Courtesy of Maureen Rowe

Players Named to the All Valley Team. Front Row: Zack Gregg, Drew Hudson, Colton Banks, Jack Bondurant. Back Row: Coach Duane Parker, Mark Sloane, Tim Rowe, Eric Pennino, Head Coach Brian Cooley.

The South County Men's Lacrosse Club finished an outstanding season, earning a half dozen awards at the Lacrosse Awards Ceremony. At a banquet held on Thursday, May 29, South County players, coaches and families gathered to recognize individual and team contributions. Other participants included North Cross, Patrick Henry, Roanoke Catholic and Salem High Schools, along with the New River Valley Lacrosse Club.

The South County Lacrosse Club comprises players from Cave Spring and Hidden Valley High Schools. Chosen for the First Team awards were senior defenseman Mark Sloane and junior attack Tim Rowe, both of Hidden Valley High School. Named to the Second Team were Cave Spring freshman Jack Bondurant (attack) and Hidden Valley freshman Zach Gregg (long stick midfielder). Receiving honorable mentions were Cave Spring freshman Colton Banks (attack); Cave Spring freshman Drew Hudson (midfielder); and, Cave Spring sophomore Eric Pennino (defense).

Playing a rigorous schedule against established programs, the South County junior varsity went undefeated, and the varsity squad finished with a record of five wins and three losses, with two of the losses to teams that competed in the state tournament. Thirteen of the 24-man South County squad are freshmen and five are departing seniors. Cave Spring senior Ian Carroll will attend the University of Mississippi and play club lacrosse; Hidden Valley senior Todd Harris is going to Bridgewater College to study criminal justice, and will participate in club lacrosse and varsity football; Cave Spring senior Ryan Leet is enrolled at High Point College and will play club lacrosse; Hidden Valley senior Mark Noble will attend Lenoir-Rhyne College to study athletic training and physical therapy; and Hidden Valley senior Mark Sloane will play club lacrosse and rugby at Old Dominion University.

Coach Brian Cooley, who has guided this team since its inception in 2000, says his players show huge potential. "They're young, but they have come together real well this year." The future looks bright for the team. Junior Tim Rowe has been invited to participate in the Virginia Elite Travel Team -- with games in Richmond and Charlottesville, it showcases the most competitive lacrosse talent nationwide. Last year the freshmen contingent of the South County team defeated Three Villages School from Long Island, N.Y., in the Under-15 tournament in Cockeysville, Md. The Three Villages Varsity team was ranked fourth in the nation this year. Cooley believes that the best players in the Roanoke Valley -- South County's among them -- can compete with anyone in the state.

South County Lacrosse Club boasts a special camaraderie among players and families. Because it is an independent club not financially supported by the schools, the program has capitalized on the time, talents and energy of the players and the parents in a "do-it-yourself" manner. With no athletic director, parents and coaches handle tasks such as setting the schedule, making travel arrangements, ordering uniforms and making travel arrangements.

That community spirit did not go unrecognized this year. Kathy Claytor, mother of Will, a freshman on the men's team, and Emily, a senior on the women's team, was the recipient of the Robert M. Johnson "Unsung Hero" Award. Claytor, who heads Human Resources for Delta Dental, prides herself on a variety of skills acquired as a volunteer lacrosse parent, most notably her newly developed expertise at lining lacrosse fields.