Beginning in 1992,  a core group of about fifteen players met at North Stafford High on Sundays, and occasionally after school, to play in pick-up lacrosse games.  This group was a mix of experienced players, whose parents had taught them the game, as well as new players interested in the sport.  Included in this group were future coaches Fred J. Donahoe and Mark Smith of North Stafford High and Colonial Forge High, respectively.

            On the suggestion of former Principal White of North Stafford, who was then a member of the Stafford County School Board, the group decided to move forward and request that lacrosse be added as an organized high school sport.  With the same determination as their Indian predecessors, four students appeared before the Board in September, 1993, and made a passionate request for the sport.  At best case scenario, the group was hoping that the Board would recognize lacrosse within a few years.  To their surprise, the Board granted official club status, to begin the following spring, and allocated $300 for each school to buy goals.  This was the day that high school lacrosse officially began in Stafford County.

            This good news, however, meant that the group had only five months to acquire enough funds to buy equipment for all players as well as all the other necessary items that are required for the game.  The Stafford County Lacrosse Club was formed to organize the fundraising for all three high schools.  Beginning a tradition that continues to this day, the parents became closely involved and together the Club organized car washes, shootouts, bake sales, and the selling of Christmas wreaths.  All money earned went into a central fund that would be distributed equally to each of the players provided they had participated in the fundraising events.  At this same time, there was an intense recruiting effort to attract more players.  Because most people had never seen a game or didn't know anything about the sport, it was difficult to convince athletes that they should switch sports in the spring to play the new game. 

            By the time Spring arrived in 1994, the group had enough players to form two separate teams; one at Brooke Point High School, coached by Fred A. Donahoe, and one at North Stafford High School, coached by Ron Squires.  Because Stafford High School did not have enough players to form their own team, their players joined in at North Stafford.  Additionally, the Stafford County Lacrosse Club had earned enough funds to provide equipment for each player.  At North Stafford, the school donated old football jerseys to the team to complete their uniforms.

            In March, 1994, both Stafford County high schools began official play in the Prince William County Lacrosse League.  With mostly inexperienced players, North Stafford took to the field to compete against schools whose lacrosse programs were much more advanced.  With scores like 22-2, against Woodbridge, and 19-0, against Gar-Field, lopsided losses were in abundance.  North Stafford's only victories that season were over county rival, Brooke Point.  But what the team lacked in experience, they more than compensated for with heart.  Games at North Stafford were held on the current varsity practice field and practices were conducted in front of the school.  With a rickety, wooden goal and balls bouncing all over the area, the practices became an interesting site at the school.  But the team had many committed players and quickly gained a following among the students as well as the community. 

            The next season, 1995, saw several major changes to the team.  First, Stafford High School accumulated enough players and formed their own team, which was coached by Dan Penny.  Next, the three Stafford County high schools started the tradition of the Warriors Cup trophy, which is awarded annually to the school with the best won-lost record in lacrosse against the other schools in the county.  North Stafford won the trophy that year and has won it every year since then.  Lastly, and certainly not least, with Ron Squires impending transfer to Korea at the end of the season, the team set about finding a new coach for 1995.

            The manager of the team at this time was Melissa Ayers who had mentioned that her father, Bill, was a former player.  At the request of Ron Squires, Bill Ayers joined the team as head coach prior to the 1995 season and has been here ever since.  Heavily recruited out of high school in the Baltimore area, Bill had been a midfielder at the United States Naval Academy, a perennial Division I powerhouse.  Coach Ayers arrival brought instant credibility to the team as well as all lacrosse programs in the county.  His ability to transform athletes with raw ability, but no experience, into good lacrosse players allowed North Stafford to improve steadily every year. 

            With Coach Ayers focusing on the players, this allowed Coach Squires to improve the young program with his organizational and administrative skills.  Money was still in short supply so additional fundraisers, such as craft and bake sales, were held.  Parents continued to play a large part in the success of the program and there is little doubt that the team could not have survived without their support.  Contributions in the form of concessions receipts and gate receipts, from the North Stafford Booster Club and the Athletic Director, respectively, also had a huge impact. 

            Beginning about this time, the team became the beneficiary from the first of many outstanding assistant coaches.  Tom Hendrickson, joined the staff in 1996, and is still with the program today.  Former Wolverine player Ricky Hoe came on board in 2003.  Ted Dailey, Rick Hoe, Fred A. Donahoe, and Fred J. Donahoe have also been on the coaching staff and continue to serve the sport today as referees and coaches.  Coach Squires returned from Korea after the 1997 season to find the program had progressed significantly.  The team had attracted so many quality players that the Varsity began restricting the number of players and the first JV team, coached by Ron Squires and Jim Crist, was formed.

            At the varsity level, because of the continuous effort on the part of both players and coaches, the team, which by this time was already the class of Stafford County, began defeating the same Prince William County schools who had beaten them so badly only a few years before.  This culminated in the 1998 season, which saw the team go 16-0, including a dramatic win over Woodbridge in the regional playoffs, before losing in the state semi-finals.

            It was during 1998 that a major event occurred that would later impact North Stafford as well as all the other county high school lacrosse programs.  Under the direction of Gary Taylor, the Fredericksburg Area Lacrosse Club (now the Stafford-Spotsylvania Lacrosse Club) was formed.  This provided the youth of the area a chance to learn and play the game before they arrived in high school.  Because many of the youth players live in the North Stafford school district, the Wolverines have been a major beneficiary over the years.  In addition, many of the youth coaches have gone on to coach at the high school level, including current JV coach, Clay Stephenson. 

            Both North Stafford teams continued their improvement from year-to-year due in part to the attraction of dedicated players, competitive scheduling, and year-round lacrosse leagues.  The team changed from a club to an official varsity sport in 1999.  In 2003, a decision to restrict the JV team was made, in part, because of the large number of players.  This decision paid immediate dividends as this team completed a perfect 14-0 season, including the program's first victories ever over the state powerhouse Albemarle Patriots.

            Now as we pass our tenth anniversary, lacrosse continues to be one of North Stafford High's most successful programs.  Indeed, since the Wolverines began official play, the Varsity has the best won-loss percentage of any team at the school.  Numerous district championships have been won and, in 2002, the team again advanced to the state semi-finals.  On an individual level, many Wolverines have earned All-District and All-Region honors and, in 2002, attackman Richard Burchnall became the first North Stafford player to be named All-American.  Additionally, Coach Ayers has been named All-Area Coach of the Year for a number of seasons.  Each year we proudly welcome back our former players and coaches, regardless of the team or duration of play, to join us in our Alumni game.

            As more and more players arrive at North Stafford with five and even six years of experience, the level of play continues to rise.  But true to its humble beginnings, there is still a place on the team for a player who may lack actual lacrosse experience but has the heart of the Indian Warriors from centuries ago. 

North Stafford High School

"Where the Tradition is Excellence"