Who’s #1?
One of the hottest debates going in all sports is the one concerning who is the best team within a given program/organization? Naturally, everyone believes that the team he or she was on was the best team that ever put on the jersey.
So which STAB Lacrosse team is the best ever? Dream Match Up #1 | Dream Match Up #2
Of course I have my opinion and it is hard for me to judge the teams that I never had the chance to see play like the great teams of the 80s. The only thing I am 100 percent certain of in this debate is that the 1992 team will not be considered!
I was pretty certain that I was on one of the teams that was the best in the history of the program, either the 1995 team or the 1998 team. Both teams went undefeated through the regular season but lost in the TILT Final. Both teams had high calibur players at every position and many went on to play in college.
For the first time, I believe that a team I was on was not the best in the program’s history.
The 2009 team is the best team to ever play at STAB. Great at every position and deep at midfield. Three players going to UVA and more college prospects on the roster. The team went undefeated in the state and rarely had a close game all year.
Weigh in. Is the 2009 team the best of all time? If not, then who?
RSS - Posts
No team can be considered that did not win the TILT. 82 or 2009
A couple of years ago, I asked Coach T how the undefeated ‘82 team would stack up against his most recent teams. Assuming that a time machine were available to arrange a true head-to-head match up, he basically indicated that ‘82 team would get blown off the field by the teams of today: bigger athletes in better shape, greater speed, deeper benches, more consistent fundamentals, better equipment.
I didn’t get to see the 2009 version of the team play (they didn’t make it to Baltimore), but I paid close attention on Laxpower. This team ABSOLUTELY blew its competition away. Back in the day, I feel we were more evenly matched with our competition – certainly in ‘82.
I’ll leave it to you younger guys to debate the merits of more recent teams. I will take pride in Coach T’s Daily Progress interview when he said that the undefeated ‘80 team set the foundation. I wasn’t on that team, but I am very proud to have been a very small part of the ‘82 that added to that legacy.
As quick add-on to my previous post, don’t misunderstand me – for the time, we had a bad-ass team in ‘82. It still ranks as one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
For several years afterward, people would say “You were on that team!!” I am always quick to point out that I was the sixth of 6 attackmen – Nevertheless, we were rock stars!!
I think its this year’s team and its not even close. No offense to ‘80 or ‘82 or ‘86 but this years edition was spectacular in my honest opinion. The offensive firepower in the games I saw was unreal.
I think I played on the worst team….1991. We were terrible.
An interesting debate would be the best team never to win TILT. I offer up the ‘93 squad. ‘95 too.
This has been great fun these past couple of days reliving the glory days. Awesome memories.
The 95 team was nasty
GK: O’Neil
Def: Law, Conway, Davis (am I correct on that?)
Mid: Middleton, M. Trotter, Rannigan, Wright, Kalergis, Rayphand, etc
Att: Oakey, Yancey, Piercy
That is a stacked team.
You are a player with great instincts, agility and stamina…this applies to the player as much as the critic. I think you had it right the first time – 1998. I know for a fact that JB Staunton, AJ Kincel, DK King, AE Dinn and many others share my sentiments; however, I know a few that won’t, namely Steve Lesser and Matt Yancey.
It is all about sample size and population.
And Callan on the 95 team at midfield, too.
STAB LAX ‘09
Although the only 2 games we lost (in-state play) in my 2 years at STAB (‘98/’99) were the TILT championships, and the ‘99 game certainly stung more being my Senior season, I’d have to say the ‘98 team was far better. I think there were 5 or 6 seniors that played college ball, and another 4 or 5 juniors that were would-be college players. Aside from how good we were on paper, we simply just played well together and it felt like a team…on and off the field. You either have the intangibles or you don’t. The ‘99 team was great in its own respect, but seemed a bit more disjointed than ‘98 and nowhere near the overall talent level…we had to work a lot harder that year. Still can’t explain either TILT loss and can’t bring myself to watch the games. Either way, good times were had and it’s fun to have been part of such a time honored program! Wish I could’ve seen a game this year if they’re as good as you guys are saying.
The only thing working against the 2009 team is that the competition around the state was pretty bad top to bottom. The only good teams were STAB, SSSA and Collegiate. Everyone else sucked.
If Covenant can make the eight team field, it is a down year.
What about the 89 team? Weigh in, Bo!
It pains me to say it, but Carter’s spot-on regarding the ‘91 team. I think ‘84 or ‘85 was also pretty rough.
‘95 was a pretty sick crew. Im just hating not being able to see ’09s play. STAB had always had a solid team. I wonder how STAB’s going to do without Coach T. and Coach Riddick.