Webb has easy time in lacrosse opener

The Webb lacrosse team eased into their groove Tuesday afternoon and eventually heated up Lagler Field in Bell Buckle as they zipped past Hendersonville 12-3. Midfielder Aanan Butz had five goals to lead the Feet to their first win of the season, in a game that depended heavily on defense, a strategic passing game and a no mercy scoring assault. After a slowly developing first half, the Bell Buckle crew gained their composure and took care of business as they outscored their opponent 7-1 in the third quarter.

"I told them that we've got to get down and dirty on the groundballs, and be a little more aggressive defensively and take care of the ball a little better," Feet coach Alan Garner said. "I thought we did that right at the start of the third quarter. We put a couple of goals on them pretty quick and that got us into a groove. It got a little sloppy, as far as penalties and big hits, but I think we put the ball in the cage because we attacked the cage and played good, solid defense in the second half."

Just under two minutes into the game, Butz scored his first goal with a shot about six feet from the crease. The Commandos (0-1) answered with 6:33 left in the first quarter from a low heater by Christian McCollum.

Ten seconds into the second stanza, the Feet took advantage of a Hendersonville penalty and with a man up offense, Butz assisted Blake Wren. Six minutes later, the squad moved the ball around the net and got it to Butz, who came around the right side and singed the mesh. At the 2:59 mark, Preston Flaherty fired a shot from the top of the box and the Blue and Gold went into the half with a 4-1 lead.

The third quarter is where things really popped for Webb. Harrison Cooney assisted Butz, who blasted a side armed shot into the lower left corner of the goal with 7:01 to go. Thirty seconds later, the Feet capitalized again on a man up offense and Luke Baum assisted Cooney for a shot into the upper zone of the net. With 5:10 to go in the quarter, Baum assisted fellow attack man Will Huddleston right outside the crease.

Baum assisted for the third and final time with two minutes to go in the stanza and shared the rubber once again with Butz. Immediately following that goal, Butz snagged the faceoff, exploded on a fast break, and returned the favor as he assisted Baum with a quick shot to the net. Fifteen seconds later, Flaherty sunk another goal; nine seconds later, Butz scored his fifth and final goal on a fast break.

Due to a late start and a solid overcast, the fourth quarter was cut to a 10-minute running clock. Hendersonville scored their final goal 15 seconds into the quarter from a shot by Luke Wilson. Baum ended the explosive Feet scoring attack with a goal at the 2:15 mark.

Dillon Dodson had eight saves for Webb.

"I think the fast breaks killed (Hendersonville)," Garner said. "I think in the second half we had four or five fast breaks, came down and made a pass or two, and then had a point blank shot. When you have those kinds of shots in lacrosse, it's hard to stop. We were so close the cage, moving the ball around, and when you're that close, you're going to score a bunch of goals."

Webb stays home to play West Knoxville on Saturday afternoon at 2.