By Emily Vojtech

Minnesota Lacrosse Magazine will be highlighting young leaders in our state who have earned the title of captain of their high school lacrosse team. Boys and girls lacrosse captains will be interviewed and asked about their leadership, goals, and favorite memories playing lacrosse. Each group of captains will also be asked to pick a theme song for their team. The first two editions will be free, with the rest of the series requiring a subscription. The first team captains to be highlighted are from Centennial High School in Circle Pines.

The Centennial Cougars Boys Lacrosse team had a successful season last year with a record of (11-5-0). The 2024 captains have a shared goal to have a great postseason run this year, including competing at the state tournament.

Centennial plays in the Northwest Suburban Conference (NWSC), which is to be split into two divisions this upcoming season for both boys and girls lacrosse. The split will allow for more non-conference games against opponents they do not typically face in the regular season. The four Centennial captains share a common goal of beating top teams in the state this season.

According to Head Coach Seth King, each of the captains embodies what Centennial Lacrosse stands for. The four captains, all seniors are: Kellen Krumwiede (Midfield), Logan Adams (Attack), Brolin Scherman (Attack/Midfield), and Trenton Kramar (Goalie).

“Being a captain means taking on a lot of responsibility and being a team leader,” Krumwiede shared. The captains shared their thoughts on what it means to be a captain of their team. “Putting the team before yourself and being the glue that holds the team together,” Brolin Scherman shared. The four also discussed the importance of being there for their teammates and making sure incoming freshmen and new players feel welcome.

“I think captains set the tone with their effort and leadership. You have to set the tone with how you play,” Adams said. The captains also spoke a lot about the importance of being there for their teammates. “Being a role model for the rest of the team and making sure nobody is regretting signing up is important,” Scherman said. “Making sure that other kids are having fun with it too,” Kramar added.

Each of the captains discussed their roles for the season. Krumwiede hopes to be an asset on both defense and offense as a midfielder. Adams and Scherman are both more offensive minded players. “I’m willing to help the team wherever we need it. If I need to play defense, that’s cool with me,” Scherman said. Kramar shared that along with being their starting goalie, he plans to guide and lead the defense.

“Some of my favorite memories playing Centennial Lacrosse are going to state in youth and in high school. It’s always fun playing the top competition,” Krumwiede stated. Adams and Scherman agreed that a big memory for them was beating Chanhassen in the state tournament their sophomore year and overall experiencing the high school state tournament.

Last year, the Cougars beat one of their big conference rivals, the Blaine Bengals, in overtime. “Beating Blaine in OT was a big game. Playing against a former coach of ours, who is now the head coach at Blaine,” Scherman said. “The Blaine game was fun. It was my first varsity start and first Varsity win,” Kramar shared. Another highlight the players shared from last season was playing Mahtomedi in the snow. “Even though we lost, it was my first time doing that, and it was a great game,” Kramar stated.

Words the four Centennial players used to describe their team included: gritty, supportive, athletic, and high energy. “I think we have a really supportive and closely mended atmosphere. Everyone is pretty close. Not all of us are lacrosse guys, but all of us are athletic kids that play sports,” Scherman explained. Many of the Cougar Boys Lacrosse players also participate in other sports/activities.

“This year, we started a 3v3 tournament during the off-season to get some guys together and have fun with it,” Krumwiede shared. “This year, our brilliant coach, Seth King, came up with a new tradition to pass out a player of the game watch like Deion Sanders does with the Colorado Buffaloes,” Adams said.

“We are coming into this season wanting to make a state run, and I think we can do it,” Kramar said. The Centennial captains discussed their plans to prepare for next season, which includes fall ball practices, captains practices in the spring, weight training, and more. “That’s one thing about Centennial, we like to add things during our off-season to keep the chemistry going for the regular season,” Krumwiede said. “A lot of individual guys play travel ball, which helps the team as a whole,” Adams shared.

“The one big team goal for us is a state championship,” Krumwiede said. The Cougars are confident they have the experience and skill to make a run this season. “That’s a thing here at Centennial is to win your last game and not go out with a loss. If you win the state championship, you complete that goal,” Adams added.

A big match-up for the Cougars this season is Benilde St. Margaret’s (BSM), the captains have a goal to beat BSM this season. Conference opponents they are looking forward to facing again are Maple Grove and Blaine. “Seeing teams like Chanhassen and Prior Lake in the regular season is different for us, but I’m excited for it and I really do want to beat Benilde. I really do,” Kramar explained.

“We face Chisago Lakes in the section final almost every year. This year is going to be the year that we do win that game. They are definitely the team that we want to crush after what they did to us last season,” Scherman said. The Cougars lost to the Chisago Lakes Wildcats 6-8 in the Section 7 Championship last year.

With all four captains being seniors, they have big plans for after their final season as Cougars. Krumwiede and Adams both plan to attend college and continue their lacrosse careers. Scherman is committed to playing lacrosse at Marquette University (NCAA DI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kramar plans to go to trade school for construction. “I really want to be a millionaire,” Kramar shared.

The seniors also shared messages to youth lacrosse players out there who want to play in high school. “Cherish every moment, every home game,” Krumwiede stated. “I think the best part about playing in high school is spending every day with your best friends on the field,” Adams explained.

Team theme song: Win by Jay Rock.