The No. 3-ranked Walton Raiders (14-3, 7-0 in 6A-7A’s Area 4) have one regular season game remaining, at home against Kennesaw Mountain (9-7, 4-3). From there, the real season begins for the Raiders, who are once again aiming high.
Last year ended abruptly when the No. 5 Raiders lost 11-10 to unranked Buford in the first round. With one of the country’s top players, James Gurr, a senior, a state championship was the goal.
This year, the team is trying its best to stay away from distractions — media included — and along those lines, Raiders coach Griffin Spotz declined a request to be interviewed.
Though Gurr is scoring goals for the Buckeyes as a freshman at Ohio State, the Raiders have the talent to make a run in the playoffs.
In Gurr’s absence, senior attack and team captain Lee Butler has stepped up, leading the Raiders with 40 goals and 21 assists.
Butler shows up in big games too, scoring five goals against Harrison, four against Pope and North Gwinnett, and three against Mill Creek, Hillgrove and Lassiter. The Raiders were 5-1 in those games, with the loss coming in the second game of the season, 15-14 to No. 9 Harrison.
Jaden Shapiro and Harrison Weber line up with Butler on the attack.
Logan Myers (28 goals, 13 assists), who is another senior captain, and sophomore Carl Dagher (21 goals, 13 assists) lead the midfielders, along with senior captain
Graham Whaley. Eamon Cummins, Matthew Feis and Grant Brown anchor the defense, with senior captain Drew Hurst having a career season at goalie.
Both Caden Canzano and Asher McCann have winning percentages on faceoffs.
The senior class were freshman when the Raiders won state in 2019, the second championship in program history. The other came in 2011.
The playoffs begin April 27.
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