Sara Williams leads lacrosse team to familiar place

One of the best girls’ lacrosse players in Polk County is at it again, helping All Saints try and achieve even greater success.

Last year (2022), All Saints midfielder Sara Williams had a goal-scoring average of 9.6, which helped her team go 11-4, reach the district championship game and become The Ledger’s Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year. This year her goal scoring average went as high as 10.4 — 293 total for her career — which is the most she has ever averaged in her career as a lacrosse player.

Persistence and dedication in her craft helped her accomplish those accolades, and with the reputation that Williams garnered because of her steady play, she eventually signed with No. 14 Lynn University (Division II) three games into the 2023 season.

A couple games following her milestone, All Saints most recent 11-9 win over Trinity Prep on Tuesday led to her goal-scoring average dropping to 9.7, but that is still leading the county right now. Williams has gotten exponentially better because of her willingness to play in various leagues over the summer such as the Palms Lacrosse Club in which she salvaged the opportunity to play against some of the toughest competition in the nation.

That training has All Saints at .500 (3-3) right now, though. But the Saints are in the same exact position the team was in last year, as the squad faced exemplary competition in Celebration and Lake Minneola — two of the best teams in Florida with a combined record of 11-1. Williams scored 14 of the 15 goals in the game vs. Celebration, including a couple free-position, 8-meter shots, as well as a few scores off fastbreak opportunities.

“It’s tough in the beginning because you get off to a rough start … and people’s confidence is really low, and they think that … this is how the rest of the season is going to go. But realistically you’re playing the toughest competition, so you’re automatically getting better, so when you play the same teams that are the same level as you or a little bit lower, it slows the game down so much more because you are used to playing at a faster pace," Williams said.

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Williams has put her individual success aside, adapted to the competition levels, and is focused on the team.

“I think it was mainly learning to work as a team, and we are getting better every day because we haven’t played that many games compared to most schools. We’re getting to our peak right now,” Williams said.

What’s helping All Saints reach the peak is not only Williams’ talent, but getting back all-county senior Chelsea Parchment, who just returned last game vs. Lakeland after suffering a concussion earlier in the season.

Williams said having Parchment back makes the game easier for her.

“She’s another outlet to pass to. She’s a good ball handler so you can trust her with the ball, and especially if we are up and trying to spread the field, she’s another outlet pass,” Williams said.

Still, the troops need to be led. And Williams along with the other leaders on the team know that the season can be turned around despite the .500 start because that’s exactly what happened last year. Williams, along with starting senior goalie Eliza Long, convey that message early and often through pep talks, sometimes being bluntly honest, and leading by example.

Williams has 58 goals and 48 ground balls, while Long has racked up 45 saves. Other contributors on the team are seniors Alexandra Thuren and Regan Shea with 26 and 21 ground balls respectively. And sophomore Sophia Hart has 22 goals and five assists to date.

All Saints will next play Lake Wales, 5 p.m. Tuesday at home.

Other top girls' lacrosse Polk County teams

Lake Wales (9-3)

The Highlanders started off the season 6-0 and have won seven of eight. Recently, Lake Wales won two in a row.

Junior Avery Brown has 60 goals on the season. Senior Baily Dykes has racked up 175 ground balls and 39 assists, which has her up to 91 points on the year. Junior goalie Sklya Ramirez has 82 saves.

Bartow (6-2)

Bartow has victories in five of six and have won two in a row.

Junior Isabel Perez has 18 goals on the year, and junior Manderley Barthel and senior Monserrat Anaya-Lopez both have 16 goals each. Barthel also has 58 ground balls on the year, while senior goalie Sydney Mikula has 57 saves.

Bartow will next play Wesley Chapel 7 p.m., Tuesday at home.

Lakeland (3-4)

The Dreadnaughts started the year 2-0 and have split the last two games.

Senior Reagan Combs has 24 goals on the year, while sophomore Anna Lloren and junior Marisa Podio have 20 and 17 goals respectively. Lloren also has 33 ground balls, while junior goalie Arabella Faz is up to 61 saves on the year.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: All Saints Sara Williams leads lacrosse team to familiar place