SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – Question marks surrounded Glen Miles in his first year as St. Margaret’s coach.
There was a thought that a new coach plus a new system would equal a rebuilding season for the Tartans.
For every question, though, St. Margaret’s had an answer. After starting the season 2-4, the Tartans reeled off 19 consecutive victories and claimed the Southern Division and Section championships.
Even as it enters the season as the defending champion, St. Margaret’s still faces some uncertainty after losing first-team All-County players and senior leaders such as Alex Waller and Brandon Suchand.
“We don’t think Waller, Suchand, nor a couple of the others are going to be replaceable,” Miles said. “The whole senior class was special from a leadership perspective and a production perspective.”
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The Tartans will look to the likes of reigning Register Player of the Year Ryan Harnisch, first-team All-County selection Hunter Edington, second-team All-County midfielder Josh Davis and junior defender Fernando Delgado to take the leadership and production mantle.
“I’d say the leadership has kind of shifted down to a few other kids, like myself,” Davis said. “I’d say we have leadership from underclassmen as well, which is kind of a change.”
Along with new leaders, St. Margaret’s starts the season with a new frame of mind.
Entering last season, the Tartans fielded a good program, but paled in comparison to Corona del Mar, which was the defending champion and riding a long winning streak, and Foothill, which won five titles in a row before the Sea Kings won theirs.
With a title in hand, St. Margaret’s is one of the upper-echelon lacrosse programs in the county, along with Corona del Mar and the Knights.
It also makes the Tartans the hunted, not the hunter.
“It’s kind of a target (on us), being the champion,” Harnisch said. “Everyone wants to beat that team since they won last year, so it’ll be good for us. It’s good to have that target on us.”
There is going to be a steady mix of youth on the field for St. Margaret’s, and Miles said it will be apparent in two areas.
The first is their legs – Miles said this team will be faster than last year’s. But he also expects inexperience to lead to more mistakes.
If those younger players can gel as fast as last season’s squad, don’t expect St. Margaret’s to shed that target anytime soon.
Contact the writer: amorales@ocregister.com
