Northern Highlands boys lacrosse growing under Kyle Ojakian by Sean Farrell of The Record
RAMSEY – Kyle Vlasich finally met his match.
The man responsible for slowing down the region’s most talented scorers on a daily basis is as good a defender as just about any.
But the Northern Highlands captain admits that there is one player even he can’t stop. His own coach.
“[Kyle Ojakian] will come and play with us in practice,” Vlasich said. “And he’ll just destroy us. He’s still got the skills. He has fun with us. He’s a part of the team. He’s not like a coach who everybody is scared of. He’s like a friend and mentor.”
Ojakian, in his tenth year leading Northern Highlands, is the mastermind behind one of the top lacrosse programs in the region.
He earned his 100th career victory this weekend, and kept going.
His fourth-ranked Highlanders (2-1) earned a 6-2 win over No. 5 Don Bosco on Tuesday at Granatell Stadium and silenced a team filled with college-caliber players.
“We play some of the best team defense,” Ojakian said. “Everybody has each other’s back. Everybody is talking and communicating. I think that the sum of our parts is better than the individuals.”
Ojakian came to Allendale after a successful playing career, both at Dean College and Providence. He even set Friars’ single-season records for points and assists. And every so often, he isn’t afraid to show off the offensive arsenal that made him a Division I athlete.
“He’ll say, ‘step aside for a second and let me show you how it’s done,’” goalie Greg Coleman said. “He’ll do a quick flick of the wrist and it’s an easy assist. It still shows. He’s still got game.”
“It’s nice for them to see it themselves,” Ojakian said. “And it’s my way of staying young.”
Northern Highlands can now challenge just about any public or private school team in the region, after making the Bergen County championship in 2016.
The Highlanders have one of the best defenses after allowing only 4.26 goals per game a year ago. A host of top offensive contributors return including Keenan Alward, Ethan Plasker and Cooper Richards.
But it hasn’t always been this way in Allendale.
“It’s a culture change and it takes time,” Ojakian said. “Our players are more committed to their individual skills. They’re all playing summer ball and fall ball. With the culture of our program now, we start to believe that we can play with the best.”
The Highlanders won just one Gibbs game in their first season in the league. Their early matchups with Don Bosco were one-sided in the other direction.
But the program gradually built over the past decade. A reputation soon spread throughout the school.
“You see it with the younger guys,” Coleman said. “They’re coming up and saying ‘I want to be a Highlands lacrosse player’. I think by what we’re doing now is really going to help the program.”
Now the team is on a mission to win Bergen County and state championships, and build off a 15-win campaign.
“We just kept building these last four years,” Vlasich said. “Being able to be a part of what’s going on here has been awesome. We want to win something for [Ojakian] more than anything in the world. He does everything for us.”