By Stephen Ham

Special to the Leader

Fundamentals and discipline.

Every coach in every sport in every school preaches these two things above all others. Why? Because it’s a given that the team that is sound fundamentally and plays with discipline will win. So it should come as no surprise that in the Scarborough High School boys lacrosse opener against Yarmouth, the team that was fundamentally flawless and played with tremendous discipline won. And, they won big. 

Unfortunately for the Red Storm, that team was Yarmouth. On a rainy, windswept Tuesday night in Scarborough, the Clippers shed some early game cobwebs to pour it on in a 19-5 runaway. 

The 2008 edition of the Red Storm Lacrosse team features an athletic team with perhaps deeper skill than any previous team, but they are lacking in experience playing together at the varsity level and it showed. They gave a demonstration of what they’re capable of when junior attacker Jake Barrett opened the scoring with a snap shot early in the first quarter. It was one of three goals on the night for the big lefty, but Yarmouth quickly countered on a breakaway in what was to be repeated again and again in the game. 

With 6:28 left in the first quarter and the score knotted at one goal apiece, Scarborough junior midfielder Brendan Ham made a heady play on a loose ball forced by Danny Clark’s stick check and beat the Yarmouth defense with a hard shot to put the Storm on top 2 to 1. That was the high point for Scarborough as Yarmouth began to assert itself.

The Clippers utilized a consistent, disciplined attack that employed continual ball movement and pinpoint passing that frustrated the Scarborough defense all night long. The Storm had moments of brilliance on defense, with Nick Prince, Peter Tuma, James Wright, and Mark Strait stepping up to thwart the Yarmouth attack. But they could only slow the inevitable as the Clippers took advantage of every miscue.

Pass and catch, pass and catch, look for the cutter, and shoot.

That was the Clipper plan and it was devastatingly effective. Scarborough goalies Matt Galyean and Joe Kennedy did a valiant job, stopping many of the Yarmouth shots, which came from all directions and a handful of different players, but in the end they were up against an irresistible force.

Junior Danny Clark brought some life to the rain soaked spectators in the second quarter, when he scored on a superb move that split two defenders right in front of the goal. It was one of the few shots not nabbed by the Yarmouth goaltender, who was hot all night, stopping some great shots from Scarborough’s offense, and the Clipper defense never allowed the Red Storm to gain any offensive rhythm.

The story to the game though was the unrelenting discipline of Yarmouth’s offense. Scarborough attempted different defensive looks, but Yarmouth never wavered from their plan.

Pass, pass, hit the open man, shoot and score. 

Following the game, Scarborough coach Joe Hezlep acknowledged Yarmouth’s performance. “They’re the class of the league. They do everything they’re supposed to, and they play hard as well,” he said.

For Scarborough, a team with an eye on the State Class A championship, it was a humbling night, but Hezlep was encouraged by what he saw. 

“Our boys played hard tonight. Real hard. We had a few bad breaks go the other way, and it’s the little things we have to work on. We have to get better at transitions.”

For Yarmouth, it was just another game where they played strong fundamental, disciplined lacrosse, and that of course led to another win.

Scarborough will attempt to get in the win column against Marshwood on Monday.