HTHS lacrosse aims high in 3rd season

Hewitt-Trussville’s lacrosse program has only existed for three years, yet the expectations couldn’t be much higher.

“Our expectation since last year is to win state. That’s our goal and we’re going to work harder every day,” said Hewitt-Trussville senior J.B. Curlee, the son of coach Jamey Curlee.

“We’re going to try just as hard as we did last year to make it to playoffs and hopefully make it to state. That next level is always a goal for us,” added Katie Witte, who serves as a senior leader on the Huskies’ girls team.

Both squads shattered expectations last season, reaching the playoffs in only the second year operating at the high school level. Hewitt-Trussville, like all other lacrosse teams in the state, competes at the club level.

Without a decision J.B. made five years ago, the young program might not be around at all, much less flourishing. Curlee remembers when his son, a middle school student at the time, darkened his doorway and told him lacrosse was his sport of choice.

“I knew nothing about [lacrosse] and I had coached football and baseball here for 10 years. For him to come home and say he wanted to play lacrosse, I was like, ‘I don’t even know what that is,’” said Curlee. “But after a year of him playing it, I began to like it and I began to see the beauty of the combination of all the sports.”

That beauty needed to be seen in Trussville. Young J.B. was playing his newfound game, but was forced to commute to Mountain Brook to do so. With homework to be done and sleep to be had, J.B. was logging long nights across town and something had to change. 

“There wasn’t a Hewitt team yet, so I went to play at Mountain Brook and it was all right, but the practices started at 8:30 and ended at 10:30 so I was getting home at 11 every night, which is not ideal for a student, so my dad got curious and asked ‘What if we just make a team here in Trussville?’” said J.B.

After asking a few questions and recruiting just enough kids, Curlee had launched a team. Most of the kids involved were picking up a lacrosse stick for the first time, so patience was needed to build this project.

“At the first practice, we had to pretty much explain to everyone how to catch and throw, what the rules are, and that took a pretty long time, so we weren’t really expecting anything the first year,” said J.B.

Twenty-four guys took the field that opening season in 2014. The girls’ team was even smaller, and the final result screamed inexperience. Both units combined for a 2-22 overall record, with the guys holding a 2-10 mark at the end of a tough first season.

“It’s so awful. You get so scared because you have to go out and play against teams who have been playing for multiple years and you don’t know what you’re doing,” said Witte.

“Now you walk out onto the field and you’re telling the new girls where to stand and what to do.”

Naturally, players from both Hewitt-Trussville teams have begun to find confidence. The girls and boys rosters celebrated landmark victories last spring and hope to carry that momentum into 2016.

Head coach Tom McCormick and the girls welcome back plenty of experience from 2015’s postseason run. His team is headlined by UAH signee LeAnn Guess, who became the third female Husky to sign an athletic scholarship.

McCormick won’t be lacking smarts on his roster with a pair of U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-Americans returning for their senior campaigns. Witte and Emma Burford began playing for McCormick as sophomores, and have mastered the art of juggling academics and athletics.

“Lots of times [I’ll be] waiting on practice to start and I’ll already be typing up an essay on my phone or something like that and making it work,” said Burford. “We’re working hard to not only live up to what we did last season, but to go farther.”

On the boys’ side, head coach Kris Knisely will have eight returning starters to work with in 2016. His team finished last year 6-5, culminating with a loss in the semifinal round of the playoffs.

Offensively, Knisely will look to Carter McAlpin and Ben Wedlin for production.

“The biggest thing for Carter [McAlpin] is he sees the field and he can anticipate what’s going to happen,” said Knisely. “He’s very athletic too.”

Mitchell Peterson will return as an experienced faceoff weapon. Knisely expects Hunter Bailey and Gabe Hodge, both underclassmen, to share the net. J.B., perhaps the most experienced Husky, will need to bring leadership to the defense.

At the end of the season, Curlee hopes to hoist a state championship trophy, but keeps a wider perspective on the task at hand.

“It would be great to win state, but with all of us coaches, our goal is to produce better men and women for our community and that’s what we’re really trying to do,” said Curlee, grinning as he remembers a quiet drive through Trussville.

“I’ve driven by here at 6 o’clock at night and I’ll see two or three guys out here just catching and throwing on their own, away from practice, and that’s what it takes,” said Curlee.