Ft Collins Unified Hopes to Repeat 2007 Season
By Bill Kelly

We have all heard the story about how that old college football injury changed someone’s life.

Fort Collins Unified lacrosse coach Carey Smith is an example for the non-believers.

Smith, who also coaches the Fort Collins High Lambkins lacrosse team quarterbacked his Ohio high school team and played safety on his Wright State college football team in Dayton, Ohio.

His new love for playing defense and tackling lasted only part of one season as he hurt his knee and had to give up football.

Fortunately for Smith, Wright State also had a lacrosse team and after watching he knew he had a passion for the game.

He made his college team and traveled to tournaments around the United States and enjoyed playing immediately.

He found out there were many excellent athletes playing lacrosse although most got started at an early age.

after playing three years in college back in the early 1990’s there were not many opportunities to play and make an living.

“I knew in high school I wanted to coach kids someday and things really worked out well,” said the Ohio native. “As a high school athlete I always thought about how I would do things differently if I was a coach.”

Smith moved to Colorado in 1992 and to Ft Collins in 1996. The move to Ft Collins was one of the best decisions of his life as far as reaching his goal of coaching.

Last year Smith helped coach the Ft Collins Unified Vipers to the Colorado State championship with a 5-4 win over perennial state power Denver Kent.

In the semi finals the Vipers disposed of Cherry Creek, a three time state champion.

Ft. Collins Unified is a team of high school players comprised of students from Fossil Ridge, Rocky Mountain, Ft Collins and Poudre High Schools.

They are part of the Colorado Youth Lacrosse Association. Other teams from Kent Denver, Arapahoe, Wheat Ridge, Cherry Creek, Green Mountain and Columbine also participate in the CYLA.

Smith has 23 returning players from last year’s team and will be tested when his Unified team traveled to Baltimore during spring break and played some of the better teams on the east coast.

He feels the team might as well play the best teams and see how they compare.

Smith believes the lacrosse competition at the club and high school level is stronger on the east coast especially in New York and New Jersey.

“We only lost a few kids from last years team so we still have a talented group of players,” said Smith.

Smith is excited about the emergence of lacrosse in Colorado in recent years.

“Because of schools like Air Force, CSU, DU and the University of Colorado the kids have become more interested in playing and competing at the high school and club level,” added Smith.

Over 400 colleges now field lacrosse teams in Division I, Division II and Division III in the U.S.

Currently there are 250 high school and club teams competing in Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Major League Lacrosse teams in Denver, Los Angeles,

New Jersey, Boston and Washington have also influenced potential lacrosse players.

Last Fourth of July the Denver Outlaws and San Francisco Machine set an attendance record with 19,793 fans at Invesco Field.

Athletes who have competed in football and basketball have found lacrosse encompasses some of the similar skills of both sports with all three sports influenced by speed.

While the Unified Vipers will have their work cut out for them in the 2008 season coach Smith feels if the team works on their stick skills and face offs it should be a successful year.

Henry Miketa and Jay Darling are expected to contribute a great deal this year’s Vipers team according to Smith.

“Even though we lost some kids who went on to play in college we still have an enormous amount of talent this year”, said the former high school quarterback.

“I liked football and basketball in high school but after the injury I knew my passion was with lacrosse”.

Smith still has close relationships with former college teammates. He returns to the Dayton every June to participate in the alumni versus current players game which earns money for helmets and other equipment for the lacrosse team.
“Lacrosse is a fun game and the kids will make friendsfor life just as I have”, said Smith.

Smith confessed in his first few years returning for the alumni games the former players did very well. However, with each passing year the scores are a little closer.

The Vipers coach thinks it may be due to the alumni getting a little older each year, but hopefully its just that the players are getting better.

GAME UPDATE

Defending state champion Ft Collins Unified Vipers lacrosse team traveled east to Brooklandville, Maryland over spring break for some tournament action against high ranked teams.

In the opening game the Vipers downed the St Paul Cruasaders 8-5. St Paul is Maryland’s current high school champion. “It’s the first time a Colorado team beat a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association team” said Ft Collins coach Carey Smith. Smith said Maryland has the top lacrosse league in the nation.

Henry Miketa , sparked the Vipers with three goals and one assist. Tyler Whitcomb and Brock Widell contributed two goals each.

Whitcomb’s second goal was very timely as the Crusaders had closed the score 6 to 4 and Whitcomb’s goal got the Viper’s momentum going again.

Jackson Nye denied 15 goals for the Crusaders playing excellent defense. The Vipers will hook up with the Pennsylvania
state champions, Downingtown East next.