On a Friday night in South Louisiana, a very special moment took place between Pascagoula and St. Paul‘s varsity lacrosse teams. They worked together to make sure that senior James Cady would leave the program with a goal.
Scoring a goal may not seem like a big deal. However, in this case there is more to the story.
James has been working hard for four years as a member of the Pascagoula team. And, oh yeah, he also plays with a prosthetic leg.
That is what made this goal both unique and important. After speaking with head coach Westly Green it is clear just what James means to his team as well as the program. The conversation I had with head coach Westly Green added more context to what I saw take place on the field.
James Cady Goal: LaxAllStars
Trey Oaks: How long has James been with the program? Please tell us a little about him.
Coach Green: He has played with Pascagoula for four years. He originally started off as a goalie and moved to attack. His older brother also played for us and I believe that is how he got started with lacrosse. He has tons of heart. If I had five kids with his heart I could take on any team. James also earned his Eagle Scout when he was a sophomore.
TO: What does it mean for/to James? What did it mean to his teammates?
CG: He was ecstatic, he just loves the game and works hard every time he gets on the field. The team was also excited and rallied around him for it. When we stopped at Chic-Fil-A on the way home they were still talking about it.
TO: Why did you choose this game and did it surprise you at all that St. Paul’s agreed to do it and celebrated the goal with him after?
CG: St. Paul’s has always made us feel welcome and they have always treated us well. Whenever we play them they always play with class and even encourage our players from their own sideline. That is why I felt comfortable asking.
As a coach for St. Paul’s, I know that it made the entire coaching staff proud of our players and the play really was the highlight of the game. As a program we were happy for James and we were glad we got to be a part of this. Hats off to everyone involved on both sidelines to create a moment that was bigger than the game itself.
Congratulations James!
