Last week, the Vashon High School boys lacrosse club sustained three consecutive losses to league powerhouses Puyallup, Bellevue and Curtis high schools.

All three teams had talented and experienced upperclassmen compared to Vashon’s youth and inexperience. Despite the losses, there were promising signs of improvement, particularly in the games against Puyallup and Curtis.

Against Puyallup at Sparks Stadium, Puyallup jumped to a commanding 12-1 at the half.

However, Vashon came out strong in the second half and played Puyallup even for the third and fourth quarters.

Junior Gregor Davidheiser led scorers with three sharp assists. Senior goaltender Cullan Paridon made eight courageous saves in the second half.

Vashon played at Curtis High School in University Place on Friday. In a driving wind and rainstorm through much of the game, Vashon showed notable signs of improvement. As a result, Vashon stayed close until the end of the third quarter when Curtis ran away to a 16-5 win.

Led by senior captain Austin Franks, the defense was mostly sound and efficient. Opposing coaches regularly comment that Franks is among the best high school lacrosse players in the state.

On offense, Vashon missed several scoring opportunities because of dropped passes and poor shots. With some fine tuning, Vashon can win these games. Again, Davidheiser led Vashon scorers against Curtis with three goals and one intelligent assist to sophomore Luke Hembree.

Vashon will continue to face challenging opponents after spring break.

Skyline High School visits Vashon at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13. Vashon travels to Vancouver’s Kings Way on Friday, April 16.

— Charley Rosenberry coaches the lacrosse team.