Teamwork makes the dreamwork: Lacrosse dynamic duo leads Crusaders to No. 2
Evan Harper, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of NGU Athletics.
North Greenville men’s lacrosse is currently ranked No. 2 in Conference Carolinas thanks to the electric attackmen on offense. Thomas Cecere and Devin Napoli lead the Crusaders in goals and assists this season.
This senior/freshman duo has brought clutch wins to the Crusaders and is putting them on the map.
With Napoli being a freshman, he learns a lot from Thomas Cecere, but Tom still learns a lot from him.
“I have learned from Napoli that speed is an absolute killer in a dodge because most defenders cannot keep up with the speed of a dodge, so I’m starting to use that for my game,” said Cecere.
Both players praise each other and reflect their games off each other. Napoli emphasized greatly on how much they push each other.
Napoli said, “Since Tom and I are always high up on the stat sheet, I feel like it pushes both of us to be better not selfishly but to help the team in any way we can.”
As a senior, Cecere had high hopes for the Crusaders this season but did not expect to have that much help on offense.
“Coming into this year I thought we would be a little bit in trouble down at attack because there were two spots to be filled for the incoming freshman,” Cecere said. “To say the least, those worries are gone because Devin is a solid player that can be relied on down at attack. “
Although Napoli is greatly appreciated coming in as a freshman, Cecere has still led the way for Napoli and the team.
Napoli said he thinks Tom has definitely had a huge impact on the success he had as a freshman. “Tom and I push each other to get better every day, and we both look to set each other up for scoring opportunities on the field,” Napoli said. “If Tom was not next to me to play, I do not think I would have as much success as I am because we both play a similar style of lacrosse and look for each other out on the field.”
Napoli and Cecere are on the same page when it comes to winning, but their approach to the game is different.
Napoli is more of a finesse player; he will use his speed to an advantage for dodging.
Cecere will use his body mainly when he dodges against defenders. Thomas Cecere has tons of power and strength behind him, so he can use his body to get through defenders.
Napoli is a little faster, so he tends to get around his defenders with speed and skill.
Both Conference Carolinas offensive players of the week are on their way to the tournament, where they look to bring a championship trophy home to North Greenville University.
Photo courtesy of NGU Athletics.
