Tecumseh boys lacrosse ready for SEC White showdown

TECUMSEH — Third-year Tecumseh boys lacrosse head coach Bogar Trout has had his eye on one game all season.

"I circled this Dexter game the day we got the schedule," Trout said. "Our sights are on Friday, but we had two conference games. I kept reiterating that Chelsea is one of our rivals and anybody can beat anybody. We had to take care of today ... and then look forward Friday."

Tecumseh (6-2, 5-0 SEC White) surely didn't look past the Bulldogs on Wednesday, or Ypsilanti Lincoln on Monday for that matter, as it beat the Railsplitters, 12-4, and Chelsea, 12-0.

Now comes the Dreadnaughts in a battle of SEC White unbeatens for the driver's seat for the league title.

"It would be huge," Trout said. "It would be great for our guys to beat Dexter. My first year we got swept by them and our guys weren't really aware of the rivalry there was. Second year we beat them there and then they beat us here. They got the wake up call to the rivalry with Dexter.

"I hope we beat them there and then come back and defend our turf."

Tecumseh will be riding into Dexter with a lot of confidence after crushing Chelsea in a shutout.

"It's a good feeling seeing the progress we're making slowly but surely," Trout said. "We've yet to play a complete game, but I'm looking forward to Friday being that game."

Tecumseh is a young group with only three seniors and were without it's most experienced senior, Brennan Cornack on Wednesday. Cornack will be back on the field Friday alongside sophomore Luke Dunham, who is coming off of a seven-goal game.

"It's awesome to see (Dunham) step up with Brennan went down," Trout said. "It's next man up mentality and I'm proud to see him step up Monday and Wednesday to get some goals in the back of the net and take control of the offense."

Dunham is one of the 11 sophomores on the roster along with five freshmen and seven juniors.

"We knew we were going to be a young team and we lost Trace Tidswell who led us in almost every offensive category," Trout said. "I'm very pleased with the guys, they're all coachable. It's all yes sir and taking in the lacrosse information like sponges."

Helping bring the young group along has been the trio of seniors with Caleb Johnson and Ashton Platt in net.

"They know Tecumseh lacrosse expectations," Trout said. "They are making sure to pass it along to the younger guys that they're aware of those expectations. For the new guys, I can say it all I want, but when it comes from someone who's played through it and they can relate to repeats it, then it can soak in."

Tecumseh is close to returning to the level of the past when it won SEC White titles year in and year out and making deep MHSAA tournament runs.

"We're getting there," Trout said. "We're young and there going to be some growing pains. We've got kids playing varsity lacrosse, we're not blessed to have a JV team. They are taking it like champs."

A win on Friday and Tecumseh will be well on its way to being champs again.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Tecumseh boys lacrosse set for SEC White showdown with Dexter