Chip and Chirp: Week One at The Drew

Chip and Chirp: Week One at The Drew

Two lax dads. One inaugural night. Zero chill.

Well folks, it finally happened. July 15th, 2026. The first night of the first season of The Drew, and let us tell you something right off the bat: we have been around this game a long, long time. We grew up playing on frozen town fields in New England your hands went numb by warmups. We have seen a lot of lacrosse. We have never seen a first night like this one.

(Chirp here. Chip cried twice before the first faceoff. Once during warmups and once when he saw the little guys carrying their own equipment bags. Back to you, Chip.)

I will neither confirm nor deny. What I will confirm is that six teams took the field, every single kid out there played their hearts out, and the parents on those sidelines brought playoff energy to a Tuesday in July. Down here in the South you all do not mess around, and we respect it deeply. So grab your coffee, find your kid's name, and let's get into it.

Buffalos: 2-0 and Setting the Pace

Somebody check the water over at Buffalo practice, because this herd came out stampeding. Two games, two wins, and a stat sheet that reads like a video game.

The engine of the whole operation? The Hays brothers. Ethan Hays, who we are told is seven years old, which frankly we refuse to believe, led the entire roster with 8 points on 3 goals and 5 assists. Seven years old and he is already passing on the run under pressure. When we were seven we were mostly eating the orange slices. Brother Davis Hays was right behind him with 6 points on 5 goals and an assist, plus 5 ground balls, 2 faceoff wins, and 3 caused turnovers. That is a full day's work at the office.

(Chirp here. I want to talk about the supporting cast, because this is what wins championships. Trent buried 4 goals. Oliver and Tej chipped in 2 apiece to keep defenses honest. Leighvi and Karsten both logged assists. And the hustle guys, oh, the hustle guys. Isaac quietly put up 4 assists with a team-high 7 caused turnovers, and Davis added 3 saves and 5 caused turnovers on top of everything else. Those are the plays that do not make the highlight reel and absolutely win you games. Back to you, Chip.)

And here is the thing: this 2-0 start was not against pushovers. The Buffalos knocked off the Wolves 7-2 and then beat the Turtles, the preseason favorites out of the West. Balance up and down the roster, playmaking, depth scoring, heart. Two games in, the Buffalos are the team everybody is chasing.

And next week, the chase gets real. The Buffalos open against a hungry Bears squad at 7:00, and then at 7:45 on Field 2 we get the game of the young season: Buffalos versus Eagles. The only two unbeaten teams in the league, head to head, under the Wednesday lights at Bryan Park. Clear your calendars, people.

Golden Eagles: The Biggest Surprise of Week One

Now THIS is a story. The Eagles showed up to opening night without Coach Max Elbin and Mars, and for a minute there the faithful were wondering who exactly was going to steer this ship.

Enter the cavalry. Roger Davis, NC Hall of Famer, PCLA director, Triad lacrosse legend, and all-around ambassador of the game, stepped up to the sideline. Right next to him, Harry Wellons, another local coaching legend. Between the two of them you are looking at over 70 years of coaching experience. Seventy! That is more years than Chirp and I have been arguing about the 1987 town championship, and that is saying something. Also on the sideline lending a hand: Connor Pike, the standout Southeast goalie who just graduated and will be joining the armed services after this summer.

But let's be honest. The players won these games. Noah Parker played like a man possessed, hanging 7 goals in the first game alone and causing havoc on the defensive end. He finished the night with 11 total points, which currently leads the entire Drew League. Eleven points on opening night. Somebody get this kid a nickname.

(Chirp here. They already got one for his goalie. Landon Long, the keeper who came up through the TYLA Titans, made save after save after save and never so much as blinked. The sideline has started calling him The Ice Man, and folks, it fits. The kid has the resting heart rate of a library. Back to you, Chip.)

Defender Nathan Harrell was everywhere, and we mean everywhere, piling up 7 total points including 4 gorgeous helpers, and connecting with his old Titans teammate Landon Long on multiple long clears like they have been doing it for years. Because they have. Keep an eye on young Sawyer Munsey too, a TYLA product who plays with the kind of attitude and determination you cannot coach.

