Facing the Parish Episcopal Panthers for a noncount game on Friday, March 28, the combined Warrior’s varsity girls lacrosse team took to the McNeil home field for senior night. After the Warriors honored the graduating seniors, they could not be stopped, taking a quick 10-4 victory. 

“I’ve been through three senior nights before this and it doesn’t feel real that this is mine now,” Talia Philip ‘25 said. 

To start the game, the Panthers locked in an open goal, getting themselves on the board early to try and take an advantage. Now regaining footing from a difficult start, Isabelle Horonzy ‘26 assisted an uninterrupted goal to set an even field. 

“We had a messy team warmup, but we came into it strong and held our own,” Horonzy said. 

During Horonzy’s goal, the offense spotted some key weak points in the Panther’s defense. This knowledge led to another four more goals within the first quarter, with another from Horonzy. However, it was not all a slaughter from the offense as the Panthers tossed in another goal, ending the quarter 5-2, Warriors leading. 

“On senior night, you always expect to be up against a team you’re most likely going to beat,” Horonzy said. “It was a little low [energy at first] because we were expecting the win and didn’t have our all into it, [but we got] stronger during the game.”

After a slow second quarter and another two goals by the Warriors, the third quarter saw a shift in aggression from the Panthers as they earned another goal, hoping to begin a comeback. Despite several slip-ups on the field due to the enemy team’s aggression, Horonzy scored her third goal of the game, maintaining the five-point lead at 8-3 at the end of the third quarter. 

“I’ve [personally] been falling a lot lately, [but the other team was] very pushy, and we started playing [at] the same level, a lot of tripping, a lot of falling, a lot of messy play,” Horonzy said. “That almost got in the way of how we played [because there were] a lot of trips and bad checks.”

Nonetheless, the Warriors widened their lead even more in the last quarter, with two goals from Horonzy and Ana Jovanovic ‘25 they kept the Panthers subdued and solidified their 10-4 final score.

“[Overall], it was kind of an aggressive game, so I was trying to just remind myself to stay calm [the whole time],” Jovanovic said. “I was really trying to not let it get to me, and [to] play the game that I know how to play [by] maintaining an outside perspective.”

The varsity girls lacrosse team will play their next game at home against Dripping Springs on  Thursday, April 3.

Following a delayed start to the season due to inclement weather, the combined Westwood, McNeil, and Round Rock Varsity Girls Lacrosse team played the St. Agnes Tigers at the Town & Country Club on Friday, Feb. 28, in a scrimmage. 

The Warriors started the game off neck and neck with the Tigers, setting the score immediately 2-2. However, pushing in aggressive plays, the Warriors set a 7-2 lead at the end of the first quarter after a slew of powerful shots and smart passes. Moving into the second, the girls looked to maintain their steady pace with goals from Isabelle Horonzy ‘26 and Ana Jovanovic ‘27. 

“We always say we want to set the pace of the game. We’re trying to push the fast break, take every shot we can, so we start off really aggressive for the lead,” Horonzy said. 

During the second quarter, the Tigers found a more aggressive offense, soon closing the lead with three unanswered goals that overwhelmed the Warriors defense and brought the score 7-5. Before halftime, each team then scored another goal, ending the half at 8-6, with the Warriors still in the lead. 

“When the game is so close, it’s easy to get frantic,”  Jovanovic said. “Patience is so important because it lets everyone settle down and think. We [try to] make sure everyone’s calm so we can think properly about what we’re going to do [the rest of the game].”

Coming out of the half, the Warriors kept their head on straight, maintaining a narrow lead and keeping the ball mostly on the Tigers’ side of the field waiting for any opportunity to shoot. However, this aggression and the intensity of the game, Horonzy received a yellow card for a slashing penalty, putting her out of the game for the next two minutes. 

“They’re counting down [the time] while I’m on the sideline, but I’m trying to watch every single play that’s going on,” Horonzy said. 

These observations eventually paid off however, as at the end of her two minute timeout, Horonzy saw a chance and capitalized on a scoop and score, setting the team ahead, 13-10. 

“I’m trying to watch every single thing and know exactly where the ball is going to be exactly when I come out, so I’m able to just jump right in and help my team,” Horonzy said. 

Now in the last quarter, the Warriors backed up and intensified their defense as the Tigers made several consecutive goals, putting both teams neck and neck again with a climbing 15-14 score. 

“[When the score is so close], I’m trying to get more space between the defense, dodging and tricking them, because the more space you get, the more likely you’ll be able to get the ball and find open people,” defensive player Elly Howell ‘26 said. 

With a tactical maneuver, the Tigers swerved around the Warrior defense to put the game at a 15-15 tie with only minutes left as both teams felt their exhaustion. 

“It’s so hard [to have stamina to finish strong] and it’s something I’ve had to grow to learn,” Horonzy said. “It’s very aggressive, there’s a lot of pushing, it’s a contact sport, so [that’s] what it’s going to be,I just have to stay in that state of mind that I want to win.”

Through the intensity, the Tigers’ head coach received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, forcing her to pull a Tiger off the field for the vital last moments of the game, a devastating blow to both their defense and offense. 

