George Mason High School’s boys varsity lacrosse beat Rock Ridge High School 16-2 in the first game of the 2015 season on Monday night. The resounding win was the first game under new head coach Mark Mesmer, who took on leading the program in fall of 2014.

The Mustangs were led by junior attackman Brandon Ward, who had six goals, two assists and seven ground balls. Sophomore midfielder Brendon Smith scored four goals and one assist and contributed 12 face off wins and 10 ground balls. Senior midfield Jackson Jost added two goals and one assist in strong play on both the offensive and defensive sides. Freshman defenseman Reed Bond had an excellent defensive performance with seven ground balls, two caused turnovers and two clears. The scoring was completed by senior Patrick Field , sophomore Rory O’Hanlon and freshmen Cy Contessa and Craig Hagigh, each of whom scored a goal.

Mason boys lacrosse has taken a new step forward under Coach Mesmer. Along with Assistant Varsity Coach Will Stewart and JV Coaches Randal Moran and Bennett Pribulka, Mesmer has built upon the accomplishments of Mason boys lax last year, bringing an improved offense and strategic approach to the program. With a strong freshman class contributing at both varsity and JV levels, Mason boys lacrosse fields 43 players this year – 22 players on varsity and 21 on JV – a significant step up from 2014.

“I’m proud of the effort of all the players last night, their energy and commitment to the program is paying real dividends”, said Mesmer. “We had contributions from players deep into the roster, our defense was sharp and our offense showed the execution we need to compete with some of the top teams in 2015. While there are things we need to work on, this win was a great way to kick in a new season for Mason boys lacrosse.”

The Mason varsity boys’ next game is April 9 against Brentsville High School, and JV starts their season with a contest against the Brentsville JV squad the same night. Both games will be at George Mason High School.