NEWARK – Colton Loudermilk remembers the moment his attitude toward lacrosse changed, and the Newark senior now does not want his career to end.
Loudermilk scored to open a dominant seven-goal third quarter May 14, sparking the Newark boys in a 15-4 victory against visiting No. 18 Canal Winchester in a Division I first-round match at White Field.
“When I was sophomore and a freshman, I just didn’t really take it serious. I just goofed off,” Loudermilk said. “My junior and senior year, I was like, ‘Man, this is it. I have to take it serious.’ It’s fun.”
No. 17 Newark visits No. 2 Worthington Kilbourne at 6 p.m. May 19. The Wildcats used a flurry of three goals in 53 seconds early in the third quarter to take control after leading 5-3 at halftime.
Newark overcame an early 3-0 deficit May 7 to beat Canal 13-4. This time, nine Wildcats scored as they never trailed.
“It’s sad because it’s our last home game that we are going to be on this field,” Loudermilk said. “It just sucks because I am going to miss all of the guys. I love all of the guys. They have always supported me.”
A 16-member senior class is finishing strong. The Wildcats won for the sixth time in their last nine games.
“I am happy us seniors left it better than we found it,” senior Jaeyden Smith-Eller said, echoing a frequent message from coach Caleb Nilo.
Junior Dylan Reed with four goals and sophomore Kolin Clark three goals led the attack, and seniors defenseman Harrison Walsh, who scored a rare goal, and goaltender Landon Sifford spearheaded the defensive charge. Newark held possession most of the night as Smith-Eller won 15 face offs, surpassing 600 for his career.
“It was a big moment. I love this field. I have played here for many years,” Smith-Eller said. “It’s amazing having a home playoff game and even better us winning it.”
Sophomore Miekel Eller scored twice, and seniors Mason Reed and Owen McCracken and freshmen Tanner Morgan and Beckett Holbert each scored once.
Newark has at least three seniors moving on to the next level – Loudermilk to Wittenberg, Smith-Eller to Malone and Oheneba Asenso to Mount Vernon Nazarene – with the possibility of a couple more. Jonathan Marty, a 2022 graduate, recently completed his four-year career at Heidelberg, the first Newark player to do so.
“I can’t wait until I get to Wittenberg and just show out and show the coaches what I can really do,” Loudermilk said.
Smith-Eller embraced his brother Miekel Eller shortly after time ran out as the Newark seniors savored their last few moments on White Field, including ringing the victory bell and posing for photos. Several of Smith-Eller’s teammates also surprised him, dousing him with jug of water.
“It shows to me that I helped them and that they care for me very deeply,” Smith-Eller said. “I can see that I am loved here, and that means a lot to me.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark boys lacrosse seniors enjoy one final home win
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
