By Andy Walter

SMYRNA — This is a big week for the Smyrna High boys’ lacrosse team.

Off to the best start in program history, the Eagles (8-0) host Caesar Rodney today and Cape Henlopen on Friday.

The Eagles have never beaten either of the two Henlopen North giants. But that doesn’t mean Smyrna’s players aren’t excited about the opportunity.

“It’s fun, just getting ready,” senior Logan Kaiser said before practice on Monday. “All day in school I was thinking about it. .... I was ready to play them. I was ready to go out there already.”

Clearly, by the end of the week, the Eagles will have a better idea of what kind of team they are.

Smyrna’s players understand they haven’t played the most difficult schedules so far. Only two of the teams that the Eagles have beaten currently have winning records — Milford and Sussex Tech.

But Smyrna still has a good deal of confidence in the way it has played so far. The Eagles are already one victory shy of last season’s total when they finished 9-7.

“We can’t control who’s on our schedule,” said senior attack Jake Wagner. “I think we won the games we’re supposed to win and beat people how we’re supposed to beat them. It’s definitely nice.

“It’s just a good group of people who want to be here. People are bought in. We enjoy being around each other. It’s a fun environment.”

“Especially with how we’re doing this year, it’s fun to come to practice every day,” said Kaiser. “It’s fun to be around these guys. We joke around every once in a while but when we’ve got to take it seriously, we take it seriously.”

The numbers that Smyrna has put up are pretty impressive. The Eagles are second in the state with 125 goals scored and tops in the state with only 14 goals allowed.

Senior Jake Wagner leads the Smyrna High boys' lacrosse team with 50 goals so far this season. SUBMITTED PHOTO.

Wagner leads the team with 50 points followed by sophomore Michael Sebastian with 37 and Kaiser with 36.

First-year head coach Dan Wagner can’t complain about the way things have fallen into place this spring.

Smyrna’s veteran defensive coordinator in football, he never played the sport himself. He got involved the sport when his sons Jake and Nate, a junior midfielder, started playing lacrosse.

While Wagner is proud of the way the Eagles have played, he knows their biggest challenges are in front of them.

“It’s a great group of kids and the coaching staff is awesome,” he said. “The kids are paying attention to details, fundamentals, and working real hard. The effort’s been there for sure.

“I like that these two games are in the middle of the year because it’s a test — where are we right now? This doesn’t end your season, this doesn’t make your season.”

A year ago, Smyrna fell to CR twice by a combined 33-8, including an 18-5 setback in the DIAA state tournament. The Eagles lost to Cape Henlopen, 23-2.

The closest Smyrna has come against the Riders in recent years was a 12-9 loss in 2021.

Wagner would actually like to keep his players even-keeled going into this week’s two big matchups.

“We’re the underdogs and we’re OK with that,” he said. “Those two programs are storied programs, well-coached, great kids, great athletes and it’s going to be a major test for us.

“I’ve seen it multiple games where if you pump one singular game too much — even a state title game — and things don’t go well early, you’ve lost the whole game. We’re going to try to treat it like any other game.”

Jake Wagner agrees with his dad that the Eagles don’t want to ‘over-hype’ this week’s games. Still, both contests are chances for them to prove themselves.

“If we play our game and do what we’re supposed to do, we have a chance,” said Jake Wagner. “It’s an exciting week — two big in-conference games. This is where you find out what you’re made of.”

Kaiser is the youngest of the four boys in his family to play lacrosse for Smyrna, He knows how the Eagles have done against both CR and Cape Henlopen in the past.

But he likes to look at the challenge optimistically. And, in the big picture, the Eagles still have other goals — like trying to get a state tourney win for only the second time in program history.

“I think about it every game,” said Kaiser. “I want to make sure we’re in there this year and we have a good seed and we can go as far as we can.”

Extra points

* Smyrna’s two games this week both start at 4 p.m.

• In 2019, Smyrna started the season 7-0 but then lost its eighth game, to Cape Henlopen.
• Salesianum (9-0) is now ranked No. 17 in the country by USA Lacrosse. The Sals, coached by former Dover coaches Bob Healy and Shawn Plews, are rated No. 10 in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
• Six boys’ teams in the state have netted over 100 goals: Cape Henlopen (131), Smyrna (125), Sallies (119), Appoquinimink (114), Caesar Rodney (107) and Wilmington Charter (100)..
• Milford (5-2) is riding a five-game winning streak going into today’s 5:30 p.m. home game with Cape Henlopen.
• Sussex Tech is 5-4 after finishing just 1-14 a year ago.
• In girls’ lacrosse, eight squads currently have over 100 goals. That group is led by Odessa (175), Cape Henlopen (149), Tatnall (126) and Caesar Rodney (118).
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• Ruggerio.com