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Oregon HS Playoffs: A Touch Of Class


Jesuit and Harney players after their OHSLA playoff game.

Too often the wider sports media focuses on the negatives surrounding lacrosse.  The Oregonian did a story today documenting a tremendous display of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and common respect between Jesuit High School and Harney County (also known as the Nadzitsaga Lacrosse Club) in the first round of the OHSLA playoffs.

Too often it’s left to the youth and high school levels to show us the characteristics and leadership qualities that sports are supposed to reinforce. These are the stories that don’t get told nearly enough.

Editor’s note: Got another story you’ve heard that deserves some pub? Contact LaxAllStars and tell us about it.

Generosity of Jesuit lacrosse program makes impression on Harney Nadzitsaga team

Harney (red) vs Jesuit (white)
Harney (red) vs Jesuit (white) during their 1st round playoff game

Reality hit minutes into the Harney Nadzitsaga boys lacrosse team’s celebration after a 7-6 overtime wild-card state playoff victory Wednesday at Sprague High School in Salem.

The team was 260 miles from home in Burns, and the small, cash-strapped club team hadn’t figured on beating Sprague. With their next game in the Oregon High School Lacrosse Association playoffs not until Friday at Jesuit in Beaverton, Nadzitsaga was literally a team all dressed up in victory with no place to go.

…Nadzitsaga means “ball and stick” in the Paiute tribe language. (Nadzitsaga coach Richard) Roy, 49, who grew up in New Hampshire and played lacrosse at Unity College in Maine, started the team three years go. According to its mission statement, the team’s goals include teaching leadership, responsibility and the importance of community involvement and serving others.

Based on enrollment figures, Burns (310) is one of the three-smallest schools to field a high school boys lacrosse team in Oregon…

…During the game, much more was going on off the field. Jenny Seton, whose son Mark is a sophomore midfielder on the Crusaders, got to talking to a few Nadzitsaga parents and learned of their interesting trip. Inspired, she put together an impromptu fundraiser.

The Jesuit parents provided the team with pizza and candy bars immediately after the game, then used the money raised to take the Harney team out for dinner at a local restaurant. The rest of the money helped offset the team’s travel costs.

…The next morning, the team was invited to a Jesuit family’s house in Lake Oswego for a pancake-and-eggs breakfast before the long ride home.

Full article

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Contact the author of this post at ryan@lacrosseallstars.com