Two wins, 7-4 over the Wolves and 7-3 over the Bears. The Eagles might just be the team to beat out of the East, and they did it with substitute teachers running the classroom. Remarkable.

The reward for a perfect week one? The hardest slate in the league. The Eagles open next Wednesday against the Snipes and their ground ball vacuum at 7:00, then turn right around and face the undefeated Buffalos at 7:45. Unbeaten versus unbeaten. Noah Parker and the Ice Man against the Hays brothers. We have already set up our chairs.

Snipes: Two Classics, One Coming-Out Party

If you like your lacrosse dramatic, the Snipes were your team this week. Two games decided by a single goal apiece: a 5-4 heartbreaker against the Turtles, followed immediately by a 6-5 thriller of a win over division rival Bears. Our cardiologists have asked us to stop attending Snipes games. We will not.

The headline: Dean Terrell's official coming-out party. First official night of lacrosse in his life, and the kid drops 3 goals and an assist in game one, then has a hand in 4 of the 6 goals in game two. Eight total points in your career debut. When I made my debut I scored on my own goalie. True story. Chirp has the tape.

(Chirp here. I do have the tape. But let me tell you what actually won that second game: ground balls. The Snipes were vacuuming up everything that touched the turf. Southeast's own Sylvester Boafo, plus TYLA's Porter Whitcomb and Wylie Paylor, all three of them with well over 7 ground balls each. You want to know what championship lacrosse looks like in any decade, in any state, at any age? It looks like three guys fighting for grass. Back to you, Chip.)

Gunnar Lyon had some enormous moments in net, playing out of his mind in the opener. First-time player Holden Roberts was a menace on defense, forcing major turnovers late in games when it mattered most. And a big Drew League salute to Malachi Thompson, who scored his first career goal. First of many, young man. We remember our first. We talk about it constantly. Ask our wives.

The Snipes might have the most raw talent in the league, and it is not particularly funny how much of it there is. They ride that momentum into a huge Wednesday: the unbeaten Eagles at 7:00, then the Wolves at 7:45. And word on the sideline is Wylie Paylor is due for a breakout. You heard it here first.

Turtles: Two One-Goal Games and a Star Is Born

The Turtles came into this season as the favorites out of the West, and you can see why the moment you look at that sideline. Southeast high school coach DJ Matthews, Chevy Peake, and TYLA Snipers coach Chris McVey. That is a coaching staff with serious championship pedigree, the kind of brain trust that makes opposing dads nervously re-tie their shoes.

Week one delivered two absolute nail-biters. First, the Turtles snuck past the Snipes in a 5-4 thriller. Then they ran into the undefeated Buffalos and took a tough one on the chin. Two games, two one-goal margins. This team is going to be in every fight all season long.

And now, the stat line of the week. Beckett Scroggins: 5 goals, 2 assists, 4 saves, 2 faceoff wins, 3 caused turnovers, and 4 ground balls. Read that again. He scored, he fed, he saved, he faced off, he took the ball away, and he picked it up off the ground. The only thing Beckett did not do this weekend was run the concession stand, and honestly we did not check.

(Chirp here. William Bauer and William McVey were filling up that stat sheet too, and I want everyone to circle William McVey's name right now. The TYLA Sniper is coming off back-to-back PCLA championships and he is playing like a young man on a mission. That is an MVP candidate, folks. Back to you, Chip.)

But the moment that had the whole sideline buzzing? Southeast's own Oaklen Pruitt stepping into the cage for the very first time and flat-out putting on a show. First time in the pipes and the kid looked like he was born in there. Do not be surprised if the Turtles make that a permanent arrangement.

Turtles look to get back on top of the standings next week with the Wolves at 7:00 and the Bears at 7:45. Something tells us they will not be down for long.

