By Steve Lee

A Wesley Chapel recreational boys lacrosse team competes in an under-14 division with a roster primarily of ages 11-13. No matter, while playing up a level against mostly 14-year-olds the team is still winning.

The Warriors are 7-2 in the Florida Gulf Coast Lacrosse League and had three consecutive victories before the 2020 schedule was put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’re doing better than expected,” said coach Eric Rosario, who also is the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association’s director of lacrosse. “We run into a lot of teams that are bigger and more physical and we still beat them. We play a good game of lacrosse.”

Wesley Chapel relies on a few key attacking players up front. Among the top scorers is Braden Rosario, the coach’s son who had two of his team’s four goals in the first game and three in the second matchup in a doubleheader against St. Petersburg.

Joining Rosario as one of the overachieving 12-year-olds are Aiden Blackmore, Jackson Schwartz, Aaron Matthews and Logan Hardin.

The Warriors are balanced and play a solid fundamental game. Leading the way in back is a solid defensive corps consisting of Barron Barber, Tate Tacey and Jace Faircloth.