Charlotte native Justin Garrison has been hired as the new coach of the South Mecklenburg boys lacrosse team. Garrison, 29, is a management associate at CBR Ellis uptown and has been instrumental in the development of the Myers Park High and South Charlotte Cyclones Select programs over the last four years. He was JV head coach and head varsity assistant at Myers Park from 2005-07 and the top assistant for the South Charlotte Cyclones Select Team the last two seasons. Before that, Justin was a four-year starter at Catawba College and captain of the team his last two campaigns. He played his high school lacrosse at Myers Park.

Justin is known for his high-energy coaching style, his ability to relate to players and his organizational skills. He will be announcing his coaching staff in the coming weeks and will meet the players and parents at a summer event to be announced soon.

The South Meck boys wrapped up their 2009 campaign with an awards banquet May 12 at Carmel Presbyterian Church. Winning awards were sophomore goalie Grayson Stricker (MVP), junior defenseman Shea Fadel (Defensive Player of the Year), sophomore attackman Jordan Smith (Offensive Player of the Year), sophomore defenseman Alex Meyer (Most Improved Player) and freshman middie Eli Morris (Rookie of the Year). It's the second straight year that Meyer, who was asked to make a position switch from middie to defense in preseason, has won Most Improved.

Letters were also handed out. Earned their first varsity letters were junior Jackson Humphries; sophomores Josh Bailey, Silas Davis, Paul Jahn, Will Zweier and Andrew Levine; and freshmen Ben Nichols, Dylan Stewart, Steven Mortensen, Edwin Wilkes and Eli Morris.

 

Senior middie Johnathan Parker participated in the annual Queen City Top 50 All-Star Game on May 29 under the stars at Charlotte's Memorial Stadium. Parker, a four-year letterman in football and lacrosse who will attend East Carolina University next fall, turned in an outstanding performance, winning four of six faceoffs. Still, his White team lost 17-14 in an exciting game that starred Providence's Tucker Hull, a Navy signee who scored five goals for the winning Blue squad while MVP honors.

Five Sabres were named to the Queen City Top 50 Underclassmen list of players to watch: junior defenseman Shea Fadel, junior middie Jarrett Cook, sophomore attackmen Josh Bailey and Jordan Smith and freshman middie Eli Morris. Those players were introduced and honored on the field before the game.

South Meck's Jackie Haenlein has been one of 52 players in the state selected to play in the North Carolina High School Women's Lacrosse Association All-Star Game May 16 at Ardrey Kell High School. The Lady Sabres junior will play as a member of the 26-member West squad in the 11 a.m. game that will precede the NCHSWLA state championship contest at 1 p.m. Jackie will be one of the All-Star players honored after the championship game, so all Sabre lax players should come out to support and cheer her on this Saturday at Ardrey Kell.

The South Meck boys lacrosse team won its first game of the season Wednesday night at home against Mallard Creek, 12-8, prompting a lengthy on-field celebration at Fred Boger Stadium.
Scoring goals for the Sabres were sophomore Jordan Smith (4), freshman Eli Morris (3), sophomore Josh Bailey (2), junior Jarrett Cook (2) and senior Johnathan Parker.
Sophomore Grayson Stricker got his first win in goal, saving 15 shots. Defensemen Shea Fadel, Jay Beauchamp, Alex Meyer and Jesse Breaux took turns holding down the Mallard Creek attack.
The Sabres have a busy weekend of lacrosse ahead, traveling to play Hopewell on Friday at Bailey Middle School (7 p.m.) and then hosting North Meck Saturday morning (11 a.m.) at the stadium.