Columbia HS boys lacrosse team aims to be competitive this year

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MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — With continued hard work and improvement, the Columbia High School boys lacrosse team is looking to build off last year’s successful season.

The Cougars, who won the New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse League–Kimber Division title with a 5-0 divisional record while finishing 14-5 overall last year, have been working on their schemes during the pre-season, which was shortened by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The official start of practice began March 16, which was much later than in previous years.

“We have some senior guys in important roles and lots of new guys on varsity who are catching up a bit,” said CHS head coach Dylan Heningburg, in an interview with the News-Record as his team was getting ready for practice at Underhill Field on Monday, March 27. “With the shortened pre-season, every school is kind of scrambling to install their schemes, but I think once everyone settles into what we’re doing, I think we can have a strong year.”

Columbia will open the season on Monday, April 3, against West Essex of North Caldwell at Underhill Field.

The Cougars will be led by senior goalie Sam Busch, junior face-off specialist Max Gigante and senior attackman Cole Abel.

Busch earned first-team All-State, Group 4 honors by the Star-Ledger last year with more than 300 saves and a 65 save-percentage last year. Busch likes his team’s chance to contend this season.

“I know we are playing a tougher schedule this year than last year, but I think if we can compete, we are pretty good on both sides of the ball and we can compete with this harder schedule,” Busch said.

Gigante also was stellar, winning 59 percent of his face-offs to garner honorable mention selection on the All-State, Group 4 team last season.

From left are Columbia head coach Dylan Heningburg and players Sam Busch, Cole Abel and Max Gigante.

Abel was one of the top scorers on the team last year with 34 goals and 23 assists for 57 points, earning first-team honors in the Kimber Division.

Abel also feels the Cougars have the makings to be a competitive team.

“We’re definitely young, we got a strong schedule this year, but we got more depth than we had last year,” Abel said. “We have a great chance to compete this year.”

Heningburg said the tough schedule will prove beneficial when it comes to competing in the Essex County Tournament and Group 4 state tournament.

The main goal for the team is to improve as the season progresses.

“We just want to be competitive and playing at the highest level of lacrosse that we possibly can and be in the mix at the end of the year,” said Heningburg, a 2012 CHS graduate. “These guys work real hard and I tend to challenge my guys a lot. I have really high expectations and they answer the call and continue to come to work every single day. We have a lot to improve on, but I think if these guys stay the course, we can achieve a lot this year.”

Columbia has moved to the Bianchi Division, which is named after the late Bob Bianchi, who was a CHS legendary lacrosse player. Bianchi was inducted into the NJSIAA’s Hall of Fame earlier this month. The other teams in the Bianchi Division are Cranford, Delaware Valley, Livingston, Madison, Millburn and St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City.

Here is the Cougars’ schedule: