The girls’ lacrosse team at Union Grove High School (UGHS) is on a mission to be the best.

  With the numbers like the ones they’ve posted this season, they could be well on their way to achieving that goal.

  The squad defeated Northgate High School’s team for the first time ever on April 24 by a score of 15-14 to cap off their season with 15 wins and two losses. UGHS also recently made it to the state playoffs for the third time, thanks in part to scoring 305 goals this season — a team record. The playoffs are set to begin this week.

  UGHS Wolverines’ Head Coach Jimmy Lax has had an “outstanding season” thus far. He said the team secured a spot in the playoffs as a No. 1-seeded team for their nine-school area.

  “They have really just come together as a team,” said Lax. “They know how to build each other’s morale, and they know to fuss at each other without taking offense to each other. There’s no one on the team that puts themselves before the team. That creates a situation where they shine as individuals.”

  Lax added that the girls’ lacrosse team has “always had an exceptional season” at UGHS, and spoke highly of their accomplishments in 2019. He said even the losses that his “offense-minded” team suffered this year did not diminish their determination to stay competitive until the final whistle blows.

  “The two losses were not to area teams,” said Lax. “In order to get better, we have to play better teams.”

  Lax praised his team for their perseverance throughout the season. This, he said, was particularly evident after they lost to Creekview High School in their second game.

  “The next game was against Grady High School,” said Lax. “They didn’t want it to be their second loss.”

  The coach said although UGHS was behind at halftime against Grady, they came back and won by a score of 13-11.

  “They play to the end of the game, no matter what,” said Lax.

  Team captain Kimora Bailey, 17, is a senior at Union Grove High School and has played lacrosse since sixth grade. Playing lacrosse, she said, enables her to see her teammates excel with their varied talents, “yet come together to form a great team.”

  Bailey said she has high hopes for the team in the playoffs.

  “This year is the year, if we want it bad enough, we are going to get it,” she said. “We have beaten some teams that UGHS has never beaten in past years in lacrosse. I feel that we have accomplished a lot and I’m proud of every single one of us.”

  Bailey said the team has overcome its share of obstacles this season. She said maintaining a sense of unity is an essential component in their success.

  “The biggest challenge that our team has overcome would be understanding everyone has a job on the field,” said Bailey. “As we continue into playoffs, the key to going as far as possible would be to focus on team cohesiveness.

  Meredith Foreback, 17, is also a senior at UGHS. She began playing the sport as a freshman and is now in her fourth year on the girls’ lacrosse team.

  “It’s a team sport, but you make your own mistakes,” said Foreback, a midfielder on the team. “Everyone works together.”

  Foreback said the first few weeks of the season were a struggle for the team, but that the seniors on the team were particularly determined to succeed. She said “everyone stepped up their game” to make that goal a reality.

    “You can tell that they’re there to win,” said Foreback. “During practices, if someone does something wrong, we help each other out. Everybody wants the best for each other.” 

  Sixteen-year-old Margot Peters, a sophomore at UGHS, began playing lacrosse in sixth grade and has developed a passion for the sport over the years. She displayed that passion throughout the season, scoring approximately 55 of the team’s 305 goals.

  Peters said playing lacrosse gives her an adrenaline rush, and other benefits as well.

  “It’s a good way to release your excess anger,” said Peters with a laugh. “There’s a lot riding on every game. With everything we do, we have a reputation to uphold.”

  Peters echoed the sentiments of her fellow teammates regarding the sense of unity they share, and how it has helped them to excel this season.

  “I feel like we lift each other up really well,” said Peters. “We’re all able to communicate really well because we’re so close. Our communication helps the offense to score quickly and helps the defense to turn the ball over, which is really all you can ask for.”

  With the playoffs looming, Peters said she and her teammates will have to be as prepared and as focused as possible.   “I think it’s really important for us not to underestimate anybody,” she said. “We’re playing a team we’ve already beaten once, so we have to want it more than the other team, and we have to go in with a lot more intensity.”