BAMALAX - DICK'S SPORTING GOODS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TEAM PREVIEW
(October 17, 2008)
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Head Coach: Chris Cos
Established: 2005
Colors: Red, black & white
Qualified: Champion, Southeast Championship elite division
by CJ Lane
By securing the first elite bid to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions with a win at the Southeast Championship in May, BAMALAX will be returning to Florida for its second consecutive year to play for the national championship.
“Last year, I was impressed with the skill level,” says BAMALAX junior midfielder John Somerall (Mountain Brook High School). “It is pretty cool to compete with the elite teams that the [tournament] has to offer.”
With many of last year’s starters having graduated, BAMALAX’S team dynamics will be different this time around. But this doesn’t faze midfielder Haden Smith (MVP, John Carroll Catholic H.S. varsity lacrosse). “We are going with lots of confidence. It is going to turn out well.”
With a changing of the roster has come a change in the team’s style of play.
“Last year, we had a lot of athletes and speed,” says senior attackman Jack Winters (Hoover H.S.). “We could run the ball down the field and score. This year, we will have to work the ball around and be more precise.”
It is a strategy that head coach Chris Cos has implemented.
“We lost our big scorers, so we will be looking to move the ball a lot more. We have more depth, but we don’t have that one superstar. So, [we] will be looking for the open man.”
With one year of experience under his belt, Smith says he has “higher expectations” this year. As does Cos.
“We are not going in with the attitude to win the whole thing, but to come out with a winning record.”
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