The Ridgefield Tigers are in the midst of quiet a run.
It started in 2009 when they won the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference title.
Two years later, Ridgefield won the Connecticut Class L state title.
Last year, they returned to the state title game.
What can we expect from the 2013 version of RHS lax?
Our first look at the Tigers comes from senior Brett Baker.
Baker, an attackman headed to Bryant University, is the brother of one of the standouts on the ’09 FCIAC championship team, Matt Baker, who now plays at Colgate.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Brett Baker is a quick dodger who can score from both the perimeter and just outside the crease.
Now, here are Brett’s perspectives on the 2013 season.
What have you been doing to get ready for the season?
For the players who don’t play sports during the fall or winter, we have programs for both seasons in which we get together and play at least once a week.
During the fall, our team did several tournaments including the UMass Fall Classic.
This winter, we are playing indoor lacrosse in Trumbull and have weight-lifting sessions three days a week. A lot of the offensive players, including myself, get out at least 2-3 times a week to run/shoot on the turf.
How does your schedule look, what games are you looking forward to most, and who are some of your scrimmages against?
Our schedule has not been released, but from what we know as of now, it is looking strong.
We generally play the top teams in the FCIAC along with top Westchester (County, N.Y.) teams. Yorktown is back on our schedule this year.
I’m also looking forward to continuing our series against Summit (N.J.) with a home-field advantage this season.
What player or players on your team do you think will surprise some people this season?
I think some of our sophomores will surprise a lot of people this year, particularly Paul Volante, Simon Mathias and Ryan Dunn.
Paul is a 6-foot-3 defenseman who just recently committed to West Point. He started last year as a freshman for a good portion of the year, and is a great on-ball defenseman. Simon and Ryan are two very capable sophomore attackmen with a lot of skill and athleticism-both will have great years.
What do you think the strength of your team will be this year?
While I like our talent and coaching across the board, I think our midfield will be a big strength this year, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Cal Dearth and Will Bonaparte are returning starters on the offensive end, and Sam Gravitte will hold down the defense at the long-stick midfield position.
How do you view the race in your league and who do you think some of the contending teams will be?
I think that there will be more teams in the mix this season than in the past. There are five or six teams with a legitimate shot to make the championship game. Our goal is to come out on top. Of course, we will have to battle through top powers like New Canaan, Darien and Wilton to do so.
* LaxLessons.com story on Brett’s commitment to Bryant
* For more info on Brett, check out his player profile by clicking here
If you’re a player from the NY/NJ/CT tristate region and would like to share your perspectives on the 2012 season, send an email to info@laxlessons.com.
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Posted In: Fairfield lacrosse, fciac, Player's perspective
Nice job Brett. Have a great sr year!
Ridgefield’s rise coincides with Colsey taking over the program in 09. Is this a direct result? I would be interested to hear from Ridgefielders and others with any opinion….