By SARA MILLER

Kitsap News Group

Heading into its second season as a school sport for the South Kitsap High Wolves, the lacrosse team is ready to continue making a name for itself on the peninsula.

“We have a positive outlook on the season,” head coach Julius Ifurung said. “There are 14 returners, and we have a talented freshmen group that came up from the youth level.”

Last year, the Wolves claimed the last spot in playoffs. Ifurung believes now that his team is settled, they’ll be ready to take on the new league.

“The real change comes in playoff competition,” Ifurung said, “where we have private schools, 1A/2A, 3A and 4A brackets. An interesting change is that private schools are put into their own bracket. This year is the first we will go with school classification playoffs.”

Key returning players for the Wolves this year include Cayden Robb, Michael Whitehead, Matthew Burns and Alex Hogg.

The team hosts Vashon at 7:30 p.m. on March 23 before traveling to Poulsbo to face North Kitsap March 31 at 7:30 p.m.

“Our boys are poised to have one of their better seasons,” Ifurung said. “We are more experienced and have gained some great athletes since we moved into SKHS as a school sport.”

While the sport may be new to the eyes of South Kitsap fans, Ifurung has been playing for more than 20 years and has coached lacrosse for the last eight. He thinks it’s time that the sport caught on along the West Coast, and people would be surprised with how much they enjoy it.

“Come out to watch this exciting and fast-paced game,” he said. “I think we are going to surprise the whole league this year.”

The team’s full schedule can be found at www.skitsap.wednet.edu/skboyslacrosse.