Mission Bay boys lacrosse had its roller coaster season end on May 6 with a 13-5 loss to Del Lago Academy at the CIF Div. III San Diego Section playoffs.

The Bucs finished with a 6-11-1 record but saved their most impressive performance for senior night on April 29 by defeating Morse 15-3. “They played one of the better teamwork games I’ve seen,” said head coach Seth Whittenberg. “Lacrosse is a game of speed, skill, and grit and we look forward to expanding on that next year.”

After suffering a lopsided 22-1 loss to Classical Academy in the season opener, Mission Bay bounced back to earn a hard-fought 10-6 victory over San Ysidro. “This was a great rebuilding season and another step forward for the boys lacrosse program,” Whittenberg added.

“Last year we struggled with player numbers and this year we doubled the number of players on the team. It’s wind in the sails for any program to see new guys join and pick up the game so quickly.”

Despite three straight defeats to Clairemont, Preuss School UCSD, and San Diego High in the following three matches, the Bucs rallied to go on a three-game winning streak with victories over Morse 14-2, Canyon Hills 13-9, and Mira Mesa 13-1. Mira Mesa and Mission Bay faced each other again in a rematch on April 22 with the Bucs winning 8-6 on the road.

“We are excited to continue to promote and build numbers. We feel very supported at Mission Bay by both our athletic director and our parents,” said Whittenberg. “They did a fantastic job with team dinners, senior night, and communications for everyone involved.”

Among the standout players this season were captains Derius McCovy and Luca Estrella, who did a great job lifting their teammates and helping build chemistry. The Bucs saw a marked improvement in their win total from last year and were more competitive in the matches.

“We couldn’t do this without everyone’s time, energy, and support,” Whittenberg said. “The bonus was getting back to playoffs and seeing the players perform so well and put all the hard work and skill into play. Every year we make it to playoffs we gain experience.”