The Grays Harbor Lacrosse Club’s first season came to an end May 6 after losing to Columbia River in the first round of the playoffs.

The Gryphons, comprised of athletes from Elma, Montesano, Aberdeen and Raymond, finished the season 1-11. Coach Ray Cristobal noted that despite their record, the Gryphons accomplished much in their first year of existence.

“As disappointing as it (the playoff loss) sounds, the facts show that we accomplished something extraordinary,” he said.

The goal of this first season was not to make it all the way through the playoffs, Cristobal said, but to establish a tradition and earn a reputation as a team with character and integrity.

“I want to be known as a team with passion for the game,” he said.

Cristobal tried to instill that sense of passion into his players during practices, the number of which gives further testament to the hard work of coaches and players alike. The club played 11 games throughout the season, and were only able to schedule 21 practices in between those games.

“We did not always get a practice field, so we focused on high-quality sessions rather than frequency,” Cristobal said.

Those sessions seem to have paid off, as Cristobal said the athletes made significant improvements throughout the course of the season. The team had only one player who had previously played lacrosse, and it included several who had never even played a sport before.

“Opposing coaches, players and officials have commented all season how amazed they were with the skill, heart and passion displayed by first year players,” Cristobal said.

The team started the season with 11 players, meaning that there was only one substitute available. If nothing else, it meant the athletes would be given plenty of opportunities to work on their game. Cristobal said the results from that hard work were evident when looking at the team’s performance and individual performances as well. He cited the play and improvement of a few players in particular, two being first-year players Joseph Johnson and Nathan Olson.

“Where we were at the beginning to now is night and day,” Johnson said, “I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my coaches or teammates.”

Improving as a team requires individual effort and improvement, a lesson that Olson seemingly took to heart.

“The first time I scored I was super excited and surprised at the same time, but I know that all of the goals I was able to make were only partly by me, all 10 players on the field have to contribute to be able to make a goal,” Olson said in an email.

Cristobal also cited the play of goalie Ethan Howard, who was ranked third out of 27 teams in saves.

“Our goalie also had several assists including a 60-yard pass to an attacker in our very first game,” Cristobal said.

The Gryphons finished the regular season with their first win of the season, defeating Orting 10-9 in what Cristobal called a “very physical game.” That win paved the way for the Gryphons to make a playoff appearance in their first year as a club.

Cristobal says that the start of the next season is now, and that lacrosse clinics and camps will be available over the summer.

“If you have character, integrity and passion, we invite you to be part of Grays Harbor Lacrosse,” he said.