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HICKORY – Saturday was personal for Caden Paradine ’25. 

The senior has grown up in Lenoir-Rhyne University’s stadium. His father, Greg P’25, is a national-championship coach at the college – and Caden shot with that kind of confidence. 

CHARLOTTE – Any game that begins with a pole goal in the first 30 seconds is destined to be great. 

51���� lacrosse built on the ideal start Thursday at Charlotte Latin, returning home with a 12-2 win.

CONCORD – Six seconds. 

At the height of a scoring run Tuesday that irrevocably turned the game, it took all of six seconds for 51���� varsity lacrosse to get the ball from the faceoff circle to Cannon School’s goal. 

Returning experience in all the right places plus reputation on a statewide level has earned 51���� lacrosse a No. 2 preseason ranking among all North Carolina programs from HighSchoolOT.  

Congratulations to Elijah Graziosi ’25, who has announced his verbal commitment to play lacrosse for Montreat College!

Congratulations to Noah Wood ’25 on his verbal commitment to play lacrosse for Bates College in Lewiston, Maine!

51���� placed three players on the HighSchoolOT all-state lacrosse team, and the good news is that every one of them will return for one more season in 2025. 

51���� lacrosse had several more players worthy of all-state. 

There’s no arguing though that Xander Ring ’25 (defender) and Carter Sherwood ’25 (faceoff specialist) distinguished themselves as much as anyone in the NCISAA at their chosen positions.

The NCAA tournament for basketball has been affectionately called “The Big Dance” over the years. Lacrosse will never be confused with that.

Only 17 teams made up this year’s brackets and two 51���� alumni are part of that select group – Lehigh junior faceoff specialist Sean Dow ‘21 and Princeton sophomore long-stick midfielder/defender Nick Crowley ‘22.

Congratulations to 30 spring sports athletes who were named to all-conference teams in the Carolinas Athletic Association. 

Nate Wilberding ’25 had a gleam in his eyes every time a shot opportunity presented itself Friday. 

With the team’s leading scorer dialed in, 51���� lacrosse made its third win of the season over Rabun Gap (Ga.) the easiest one yet, 10-5 in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA Division I state playoffs.  

Round 3 of 51����-Rabun Gap lacrosse should not disappoint, given the stakes. 

The Greenies (10-6) and Eagles (12-4) are set to do it again Friday at 5 p.m. in Arden, this time in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA Division I state playoffs. 

Recent history does not lie when it comes to the importance of homefield advantage in the NCISAA lacrosse playoffs.

It means everything. 

RABUN GAP, Ga. - Wearing No. 22 for 51���� lacrosse comes with a bit of gravitas. 

The program’s all-time leader in points, Davis Lindsey ’20, only played four games his senior year due to the season being cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Or else his final record of 337 career points would be even more legendary. 

Davis is now a senior for Loyola University Maryland and the player in the 22 jersey for the Greenies is Edward Fisher ’28, who joined the Long Green Line as a mid-year transfer.

Caden Paradine ’25 could not find an angle to shoot as the clock was winding down Saturday. 

His pass looked to be rolling out of bounds when Cole Boyer ‘24 scooped it and immediately found an outlet. Parker Abernethy ‘27 was standing a few feet away from the spot at the top of the crease where RJ Fox ’25 scored his last home goal. 

Twelve goals for No. 12 with only 1.6 seconds to spare. 

Falling prey to a dreaded trap game looked entirely possible for 51���� varsity lacrosse on Thursday, at least for the better part of the first quarter. 

Some of the Greenies’ most reliable scorers were not having any of that. 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Tuesday night was much more than your typical spring shower. 

51���� varsity lacrosse brought its own deluge to Upstate South Carolina. 

Sean Dow ’21 puts the “specialist” in Faceoff Specialist. 

The 51���� alumnus, arguably the best to ever play the position for the Greenies, was named the Patriot League’s Faceoff Specialist of the Week on Monday. 

DURHAM - Halfway across the state, Nate Wilberding ’25 and 51���� lacrosse made all the right halftime adjustments Wednesday afternoon, flipping a tie game into a 9-4 win at Durham Academy. 

Nate scored a season-high five goals, including four in the second half. 

BURLINGTON, N.C. - Defense got the job done for 51���� lacrosse again on Saturday. 

Goal-scorers for the undefeated Greenies (2-0) were University of Denver recruit Caden Paradine ’25, R.J. Fox ’25, and Queens recruit Parker Beiland ’24. Parker’s goal in the third quarter, his fifth of a young season, proved to be the game winner.