With the spring sports season arriving, it is time to head back outside to the fields to watch some high school lacrosse 

Last week, things ramped up in the area, with many teams taking on their first region opponent in just the second week of competition. Teams had little time to work through their kinks before playing these key games. 

It was a tough week for the boys, with no teams winning a game outside of the conference. 

River Bluff was the lone unbeaten team, picking up wins over Dutch Fork and Spring Valley. Both of those teams are in the Gators’ conference. Spring Valley and Blythewood, despite not being in the same region for other sports, are in the same conference with River Bluff for lacrosse.

The Gators beat the Silver Foxes 14-5 and the Vikings 18-2. Jackson Register led the way for the team with nine goals across both games. 

Lexington had a strong week, going 2-1, with both wins coming over a region opponent. 

The Wildcats handled White Knoll, winning 17-5, before beating Dutch Fork 18-11. Lexington ended the week with a 10-9 loss against Dorman. 

Eight players scored a goal in the win over White Knoll, and five had at least two goals. Ander Huffines led the way with five points after scoring four goals and adding an assist. Tanner Walker also had five points after scoring three goals and earning two assists.

The team also had a balanced outing in the win against Dutch Fork with seven players scoring a goal. Walker and Sawyer Headley combined for 11 goals in the game. 

Chapin, Dutch Fork and White Knoll combined to go 0-5 to round things out for the boys. 

Girls teams had a bit more success last week with a few out-of-conference wins. 

The defending 5A state champions from Chapin were one of the teams that won a non-region game. The Eagles went 1-1 last week with a 17-2 loss to Oceanside and a 15-9 win against Fort Mill. 

Lexington had a great week, going 3-0, including two region and one non-region wins. The Wildcats dominated White Knoll and Dutch Fork, beating the Timberwolves 24-0 and the Silver Foxes 15-4. 

The Wildcats came out on top in a tough contest against Bishop England, winning 14-10. Lilly Sundell had four goals and three assists for seven points. Izzy Saville added four goals and two assists for six points. 

River Bluff also had a 3-0 perfect week, beating Dutch Fork, Riverside and Spring Valley. The Gators’ wins were much tougher to come by, with two of the games being decided by a single point. The team beat Dutch Fork 5-4 and Riverside 10-9. The team ended the week with an 18-2 blowout over the Vikings. 

The Dutch Fork girls went 1-2 last week, losing both region games but adding an out-of-conference win against A.C. Flora. The Silver Foxes and Falcons went back-and-forth, and when time expired, Dutch Fork was on top. Grace Tharp scored three times in the win.

White Knoll and Irmo combined to go 0-5. Both teams were winless this season, entering this week. However, the two played each other after the Chronicle’s press deadline. 

The stakes will start to rise over the next few weeks as teams scramble to get into form and earn those key conference wins. Playoffs will be here sooner than later, with the regular season ending in less than a month. 

Big performances 

Lilly Sundell had six goals for Lexington’s girls in their win against Dutch Fork. 

Kyle Jenkins finished with two goals and an assist for River Bluff’s boys in the Gators’ win over Spring Valley. 

Tanner Walker scored six goals in the Lexington boys’ win over Dutch Fork. 

Brooke Holmes finished with five goals as the Chapin girls defeated Fort Mill for their second win this season. 

Last week’s scoreboard 

Chapin boys - Boiling Springs (21-12, L), Wando (11-6, L)

Chapin girls - Oceanside (17-2, L), Fort Mill (15-9, W)

Dutch Fork boys - River Bluff (14-5, L), Lexington (18-11, L)

Dutch Fork girls - River Bluff (5-4, L), A.C. Flora (9-8, W), Lexington (15-4, L)

Lexington boys - White Knoll (17-5, W), Dutch Fork (18-11, W), Dorman (10-9, L)

Lexington girls - White Knoll (24-0, W), Dutch Fork (15-4, W), Bishop England (14-10, W)

River Bluff boys - Dutch Fork (14-5, W), Spring Valley (13-1, W)

River Bluff girls - Dutch Fork (5-4, W), Riverside (10-9, W), Spring Valley (18-2, W)

White Knoll boys - Lexington (17-5, L)

White Knoll girls - Lexington (24-0, L), Aiken (15-8, L)

Irmo girls - Blythewood (29-3, L), Mid-Carolina (16-9, L), Fountain Inn (22-11, L)