One last goal to meet

WELLESLEY -- ''Unfinished business" -- that's the motto of this season's Wellesley High School lacrosse team.

The Raiders have their eyes set on a state championship and anything less will be disappointing for the seniors who have endured heartbreaking finales to their sophomore and junior seasons.

Wellesley won its first 22 games two years ago and led, 8-7, with less than 10 seconds remaining in the state championship game. But South Hadley High School tied the Raiders with eight seconds to play and won it in the second overtime.

Last year, Wellesley, with a 22-1 record, advanced to the championship game again. This time the Raiders lost a 6-5 game to Minnechaug Regional High School of Wilbraham.

This year, Wellesley is taking no prisoners. The Raiders have won their first 11 games with an average goal differential of seven per game. Among their victories were a 4-3 win over South Hadley, a 10-9 win over 2003 state champion Needham High School, and a 9-7 decision over Southington High School, considered one of the top teams in Connecticut.

Wellesley's success did not come overnight.

For a long time, Wellesley was a Bay State League doormat. As recently as 2002, the Raiders were 4-12.

The road to glory for the Raiders began when Chris Gelinas was hired as head coach six years ago. About the same time, many of its top players picked up the game in the town's youth program.

''I've been playing for seven years," said cocaptain Scott Grillo. ''I went out for lacrosse in the sixth grade because my friends were starting to play. I liked it right away. It was more fast-paced. There was a lot more action than in games I used to play like baseball."

Grillo, teammates Patrick Hislop, Blake Carver, Rob Laughlin, and many of the seniors have played side by side since then.

''We just have a great group of guys who work hard in the off-season and are committed to the team," said Hislop, also a cocaptain. ''It's the only sport I play now. I used to play baseball before lacrosse, but lacrosse became a passion."

Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport at the college, high school, and youth levels in the nation, according to statistics compiled by several organizations, including the National College Athletic Association, National Federation of State High School Associations, and US Lacrosse.

More than 300,000 are playing at the college and high school level and another 150,000 are playing youth lacrosse. Those numbers have increased 10 to 15 percent every year.

Today in Wellesley, youngsters are picking up lacrosse sticks earlier than when Grillo was in grade school. ''They are starting in the fourth grade now," said Gelinas. ''There are now 265 boys playing youth lacrosse in Wellesley. It's unbelievable. What we want to do is get kids to play and get hooked into it. We let them have a good time at a young age. There is no pressure."

The ungainly and uncoordinated youngster is urged to play as well as those who take easily to sports. ''Who knows? A kid might all of a sudden develop into an athlete. By the time that kid is in high school, he could shine. And as time goes on, they will develop into athletes," said Gelinas.

Gelinas savors his relationship with the youth program and he makes sure his players give back to it. ''Part of a responsibility of being on our team is that you have to go down and coach a youth lacrosse team. That is one of the components we added to our lacrosse program last year," he said.

And it is working. ''The younger kids like it and so do my players," Gelinas said. ''I think the parents of youngsters who play youth lacrosse like it, too."

Gelinas admires his players for giving so much to the youth program. ''In the spring season, there are a lot of distractions, particularly for our seniors who have proms and graduation on their schedules. But it's a nice diversion for my players. They have to do it for one day, but most do it more than that."

The youth program and his varsity present a unified front, Gelinas said. The teams wear the same red and black colors. Both are known as the Raiders.

''We try to make all the programs, youth programs to the high school program, look like one program," he said. ''It gives us that oneness look."

He said it makes his job a lot easier when the youth players have been exposed to the Wellesley system. They can fit right in when they arrive at the high school.

Many players continue playing lacrosse after graduating from Wellesley High School. ''I'm going to play at Skidmore College next year," said Grillo, a two-time high school All-American and Globe All-Scholastic. ''They made the NCAA tournament last year and I'm looking forward to playing there."

Recent Raiders now playing for college programs include Mike Stone (Middlebury), Jake Murphy (Army), Matt Collucci (Roanoke), Eric Campbell (Endicott), and Matt Caple (Tufts).

Besides Grillo, at least four other players on this year's squad are considering playing college lacrosse. They include Hislop (University of Massachusetts at Amherst), Andrew Peisch (Dartmouth), Chris Tevas (Middlebury), and Ray Mooney (Trinity).

''The kids have made a commitment to lacrosse, and it's something that's going to stay with them for their whole lives," Gelinas said.