Bears: Heartbreak Hotel, but the Lights Are On

Nobody, and we mean nobody, should feel good about seeing the Bears on their schedule, 0-2 record or not. This team, led by the Abo family, Charlie, Austin, and Cole, was two bounces away from a completely different weekend.

Game one was a 7-3 loss to those red-hot Eagles, but the story of that game was Nolan Moberg raising his hand and volunteering for goalie duty, then backing it up with 7 huge saves to keep the game within reason. More on Nolan in a minute, because Chip has feelings about it.

Game two, whew. A 6-5 heartbreaker to the Snipes that came all the way down to a last-second shot from Cullen Bogacki as the horn sounded. One goal. That is the margin between 0-2 and a very different conversation.

The bright spots were everywhere. Lennon Winegarner was an offensive force all night, finishing with 4 total goals across the two games. Mack Rowberry had himself a game with a goal and 5 ground balls in the nightcap. And Ashton Carter, a former TYLA goalie now looking to make his mark at attack, got on the scoreboard too. Goalies who become attackmen are the most dangerous people in the sport. They know all the secrets.

(Chirp here. Here is my read on the Bears: the schedule says 0-2 but the film says sleeping giant. Aedan Bogacki was quiet with just the one goal, and plenty of people around this league think he is a legitimate MVP favorite by season's end. And keep your eyes on the Kemp brothers, Slone and Louie. If those two get rolling next week, the Bears dig out of this hole fast. Book it. Back to you, Chip.)

Bears look to get back to .500 next week, and the schedule makers did them no favors: the undefeated Buffalos at 7:00, then the Turtles at 7:45. Two heavyweights in one night. Good. Sleeping giants do not wake up for easy games. We would not bet against them.

Wolves: Short-Handed but Showing Teeth

The Wolves came into week one as the favorites, and then the injury report came out. No Ben Brewer, no several other key contributors, and suddenly the deepest team on paper was playing shorthanded on opening night. The results, a 7-2 loss to the Buffalos and a 7-4 loss to the Eagles, do not tell the story of how hard this group battled.

Because here is the thing: those scores could have been a whole lot worse, and one kid is the reason they were not. Nixon Paylor, the first overall pick of the draft, went out and showed everybody exactly why. Fourteen saves across two games. Two goals. An assist. All of it from the cage. Let us repeat that for the people in the back: the goalie scored two goals and had a helper. Once Nixon left that crease, nobody on the field could slow him down. He was electric.

(Chirp here. In all my years, and there are many, Chip, do not say the number, I have seen maybe a handful of goalies who could take it coast to coast like that. The first pick played like the first pick. That is all you can ask. Back to you, Chip.)

The bright spots did not stop there. Leo Gilfillian, Wade Swanson, and Jay Palmer all had strong nights, and then there is Connley Bowman, one of the youngest players in the entire league, who played like an absolute firecracker. Offensive MVP potential from one of the littlest guys out there? We are not ruling anything out. We have learned our lesson about doubting small, angry lacrosse players. We married into families full of them.

And here is the best news for Wolves fans: help is on the way. Landon Easter, Jace Lucas, and Josh Cloer are expected to come around by midseason, and Ben Brewer will be back. This 0-2 start is a chapter, not the book. The bounce-back tour starts Wednesday on Field 1 with the Turtles at 7:00 and the Snipes at 7:45, and we suspect it starts loudly.

Chip's Corner

One moment. Every week. Straight from the heart.

Porter Whitcomb, come on down.

End of the first half, Snipes and Bears locked in a one-goal dogfight, and a hard shot comes screaming through traffic. Now, every coach in America will tell you to get a body on the ball. Every player in America hears that and thinks, sure, Coach, you first.

Porter Whitcomb stepped in front of it.

No hesitation. No flinch. Just a kid in grade school deciding that his team mattered more than his comfort, throwing himself in front of a rubber ball moving at a highly disrespectful speed. And here is the kicker: the Snipes won that game by ONE GOAL. That block, that single act of pure want-to at the end of a half, came all the way back around to decide a game.

