PHOTOS: West Orange boys lacrosse undefeated through 9 games -- Observer Preps

WINTER GARDEN The West Orange Warriors boys lacrosse team soundly defeated district rival Montverde Academy 15-5 March 3. 

Three days later, the Warriors had little trouble defeating Olympia 18-3, improving to a perfect 9-0 so far this season.

With their undefeated start, the Warriors are making a case early in the season that they might be among the best squads in the state.

“This group came together back in September in club season and has been working hard ever since,” veteran coach Bill Baker said. “We had a really good club season — we beat a lot of the top teams and it was great for confidence and morale.”

In addition to the win over MVA (5-2) — likely West Orange’s toughest competition in District 11 — the Warriors have scored impressive wins over teams such as Boone (6-2), Winter Park (7-2) and Martin County (5-3).

The win on the road against Martin County was particularly noteworthy because of the manner in which it occured: West Orange rallied from a 7-2 deficit in the third quarter to steal a 10-9 win.

The Warriors will wrap up the regular season in the next two weeks, a span that includes games against local rivals such as Dr. Phillips (March 10), Apopka (March 15) and Bishop Moore (March 30), as well as a game against an out-of-state opponent in Ohio’s Hawken School (March 24).

It will be a tough stretch, but the play of the Warriors so far has their coach optimistic about their ability to handle it.

“This schedule is probably the toughest we’ve put together in my 11 years,” Baker said. “But we knew if we play up to our ability, we’ll be able to handle it.”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].