PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 04, 2022
Face Off: Donahue, Celtics prepare for senior season
BY JEREMY MCDONALD
For the Keizertimes
The face-off position is a tough
one in lacrosse. Possession of the
ball is decided between the two ath-
letes who meet at midfield, placed
in between two lacrosse sticks, wait-
ing for the whistle for them to go to
battle for it.
Win and you charge down field
with your offense while the other
squad runs back on defense. It’s a
specialty position, like goalie. Not
everyone is cut out to be a face-off
player or a goalie in this sport. But
for those who are cut out for it, it’s
tough, nonetheless.
“I had to put on at least 30, 40
pounds since I got to high school
just to compete and make these
national teams. It’s a hard position
to play, it’s like goalie,” describes
Kyler Donahue.
“It’s one-on-
one. You got to have quick hands,
strong forearms.”
Lacrosse is a chaotic sport, but
for Donahue, it’s life. The junior
started the sport in the second grade
when a few friends and family talked
him into joining the Salem-Keizer
Youth Lacrosse League (SKYLL,
pronounced Skill). Donahue later
joined MadLax, a travel and All-Star
team, his freshman year of high
school before moving on to Team
Oregon just recently.
Lacrosse is more popular in
the Midwest and East Coast, but
it’s been steadily gaining popu-
larity out West. Donahue’s head
coach at McNary, Sean Litrakis,
played a year of college lacrosse at
Rutgers as a defender. His division
included Syracuse, John Hopkins,
and Virginia, which have a com-
bined 26 Division-1 lacrosse titles
and 19 second-place finishes since
the inaugural season of the sport in
1971. Maryland had 12 second-place
finishes to three titles.
“The sport is taxing with the
body shots from opposing player’s
sticks,” said Donahue. “It’s a mental
Kyler Donahue coming off a teammates hip during a drill in Monday, Feb. 28 practice at McNary High School
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game, as well – and it’s played in
rain, shine, cold or hot – you’re out
on the turf playing and practicing,
running, and just the hours you put
in to make the most of the opportu-
nity to get better at the craft.”
“It’s everything to me honestly,”
he said. “It’s like a job, but I love the
job. It makes me feel really good, it
clears my mind every time I go out
and step out on the field.”
This path that Donahue has cho-
sen has slowly paid off as his junior
year kicked off on Feb. He was
invited and accepted to two nation-
al-level all-star teams: Advanced
Nationals, where he’ll get to play
against kids from the East Coast;
Photo by JEREMY MCDONALD for the Keizertimes