“Their coach was screaming to a point where it’s [considered] not sportsmanlike at all,” Horonzy said. “At that point, if it’s continuous yellow cards on the team and the coach is also yelling about it, they’ll give the coach a yellow card.” 

With 30 seconds left on the clock and the Warriors in possession of the ball, midfielder Abby Whittenburg ‘25 charged towards the Tigers’ goal, narrowly dodging their shut-out defense, eventually passing to Camille Prevost ‘25, who took a straight shot at the net for the Warriors’ 16th point and the overall win.

“[The girls] played better this game than I’ve ever seen, playing a lot smarter,” Head Coach Amanda Keel said.

The Girls Lacrosse team will play their next game in the Warrior Bowl next Monday, March 3, against the Lake Travis Cavaliers.

The Warriors showed a promising start in the first quarter, with an early goal from Zach Propes ‘25. Led by strong defensive plays, the Warriors were able to hold Anderson until midway through the quarter when they scored their equalizer. All tied up midway through the first quarter, the offense attempted to generate momentum. Unfortunately, Anderson defense outmatched the Warriors and the pressure fell on the Warrior defense to fend off attacks. A few successful blocks from goalie Davis Hixon ‘28 held off Anderson for a while, but these attempts were not enough, as a goal slipped past, putting the Warriors behind. Minutes later, another goal by Anderson sealed Westwood’s first quarter 3-1. 

“I’m just proud of how many saves I got because it was my first varsity game,” Davis Hixon ‘28 said. 

A swift play from Anderson at the beginning of the second quarter only increased the Trojan lead. However, good defense all around held off the Trojans’ offense. But, an aggressive play by Anderson took out Davis Hixon ‘28 and resulted in a flag on the play. As the warrior backup goalie took the field, the Trojans capitalized on the opportunity, making the score 5-1.

“I just tried to do what I can to help the team,” Andrew LeBlanc ‘28 said. “[I’m going to work on] moving the ball better and [having] less turnovers.”

A defeated Westwood was no match for the Trojan offense in the third quarter as Anderson continued to hammer the Warriors, soon setting the game to 6-1. Unfortunately, after a weak chance at revival from the Warriors, Anderson rebutted and put up their eighth unanswered points on the Warriors, ending the third quarter 8-1. 

“I think I went around 50 percent on saves so I was really proud of that,” Hixon said. 

Westwood came out as a new team to close out the game. A slow start to the last quarter ensured neither team made serious offensive advancements. However, changing the momentum, a goal made by a teammate from another school*, AJ Loyd, started closing the gap. Another Westwood goal, made with mere minutes left in the game, showed hope for Westwood. And shortly after, a second goal by Loyd ended the game at 8-5 with Anderson on top.

“We  started rocky, of course, but we had a talk from our coaches to lock down the fourth quarter and that’s what we did,” Zachary Propes ‘25 said. “We had a shutout quarter and we put four goals up and that feels amazing, and I know everyone on defense feels the same way. “

The varsity men’s lacrosse team will face Memorial at 11 a.m. at the Warrior Bowl on Sunday, February 16.

*The Lacrosse team is composed of players from Westwood, McNeil, and Round Rock.

“I liked how everyone was doing their best for us seniors and showed up for the whole game. This season has had its ups and downs but it’s really been a fun season to play with friends,” Avry Kirk ‘24 said.

This senior night was packed with fans and supporters cheering on every player. The music blasted goal after goal, and the energy of the stands kept rising during every moment of the game. This game was truly a big highlight for these seniors, their teammates, and the people who came to support them as the Warrior Bowl was adorned with orange and white pride at every turn. After the game, their names were called up to celebrate their last moments on the Westwood lacrosse team alongside friends, family, and coaches.

“Senior night means a lot to me, there’s girls that I’ve known since I was three years old. I started playing freshman year thinking it was going to be my second sport because I was in basketball and as soon as I started lacrosse I was like; ‘This is what I want to do,’” Hailey Clementi ‘24 said.

While tonight’s game was a great success, the dedication and hours of practice didn’t come out of nowhere, as the varsity women’s lacrosse team has been preparing for tonight about two weeks. As the girls got more and more familiar with the other opponent’s goals, and the scoreboard numbers rose to the sky, they never did seem to lose any motivation. 

“This whole season has been amazing. I mean, it’s had its ups and downs but in the end, we made it to state and we played our hardest and poured our hearts out on this field and every field that we’ve played on,” Heaven Arteaga ‘24 said.

A spectacular senior seen on the field tonight was Clementi. Hailey was hustling down the field at every chance she got, putting herself in the action as often as possible, and She had the skills to show for it. Hailey knew she had to make her last game count, so she as launched herself onto the field one last game she scored a breath-taking 8-meter shot.

“My best highlight from tonight was definitely when I scored a really good 8-meter shot,” Clementi said.

All the dedication from tonight’s game couldn’t have been done without the support and love from teammates, coaches,  family,  and friends alike. To show it team over the weeks prior made decorations that were scattered everywhere possible to get everybody’s spirits high to celebrate the women’s lacrosse graduates of 2024. 

