SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Boys Lacrosse

Prep Lacrosse

2007 San Diego Section
Spring Sports Log

Titan seniors secure Metro ‘three-peat'

Posted May 15, 2007
After all the celebratory cartwheels, high-fives, handshakes, hugs and photos were done, Eastlake High boys lacrosse coach Doug Murphy told his team that he had only one regret following the Titans' title-clinching 11-4 victory against visiting Otay Ranch on May 10.

“My only regret is that I didn't let you guys get me wet,” he told still giddy team members after the history-making victory secured Eastlake its third consecutive league championship.

While the water bucket may have found Murphy's daughter instead after her alert cries had sent her father scurrying away from the impending good-natured showering, nothing detracted otherwise from the Titans' ninth win in 10 Metro contests this season.

Eastlake joins Bonita Vista as the only other team in the conference to win three straight championship banners.

In doing so, the Titans rallied from a 1-0 deficit early in the game against the Mustangs, who had the chance to forge a three-way tie for first place (along with Bonita Vista) with a season-ending victory.

But Eastlake 's 12 seniors clearly wanted this one. The Titans rebounded to build an imposing 7-1 halftime lead. Otay Ranch issued a late challenge but those same Titan seniors once again responded in kind.

When it was all over, when Eastlake had finally joined the legendary Baron teams of old in the history books, two seniors stood tallest: Dustin Drees and Ryan Rosas. Rosas finished the championship contest with five goals and two assists while Drees, the team's regular season scoring leader, tacked on three goals and five assists. Chad Larson and Jose Urrutia, two more seniors, each had a goal while senior goaltender David Johnson played up to his usual standout status.

The defense, led by senior Alex Welling, held its composure and, for the most part, shut down the Mustangs' talented junior-laden class.

“We just wanted to get out of a three-way tie. We came out to play,” Johnson said.

Murphy was just glad to get past pesky Otay Ranch, which had given its all in a 5-4 loss to the Titans in a first-round matchup on the Mustangs' home court two months earlier on March 15. When asked if his team, slanted heavily with underclassmen next year, had a chance for a record-setting “four-peat,” the Titan head coach drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily.

“You never know what can happen. But I think you're looking at next year's Metro champions over there,” he said, pointing to the Otay Ranch sideline.

The accomplishments of the past three seasons, during which Eastlake has compiled a 28-2 league record, have not been lost on the team's seniors. Six of the team's senior leaders started as freshmen four years ago; three more have played three varsity seasons.

Welling, one of the team's four-year lettermen, called the team's three consecutive Metro titles a “huge accomplishment.”

“We won five games our freshman year, then we won Metro the last three years. It's amazing. It's huge,” he said.

Joining Welling as freshmen four years ago were Johnson, Urrutia, Rosas, Drees and Paul Santos. Brian Lehner, Larson and Zach McElroy have each played three seasons for the Titans. Other seniors on this year's team include Dan Lyons and Ryne Olsen, both with two years of varsity service, and Justin Manarang, who is completing his first year at the varsity level.

Johnson had 16 saves in Tuesdays' 9-5 non-league loss to visiting Cathedral Catholic while Urrutia scored twice and Lyons added a goal and assist. The Titans will represent the South Bay for the third consecutive year in the upcoming San Diego Section playoffs. Eastlake , which admirably overcame a 5-0 first-quarter deficit against the Dons to close to within 5-4 on the scoreboard in the second half, will likely draw the top-seeded team and likely suffer an early exit once again.

But Murphy — and the rest of his team — understands the reality of the inequalities of lacrosse in the county. Some programs have been around 30 years. The Metro Conference has only crowned seven champions, with Chula Vista winning the first title in an abbreviated three-team start-up league in 2001.

Murphy coached that first Chula Vista team before moving over to coach Eastlake in 2003.

Murphy termed the team's three-year championship run as an “awesome” accomplishment. “It's like breaking in a horse — getting the discipline in place,” he said. “These guys who are seniors have built the team. It's a special group.”

The team has five captains this season: Urrutia, Drees, Rosas, Johnson and Welling.

“Five captains is a lot but I could easily have five more,” Murphy said.

The Titans will be losing eight of 10 starters to graduation, including two defenders, one goalie, three midfielders and two attackmen.

Drees had five goals and one assist in Eastlake 's 16-1 victory at Chula Vista on May 3. He ended the regular season — a 13-8 Titan showing — with a team-leading 101 points on 57 goals and 44 assists. Urrutia ranked second in team scoring with 41 points (35 goals, six assists), followed by Rosas with 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists), Tyler Edwards with 24 points (17 goals, seven assists), Lyons with 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) and Larson with 22 points (16 goals, six assists). Johnson had 195 saves.

As a team, Eastlake outscored its opponents 200-99.

It will be younger players such as Edwards, who scored two gritty goals in Tuesday's regular season finale, who will carry on the tradition in ensuing years. He was among the first to hold up three fingers. The enthusiasm is there. Murphy just hopes there is enough developing talent to keep the Titans' championship machine rolling.

Metro Conference Standings

(Through May 15)
League/Overall
Eastlake 9-1 (13-8)
Bonita Vista 8-2 (12-7)
Otay Ranch 7-3 (10-7)
Hilltop 4-6 (5-15)
Chula Vista 2-8 (2-16)
Montgomery 0-10 (0-15)