It's 2008. Springtime.
The Eureka boys lacrosse team is a rag-tag collection.
Inexperience combined with a lack of enthusiasm and a tiny thirst for improvement results in a meager three-win season.
In 2009, Coach John Silva takes over the program, and things start to turn for the better. Eureka competes in Division II in Missouri, which is relegated to programs which want nothing to do with the state's perennial powers, such as Rockhurst and MICDS. The Wildcats turn things around and against the likes of Holt, Fox, Clayton and O'Fallon, muster a 15-win season and loses in the Division II championship.
This season, the Wildcats vaulted into Division I and not only are they hanging with the big boys, they're taking them down.
Eureka entered the week with a 9-2 record, and, according to the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association, is the second ranked team in the state.
As the playoffs near, the Wildcats are looking to shake up the postseason agenda.
"I think a lot of the St. Louis lacrosse community has been stuck with old CBC, MICDS and SLUH," Silva said. "But I think teams like Chaminade, Parkway West and Eureka are really going to surprise some people this year."
Silva, a Parkway West graduate, has installed a new way of thinking around the team.
"When they first hired me, one parent said she was going to make pies for us for every win. And I was like, you better be ready," Silva said. "She thought it was going to be three pies."
The high-point of the season came last week on Cinco De Mayo when the Wildcats defeated CBC 10-9 in four overtimes.
CBC, four overtimes, on Cinco De Mayo.
"It was pretty much the signature win in the program's history but that's not what we're looking for," Silva said. "We're looking to make a strong run."
Senior Matt Vollmer, who has been a beast on faceoffs all season, had four goals and three assists against CBC. Matt Kraus also scored two goals, including one to tie it up in regulation with little over a minute to play.
For senior goalie Anthony Paschke, the win solidified what he had always thought.
"We played up to them and met the challenge head on," Paschke said. "We knew we could play with anybody but we just never had before."
This season's success began last summer. Nearly the entire team played for the St. Louis Samauri's select team where it went to team camps at Ohio State and North Carolina and then played in a top-notch tournament in Chicago. Once school got underway, chalk talk sessions began in January.
"All of this has to do with the coaching," Paschke said. "They want to win just as much as us and they make it to where we have the tools necessary to win games."
The Wildcats graduated just two seniors from last year's team, both of who were on defense. Their whole attack during that 15-win run was sophomores.
The offense has been balanced, getting production from plenty of players.
Heading up the attack is a bona fide scoring machine in junior Ryan Gardner. Gardner is among the state's best with 23 goals and 27 assists. Along with Vollner and Ward, Henry Tellini is another top-notch scoring threat.
"We know we have a legitimate shot at winning state. We know we can beat any team," Gardner said. "Every starter is a select-level player. We have a bench and a great goalie. There are no weaknesses really."
Gardner said switching from Division II to Division I was received with mixed results around the locker room.
"The team was pretty split. A lot of guys didn't think we could compete," Gardner said. "Some of the guys are surprised by our success but the coaches are expecting it."
While the offense is averaging 11 goals an outing, Paschke and the defense is allowing just under six and all the playing time together has built a sixth sense.
"We're good at managing ballgames, knowing where guys are going to be at and who has your back," Paschke said. "The best thing is that we win possessions."
Even if Eureka doesn't make it to the state title game, it has proven that it belongs on the big stage with the top programs.
"We have low numbers but the kids believe. We've really challenged ourselves and that's been good for us," Silva said. "I would like to see some of these other teams try and do that."