I have watched lacrosse for four decades. I have seen championships won and lost. And I am telling you, that right there, a kid eating a shot for his buddies in week one of a brand new league, that is the whole game. That is everything we love about this sport in one play. Somebody get that young man an extra slushie at the concession stand, and send me the receipt, because I am covering it.

(Chirp here. He means it. He already Venmo'd the league. Back to you, Chip.)

Chirp's Calls

The numbers, the nicknames, and the completely unaccountable predictions.

Points Leader: Noah Parker, Eagles, 11 points. Opening night. Eleven. That is a number you put on a t-shirt.

Stat Sheet Stuffer of the Week: Beckett Scroggins, Turtles. Goals, assists, saves, faceoffs, takeaways, ground balls. Six categories. The man is a Swiss Army knife with a mouthguard.

Ice in the Veins Award: Landon Long, Eagles. The Ice Man made a wall of himself all night and never changed expression once. I checked. I stood very close.

Ground Ball Committee of the Week: Sylvester Boafo, Porter Whitcomb, and Wylie Paylor, Snipes. Over 7 apiece. Ground balls win games, gentlemen. Never let anyone tell you different.

Rookie Debut of the Week: Dean Terrell, Snipes. Eight points in your first night of organized lacrosse ever. My first night of organized lacrosse I lost a shoe.

Youngest Gun: Ethan Hays, Buffalos. Seven years old, league-best 8 points on his own team's loaded stat sheet, and passing on the run like a ten-year veteran. Seven!

Firecracker of the Week: Connley Bowman, Wolves. One of the smallest players in the league, one of the biggest motors. The scouting report just says "good luck."

Two-Way Menace: Davis Hays, Buffalos. Five goals, five ground balls, three saves, five caused turnovers. He plays every position including a few that do not exist yet.

Volunteer of the Week: Nolan Moberg, Bears. Raised his hand for goalie when his team needed one and delivered 7 big saves. That is called character, folks.

First Career Goal Club, Week One Inductee: Malachi Thompson, Snipes. Welcome to the club, kid. The dues are one celebration per goal, minimum.

And now, Chirp's Bold Calls for Week Two:

1. Buffalos versus Eagles, 7:45 PM, Field 2, is the best game this league has seen in its entire nine-day history. Unbeaten against unbeaten. The Hays brothers against the Ice Man. I have already told my wife I am unreachable.
2. Wylie Paylor breaks out for the Snipes against the Eagles and Wolves. The ground balls always come first. The goals always follow.
3. The Kemp brothers, Slone and Louie, wake up the Bears against the toughest double of the week, the Buffalos and the Turtles. You cannot keep a good Bear down, and one quiet week from Aedan Bogacki is a setup, not a slump.
4. Oaklen Pruitt's second career night in the cage is even better than the first, and the Turtles take both ends of their Wolves and Bears doubleheader.
5. The Wolves, even shorthanded, make their Field 1 doubleheader against the Turtles and Snipes very uncomfortable for everybody. And when Ben Brewer and the reinforcements arrive at midseason, the rest of this league had better be stacking wins now, because the favorites are coming.

(Chip here. He makes these predictions every week and takes credit for the ones that hit. Been doing it since 1989. See you all next week at the fields. Bring a chair, bring a friend, and hug your kid after the game no matter what the scoreboard says. That is the Drew way. Back to you, nobody. That is the end of the article.)

Next Week at The Drew

Week 2. Wednesday, July 22. Bryan Park, Greensboro. 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Six games, three fields, every team plays twice.

Field 1: Wolves vs Turtles, 7:00 PM. Wolves vs Snipes, 7:45 PM.

Field 2: Buffalos vs Bears, 7:00 PM. Buffalos vs Eagles, 7:45 PM. (The unbeaten showdown. Get there early.)

Field 3: Snipes vs Eagles, 7:00 PM. Turtles vs Bears, 7:45 PM.

Chip and Chirp are two former New England lax rats who followed the sun south and never left. Their opinions are their own, their memories of their playing days are heavily exaggerated, and their love for the kids of The Drew League is one hundred percent verified. See you next week.