Blair stars bring fire to the field

To his opponents, senior Brian Matheron may not appear extremely threatening. At six-feet-one-inch and 165 pounds, Matheron is one of the taller and skinnier members of the boys' varsity lacrosse team. But while he may not seem to be a major threat from across the stadium, Matheron is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the field.

As one of the three captains of the boys' lacrosse team this season, Matheron is one of Blair's top mid-fielders. Last season, he scored thirteen goals and had fifteen assists, making him one of the leading offensive players on the team. This season, Matheron is already off to a good start, with ten goals and seven assists, including a game-clinching goal in the final minutes of the Blazers' victory over Springbrook High School on Apr 10.

Matheron decided to try out for the lacrosse team in his freshman year with hopes of broadening his social circle. While he picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time only a few weeks before tryouts , the fact that the lacrosse program was new to Blair allowed Matheron to receive playing time. "I got to play more than most freshmen normally do on a varsity squad, so that gave me much more confidence in the game because I had more experience than most people do coming out of their first season," he says.

Matheron attributes his success on the lacrosse field to his competitive nature and drive to improve. "I have always been a competitive person, so since my freshman year, I have just been pushing myself to become a stronger player," he says.
Matheron also feels his teammates, especially senior captains Andrew Ginsberg and David Chachere, have helped him become a solid lacrosse player and a strong leader. "When I first began playing, I was kind of shy, but the other guys on the team have really brought me out of my shell. Together, the other captains and I have brought this team from being a mediocre squad to a tough competitor," he says.

Head lacrosse coach Bob Gibb feels Matheron has become a huge asset to the team throughout the past four years. "As a mid-fielder, Brian is one of our strongest players, both offensively and defensively," says Gibb. "He also has succeeded in keeping the team focused during the off-season and motivated during tough games."

Gibb also says Matheron has been particularly successful at Blair because of his competitive edge and composed nature. "He is able to consistently go against defenders and get shots on goal because he keeps calm during every game," he says.