Four years in, Owensboro lacrosse continues to grow both internally and as a foundation for future expansion of the sport in the area.
Western Kentucky has largely been a void for prep lacrosse, as no high school west of the Bowling Green area had a program until Owensboro’s team was founded in the 2015-16 school year.
OHS coach Matt Madej got things rolling in the fall of 2015 when some students approached him about forming a team. That spring he helped the school get a grant that provided 20 full sets of equipment.
Though they weren’t able to play any actual games, Madej said that first year was important in setting up future success.
“The goal that first year was just to prove that it was a viable thing we could keep going,” he said. “We only played one game that year, and it was more of a scrimmage than anything.”
With no other school nearby within the state, Owensboro has been playing as part of the Hoosier Southern Lacrosse Conference in Evansville. OHS competes in the junior varsity division due to a lack of experienced players, but Madej said the team has largely held their own.
The Red Devils went 3-7 in their first year and advanced to the JV championship. After taking a step back and finishing 1-7 a season ago, Owensboro wrapped up the 2019 campaign at 3-4 earlier this week with a loss in the first game of the tournament.
“Considering we’re going up against Evansville schools that have kids that have been playing since elementary school, we do very well,” Madej said. “Probably 65 percent of our kids have never touched a lacrosse stick before this year.”
The acceptance to the HSLC was vital in allowing Owensboro to feasibly put together a schedule. It cuts down on both travel and expenses since most of Kentucky’s teams are in the Louisville and Lexington areas.
“That’s been a godsend for us because we can play basically all the schools in Evansville for the cost of two bus trips to Louisville,” Madej said. “With the school letting us use Shifley Park for our home games, it’s attractive to other schools to come over because of the quality of the field.”
Madej is hoping his team can continue to thrive and be a foundation for lacrosse in the western side of the state.
“It’s all about growing the sport in the region,” he said. “I think it’s ripe for expansion out here. I think it’s only a matter of time before it starts spreading west.”
First, though, Madej will focus on building a pipeline down to the middle school and potentially even the youth levels. Evansville used the same model to build a network of experienced lacrosse players.
After coaching alone the first year, the staff now includes Scott Kingsley, Phil Brand and Steven Cooper — a 2018 alum and three-year player at OHS. Madej said the program wouldn’t be where it is without their help.
Another big help so far has been the support Madej and the team have gotten from the high school.
“It’s been woven into the school’s sports fabric,” he said. “That’s a big advantage. You have to be able to work closely with the school administration, or something like that isn’t really accepted into the school’s sports environment.”
This year’s team will lose a pair of seniors in Trevor Biddle — who’s been on the team since the beginning — and Dalton Gillihan. Most of the other players are freshman and sophomores. Despite the youth, Madej thinks they are ready to make the step up to the varsity division.
“There will be some bumps and bruises along the way, but that’s ultimately how you increase the quality of competition and athletes,” he said. “I think the kids are ready to make that jump.”
Madej said the internal growth is on track for what he expected when he first began the journey, though he would like to see a few more athletes join the team. With lacrosse being a fast-paced and physically demanding game, the more players on the roster the better.
Still, Madej said he’d rather have a small team of dedicated players than an overwhelming number of people only halfway interested.
“I wanted kids that were curious and willing to learn and would put their all into everything,” he said. “I’m willing to take a few less to get that kind of mindset.”
While Madej is striving to earn more success on the field, he said the skills the players learn can translate to all aspects of life, and they’ve been eager to learn
“I’ve been thrilled with the mentality the kids have,” he said. “They had to adopt that on their own, because lacrosse is too fast to give much instructions during the game. The kids have to learn to be creative and think on their own, and I think it lends itself to an athlete that’s comfortable with a little bit of chaos. I think that’s useful in a lot of modes in life.”