“Getting hype with my friends and really reflecting on every other game, and using that to energize myself to play my complete best for this game helped a lot. I also think my sister and my coaches were my biggest supporters definitely,” Heaven Arteaga ‘24 said.

With a fierce play and a breathtaking 12-3 win over the Bulldogs, Varsity lacrosse can end their season off on a high note. And with the support they’ve had for one another throughout the whole year, it doesn’t stop past high school as all supporters watch these seniors grow to become greater and greater in anything they set their minds to.

The varsity men’s’ lacrosse team, comprised of players from Westwood, Round Rock, McNeil, and Cedar Ridge high schools, played Vandegrift in a fast-paced and intense match at McNeil’s Maverick Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 21, finishing the game with a colossal 10-3 loss.

Throughout the first quarter, Westwood played offensively, with a goal made by Hayes Lloyd ‘24 less than a minute into the game and another goal made by Ryan Lord ‘24 (Round Rock High School) with three minutes left in the quarter.

“The first quarter was our best quarter,” Lloyd said. “In the second quarter, I think it was the turning point in which the team kind of lost belief in itself.”

The second quarter was characterized by a swift offensive turn by the Vipers, scoring five goals in the 12-minute period, forcing Westwood into a defensive position to prevent any further loss. Fortunately, with just three minutes before halftime, Loyd was able to score yet another goal, rounding out the first half of the game at 5-3 with Vandegrift on top.

“Obviously, there’s always room for improvement,” Sam Strain ‘25 said. “We were making some really bad plays in the first [quarter], getting a ton of turnovers, but we kind of turned it up in the second quarter and played alright.”

Moving into the second half, Westwood remained in the deficit forcing them to continue their defensive position, as the Warriors were unable to score for the rest of the game while Vandegrift was able to score two goals in the third quarter and an additional three goals in the final, ending the game in a brutal 10-3 loss.

“The effort was there, it’s just that all the small things weren’t,” Zach Propes ‘25 said. “Communication, passing, catching, ground balls, it just wasn’t there.”

The varsity men’s lacrosse team will face Anderson at the Warrior Bowl at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. For more information, visit westwoodlax.org.

The varsity mens’ lacrosse team played at the Warrior Bowl on Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7, against the Regents School of Austin and Highland Park in the Texas High School Lacrosse League Class B Central Super-Regional Tournament.

In the match against Regents on Saturday, the Warriors started off the game strong, closing out the first quarter 10-0, and did not let off on offense as they closed the game out 23-6.

“From the start of the first quarter I knew we would win just by the fact that they hadn’t even cleared the ball once in the first 11 minutes of the game,” defender Zach Propes ‘25 said. “We played really well, stopping every attempted clear they tired, and ended up having way more opportunities to score.”

In a much tighter match against Highland Park on Sunday, attacker Ryan Wyrick ‘23 scored a goal in the second quarter, tying the game 5-5, until midfielder Will Guthrie ‘24 scored a goal in the final seconds of the quarter, going into halftime with a 6-5 score.

In an intense third quarter, Guthrie scored another goal, tying the score 7-7. In the final minute of the third quarter, attacker Chase Griffin ‘23 scored a goal, increasing the score to 8-7, and Guthrie scored another goal in the final seconds of the third quarter, making the score 10-8.

“I found myself matched up with one of their best defenders who was a very physical player,” Griffin said. “I ran straight towards the goal, baiting him to come downhill with me. Once he started running to follow me, I leaned my shoulder into his body and jumped up to get a bounce shot over his head.

After a decisive 11-10 victory for the Warriors on Sunday, the varsity team will play Westlake in the state finals match at Coppell in Dallas on Saturday, May 13. The state championship game will take place on Sunday, May 14. For more information, visit westwoodlax.org.

“We got a big win over Westlake, it went well, and we all had a good time,” Tate Shores ‘23 said. “[Before the game], we had a little introduction for all the seniors and got to walk on the field with our families, and tell the crowd what we were thankful for and what we appreciate about the program.”

The team will play against Georgetown at the Warrior Bowl on Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m., and will play against the Texas Military Institute at 20955 Tejas Trail West, San Antonio on Saturday, April 29, at 1 p.m.

For more information, visit westwoodlax.org.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, the varsity men’s lacrosse team played Highland Park at the Warrior Bowl and won 14-10.

The scores were close throughout the game, but the Warriors continued to stay a few points above Highland Park, closing the first quarter at 3-2, the second quarter at 8-5, the third quarter at 9-8, and ending the game on top with 14-10.

“We could have worked on our clearing more and passed it better,” Sam Strain ‘25 said. “Clearing the ball is when the goalie saves [the ball] and they shout ‘clear’ or ‘break’ and we try to get the ball to the offense and score it on the other side.”

The JV team plays Vista Ridge at the Warrior Bowl on Sunday, March 5, at 3 p.m., and the varsity team plays Regents at the Warrior Bowl on Saturday, March 25, at 3 p.m.

For more information, visit westwoodlax.org.