While watching the John Burroughs’ girls lacrosse team make a magical run to the state semifinals last season, four middle schoolers sat in the bleachers, doing their homework.
They concentrated on more than their math and science assignments.
“We were watching them play and move the ball, and it was so fun to see,” said current freshman Katy Chapman. “Now, to be a part of that, is a really cool experience.”
Dubbed the “Fab Four” by John Burroughs’ athletic director Peter Tasker, the freshman quartet of Chapman, Kate Logsdon, Jane Dunaway and Reese Rafferty have played a vital role in helping the Bombers make a return trip to the final four this season.
John Burroughs (13-3) will take an 11-game winning streak into the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association girls tournament semifinals where they will face Cor Jesu (12-6) at 4 p.m. Thursday at John Burroughs.
Eureka (14-1) will face two-time defending champion MICDS (10-6) at 5:30 p.m. in the other semifinal, also played at John Burroughs.
Chapman was instrumental in providing a turning-point moment in the Bombers’ season during an April 5 meeting with MICDS.
Trailing 10-4 at halftime, the Bombers looked for a spark and inserted Chapman on the draw circle.
“One thing we struggle with against MICDS is that they win a lot of draw controls, so we put Katy on the spot at halftime and said, ‘Katy, your job is to seal on the draw,’ and she did amazing,” senior captain Estelle Ballet said. “After that, I think we realized how much all four of them can really contribute to the draw.”
The Bombers trimmed the deficit to 12-10 before eventually losing that game to MICDS.
It dropped their overall record to 2-3.
They haven’t lost since.
“The second half of that MICDS game, something clicked for us,” John Burroughs coach Meghan DiGiulio said. “We were down at halftime and they could have easily said, ‘It’s not our day,’ but they locked arms and they won the second half. That was the moment when we thought, ‘Ok, we’ve got something special here that we’re going to try to piece together.’”
And the “Fab Four” have become key pieces to that puzzle.
Chapman enters the state semifinal round tied with Logsdon for the team lead in draw controls with 43. Jane Dunaway ranks fourth with 24.
“During a couple of our games when we’ve had some key draws, a teammate on the sideline will say, ‘Alright, freshman circle,’ and you look out and there are three freshmen on the circle, and I think, ‘Wow,’” DiGiulio said. “And that’s intentional.”
Only junior defender Katherine Pruitt has forced more turnovers than Chapman, Logsdon or Dunaway this season, and the three freshmen also rank within the top-4 in ground ball collection.
“I think it took us a little bit (of time) to figure out where they were going to fit,” Ballet said. “They are all strong and fast and very coachable. They are just ready to hustle and are perfect for the draw.”
And after those three freshmen acquire the ball for John Burroughs, Reese “By the Crease” Rafferty deposits it. Rafferty ranks second on the team with 41 goals, often looming near the left edge of the goal crease to quickly deliver a knockout punch.
“We knew they were great athletes. We knew they were great teammates, but honestly, if you had asked me before the season, I probably didn’t think they would be doing what they are now,” DiGiulio said.
Senior captain Nadia Steinle noticed the four freshmen during the preseason and felt compelled to make sure her coaches noticed, too.
“I remember telling the coaches during one of our first days how much they play with such a love for the game,” Steinle said. “They play with so much heart.”
The leadership of Steinle, Ballet and the John Burroughs’ upperclassmen has helped in emphasizing a team culture where every player feels like an important contributor and where freshmen can flourish and be themselves.
With one small provision.
“They all look the same to us. From the back, they all have blonde hair and are super tall and athletic. Kate (Logsdon) and Katy (Chapman) are not allowed to wear the same color headband so we can tell them apart,” Ballet said.
Logsdon, who started playing lacrosse in middle school, did not expect to have much of a role for the Bombers varsity team this season. She credits the culture promoted by the upperclassmen for making her feel comfortable, even when making mistakes.
“It was kind of intimidating coming in here with all of these older girls who are so good, but as you get to know them, you realize that they are really sweet people and they don’t care if you mess up, they are there to support you,” Logsdon said.
Dunaway added, “I wasn’t fully prepared to play a lot, let alone start, but having all the older girls support us has been really helpful.”
Whether sitting in the bleachers with textbooks or standing around the draw circle with the game on the line, the interconnectedness of their rapid journey from middle schoolers to the final four has been rewarding.
“We’re all really close friends, so being able to do this together has been really special,” Logsdon said.
And when the final four begins and the pressure of a state championship setting reaches its pinnacle, the “freshman circle” and “Reese by the Crease” will be ready to play a prominent role for the Bombers.
“It’s pretty nerve-wracking, but everyone is getting really hyped,” Rafferty said. “We’re excited for it.”