The Hereford boys lacrosse team is looking at this week as a valuable trial run for the coming playoffs.
So far, so good for the two-time defending Class 3A-2A state champion.
In a steady rain Wednesday at Baltimore County rival Catonsville, the No. 9 Bulls started fast and never looked back, coasting to a 16-4 win over the No. 14 Comets.
Hereford, which opened the week with a 9-4 win over defending Class 4A-3A champ South River on Monday, improved to 10-1 on the season and 6-0 in Baltimore County. The Bulls will visit another big county rival, Towson, on Friday.
Against Catonsville, now 9-1, Hereford came through with a complete team effort, with senior midfielder Jason Andrews (five goals, one assist), freshman attackman Joe Seider (three goals) and senior attackman Rustin Bryant (two goals, two assists) leading a balanced offense.
"We like to play a lot of pressure and we swarmed well, picked up some key ground balls and shot the ball well," Hereford coach Brian King said. "We're practicing hard every day, and the competition every day is paying off. We scheduled this week looking at it like a simulated playoff week — playing one day, practicing the next and so on. It's a big week for us to see where we are."
Senior attackman Trey Hunt scored three goals to lead the Comets.
Goals: H — Andrews 5, R. Bryant 2, J. Seider 3, Gunn, Reimer, Stafford, Dusek, Betsill, B. Seider; C — Hunt 3, Urban.
Assists: H — Gunn 2, R. Bryant 2, Andrews, DePaola, N. Bittner, B. Seider 2; C — Gurnsey 2, Healy.
Saves: H — Yelle 6; C — Reymann 10.
Half: H, 12-1.