With season in doubt, a virtual game gives Gulliver Prep lacrosse some ‘final closure’

They took turns calling their shots to their opponent on the other side of the state. Six high school lacrosse players used Instagram Live feeds to compete against each other in the only feasible way right now.

Add on a week’s worth of individual skill-based and physical workouts that turned into a contest, and Thursday night became the closest thing two Florida high school lacrosse teams have come to a live game in the past four weeks.

The result: a two-day virtual “game” of lacrosse between Gulliver Prep, one of Miami-Dade’s regular contenders in the state playoffs, and defending state champion Ponte Vedra. The teams were tied 5-5 after Thursday night, with six more points up for grabs on Friday.

Under normal circumstances, high school lacrosse programs around the state would be finishing up their regular season schedules and preparing for district tournaments.

However, these are anything from normal circumstances. High school sports in Florida have been on hold since March 13 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. When or if they will resume is unknown.

With that in mind, Gulliver Prep coach Jim Piggot and Ponte Vedra coach Tom West put the idea of a virtual competition together as a way to keep their players engaged during the indefinitely lull of live games.

“There’s no final closure,” Piggot said. “That’s really a lot of where this kind of came from. How can we get these guys to do something that’s fun and competitive?”

The game consisted of 16 challenges, each representing a goal and each challenge completed before both teams congregated together on a Zoom meeting to see how the results played out.

“The hardest thing is not competing right now,” West said. “There’s no competition. There’s no practice. There’s no Friday night lights. It’s hard when we’re in the middle of it. But this gives us a chance to compete and at least get those competition juices flowing. At least you’re feeling the endorphins.”

The night started with three head-to-head contests of PIG, a shortened version of the backyard basketball game HORSE in which players try to match each other’s shot. Alex Jimenez, Lucas Zayden and Marcelo Arteaga played for Gulliver Prep. Dylan Hess, Davis Smith and Carter Parlette played for Ponte Vedra.

There were four team challenges based on generic exercises. Every player on both teams did as many push ups and sit ups as possible in a minute. They also had to do a wall sit and a plank for as long as possible. Reps and times were added together and compared head to head. Whichever school had the most earned the goal.

The remaining 11 challenges were individual. Yes, there were more general physical exercises (run a mile, 40-yard dash, bench and squat max, etc.), but a mix of lacrosse-related activities were included at this point, too.

Some were highlights from their high school careers, with players submitting videos of their best saves, stick tricks or legal hits. The opposing coach judged the videos before they were compared head to head.

The rest included live action that they recorded themselves doing at home and submitted video to coaches.

Do as many field taps over a ball as possible in 30 seconds without touching the ball.

Shoot 10 balls into the top corners of a net, graded for accuracy.

Perform as many sidewall stalls as possible.

“This is a little bit, in our opinion, a more effective way to keep a stick in their hand, keep them exercising, getting that physical and mental challenge,” Piggot said. “I know a lot of teams are doing Zoom practices where they’re just checking in. With my guys, we’re going to continue doing that, but ... I think this is just way more creative.”

Arteaga, one of three seniors on Gulliver Prep’s 25-man roster, appreciated the opportunity to connect with his teammates and return to some semblance of a competitive setting.

“We had our season stripped away from us,” said Arteaga, a defensive midfielder who will play collegiately at Johns Hopkins. “We were going to go to playoffs before this whole thing happened. Now, it gives us a sense of lacrosse and coming together as a team again.”

Piggot said he has already spoken to a few other coaches about replicating this competition until they get further clarity from the Florida High School Athletic Association about the status of the spring sports schedule.

And both coaches are holding out hope that they will be on a field again this season.

“I’m probably in the minority, but I don’t think the season’s over,” West said. “I think we need something to stay in shape and be ready to go when we get the green light from the FHSAA. That’s why I want to keep my boys engaged and ready to roll.”

The FHSAA’s most recent update on March 31 postponed all athletic events through at least May 3. It did not, however, completely rule out the possibility of spring sports having a chance to continue. That includes potentially extending the season through June 30.

“I think it all depends on this flattening of the curve stuff, but let’s say we come to June and we’re cleared to go. They said they’ll facilitate us through June 30,” Piggot said. “If we start at districts and maybe just take the top teams, it’s definitely feasible in my opinion.”