The boys’ lacrosse team is a prestigious program that has grown and developed. The culture that exists today was built through the dedication and hard work of coaches and players, through detailed game plans, late-night film sessions, and demanding off-season captains’ practices.

Neil Butterfield, a former Division II college lacrosse player and Division I college coach, is stepping up to continue the program’s legacy.

Butterfield has been a coach at Redwood for 12 years, as a junior varsity coach for three years and as an assistant varsity coach for nine years. 2025 marks Butterfield’s 13th year coaching at Redwood and his first year as the head varsity coach.

A year ago, Butterfield was working closely with the previous coach Blake Atkins, and did not anticipate being given the head coaching job.

“If you told me 12 months ago that I was going to be the head coach here, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Butterfield said.

Even with this unexpected change, Butterfield is tackling the responsibility of being a head coach and working towards a great season. 

“The main difference between this year and last year is now I have to deal with off-field administrative responsibilities and hiring new staff,” Butterfield said.

Butterfield believes this team has potential, setting high hopes to make it far into the postseason.

However, one major challenge jumps forward for Butterfield; this year’s team has less experience than previous teams he’s coached. Last year’s team had 14 seniors and lost important players like Jake Vasquez, Eddie Lin and Jackson Lesher who were USA Lacrosse All-Americans.

“Once our guys get some more varsity experience and a better feel for what it’s like on the field, that should help us become a better team,” Butterfield said.

The sentiment is shared with players on the team as well. Jack Anderson, a three-year varsity player and team captain, shared his thoughts. “We have a lot of guys on this team who barely played last year; inexperience is something that probably hurts us the most,” Anderson said.

Players continue to stay optimistic this season with their great team chemistry and high morale. 

Jackson Gurvich is a senior on the team and varsity captain. “This year I feel like the team has better chemistry. Last year, we had multiple teammates who were going to play in college and they would get a little carried away with their success. This year I feel that we play better as a team,” Gurvich said.

Under Coach Butterfield this season, the team faces new challenges stemming from their lack of experience compared to last year. Still, the team is committed to working hard on-and-off the field with hopes of earning a championship banner to hang in the gym by the end of the season.