Academy for College and Career Exploration Middle School

The Defending City Champions had a dominate performance against ACCE showing why they will be a factor during this year as they rebounded from last weeks lost! The Poets demonstrated an very effective short passing game, strong running game & stiff defense as they recorded their 1st shutout of the season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdIqqEaTW5I

Anthony Moore 43pts

Edmondson-Westside began their postseason run with a strong 8-3 victory over ACCE yesterday afternoon. The program has made tremendous strides since its inception three years ago, and Boys Head Coach Andrew Reinel is proud of the progress made in teaching players at various skill levels. “From kids who played in a youth academy for a pro team in Honduras to those who have never played sports before.” During the first two years, four or five girls had to play on the boys' team to fill out the squad. This season, however, Varsity Soccer at Edmondson-Westside has reached a point where the school could field all boys’ and girls’ teams. The language barrier is an easier challenge to navigate thanks to Coach Reinel being multilingual, though it sometimes results in “blank stares” when he sticks to one language for too long. Though some players primarily speak Spanish, there is a clear system in place and good chemistry on the pitch. Coach Rainel said “There are moments when players want to be the hero, but when we focus on team needs, we move the ball well and make quick decisions. That’s what we have improved on the most this season.” Throughout the season, Coach Reinel has emphasized the importance of maintaining fundamentals and not becoming complacent, even in games they are winning by five or more goals. “Even if we’re up by five goals, we should still aim to play well. The little things we practice during real game time will be crucial when we face stronger teams.” Congratulations to the Red Storm on their first-round victory! They will face Harford Technical in the Class 1A semifinal.

Coach Phil Thompson ends up in a familiar position as his young team improved every game of the season and ended up winning their third straight City title on Saturday. Midfield leader Datris Moore stole the show with 8 goals as the Eagle midfield proved unable to contain him. After a 15 -12 victory on April 18th, Coach Thompson must be proud that his team stayed focused and won by an even wider margin. Poly will be seen as the favorites to advance in the North II division of the state tournament. They will face the winner of Digital Harbor and Mervo in the second round. ACCE has now lost 3 straight and will look to bounce back in the first round of the 1A tournament against Lake Clifton, the team they last defeated. They will need to use that game to get back on the track to reach the latter stages of the state tournament. Check out the tournament brackets in the Zone for all the matchups and congratulations to Poly on their three-peat!

After a 12-2 loss in their first game of the season against John Rodgers, ACCE showed tremendous improvement yesterday in their 8-7 defeat to the Commodores, forcing them to waste time at the end of the game to secure the win. Coach Boyd showed pride in his boys’ competitiveness, composure, and sportsmanship to not allow the game to get away from them. Both teams’ players play for Harlem Lacrosse, so the message at the end of the game was to remind the boys that they are all part of the same family and to use these games as an opportunity to improve themselves for the summer. This was a great game that highlighted the future of Baltimore City lacrosse.

In a City Championship preview, Poly showed that the city title winner is not a foregone conclusion. Poly blitzed ACCE in the opening quarter, opening a 5-1 lead by the end of it that eventually reached 8-1 in the second quarter. An injury to ACCE senior star Daimon Reeder in the opening minutes of the game seemed to have brought down the ACCE morale and confidence. Several errors in the ACCE defensive line gave Poly easy goals. Poly goalkeeper Jack Harburger made tremendous saves in the first half and started quick counterattacks against a scattered ACCE midfield. Halftime brought rejuvenation for the ACCE team and its traveling supporters, as the boys made a few runs in the second half to keep Poly from relaxing. The opening salvo was too much to overcome for ACCE in the end, falling to Poly 15-12. A healthy ACCE will come with motivation to avenge a rare loss to a Baltimore City opponent. Poly must keep their heads level and come with the same determination and commitment throughout the rest of the season. What a game!

Poly will take on ACCE in one of the most important matchups in the city this year on Thursday. After a rough opening to the season, Poly has rebounded to win 3 conference games in a row with a victory against fierce rival City. ACCE has carried their dominance from last year into 2024, with Forest Park being the only city team to not fall to ACCE by double digits. Coach Phil Thompson will be preparing his young team for their biggest test to date. Poly has had numerous underclassmen step up and play bigger roles following their city championship, and they will need to take their game to another level to come away with a win. After a 23-0 victory in their last game, Coach Lantz Carter will make sure the team gives Poly the proper focus and respect necessary to continue their dominant streak. Coach Lantz and his staff are implementing a strategy that must break through a strong Poly defense. Join CSZ at 3:45 PM on Thursday for this all-important matchup!

Coach Lantz Carter has made a tremendous impact in just 3 years at ACCE, winning back-to-back regional championships in 2022 and 2023. Coach Lantz credits that success to growing up playing lacrosse in Baltimore City, where he was a city and state all-star. Those values combined with an already strong foundation at ACCE has created a winning formula from passion, skill, and discipline. Taking things a day at a time may be a cliché, but it rings true for ACCE as the coaching staff and upper classmen make sure the team doesn't look to far ahead and shows all of their opponents respect. Harlem Lacrosse has been a great resource for ACCE both on and off the field, helping kids navigate through their studies and planning for their futures. With students in the program attending Poly, City, ACCE, and Forest Park, Harlem Lacrosse has been a connector improving the lacrosse community across the entire city. ACCE play Forest Park today, and the Zone will stay with their journeys in both the city and the state.

Poly and City's lacrosse teams will meet for the first time since City's defeat in last year's City Championship on April 4th. City coaches will drill the 17-3 loss into the minds of the players, so a defeat like that doesn't happen again to their rivals. Neither team can look ahead as both currently have games planned for Tuesday. Poly must not have a lapse in focus against Lake Clifton while City has a tough game against 2023 state semifinalists ACCE. All games will take place at 3:45. Stay in the Zone for results and highlights from these matchups!

Spring is well and truly upon us, and with the return of warmer weather comes the return of spring sports. Lacrosse is one of the most popular spring sports in the Baltimore area, with plenty of fans supporting their local high school hoping they can come away with a title. Here are the three teams in the area that have the best chances of success this season. It’s only right to start off with the team that has won the city title for two seasons in a row. Baltimore Poly High have come off two straight titles and are coming into this season aiming for a third. However it won’t be an easy task, as many of Poly’s talisman were seniors and now they have to rely on fresh faces to make up the difference. Only four starters are coming back for the Engineers in 2024; goalie Jacob Harburger, midfielder Steven Hinnant III, midfielder/attacker Datris Moore and attacker Bowen Valery. These players will be looked upon as the backbone of the Engineers team this season, if they have any intention of repeating then the youngsters will have to step up and make an impact in place of the seniors who graduated. On the other side of the coin, the team that lost to Poly in the finals last year will be looking for some revenge. A few years ago Baltimore City College dominated the city lacrosse scene, however in recent years the pendulum has swung in Poly’s favor, the Knights are hoping to get back on top this season. The key players for City will be attacker Ben Caplan and midfielder Owen Koser, two crucial starters that are geared to be the primary offensive options for the Knights. City did not have nearly as many seniors leave, so here's hoping that an influx of youth can give them the spark of energy to reclaim their title as the top lacrosse team in the city. Finally, a team that has been on the rise in the past few years. The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) has burst onto the city lacrosse scene after a 11-2 season last spring and is looking to improve. It will be tough to garner more attention in the city circuit with Poly and City going back and forth, but this team is one people should keep an eye on this season due to beating nearly everyone put in front of them last year.

What are some of the best games to watch lacrosse in Baltimore City? We are a baseball family with a middle schooler but want to know what lacrosse is all about!