Ever since their State Championship victory last year, the boys lacrosse team has been working to make it back to the Mile High Stadium, and now after a midseason switch of head coaches, the team is working harder than ever.

Just two and a half weeks before the end of their regular season, head coach Tim Spaulding was suspended and is now undergoing an internal investigation by school administration. David Miller, an Aspen Lacrosse Club coach, has been appointed the interim head coach of the program, working to aid the team during this sudden changeover.

“I’m very proud of the boys,” Miller said. “They have reacted with grace and respect for the most part. It’s tough especially for the seniors to have a transition like this mid season, but I think for the most part we are coming together and everyday is getting better and better.”

Many of the players, including senior captain Jonathan Wells, were surprised by the sudden loss of their head coach.

“I had a really good relationship with Tim Spaulding, our previous coach, so the fact that he is gone is a transition to say the least but I’d say for the most part the transition has been smooth,” Wells said.

While it was originally a shock, the players have adjusted well to the shift and have continued to improve their record with a three-game winning streak. The team is currently 6-6 overall and 5-2 in the Mountain League, and hoping to advance to playoffs.

“I think [the change of coaches] has impacted the team in different ways,” said Wells. “I think for the most part it has been a good transition and I know that some players had some mixed emotions about our previous head coach, but I think it has sparked a new desire to succeed this season, which is exactly what we need heading into crunch time.”

It has not only been a shift for the players, but for Miller as well. As a newcomer to the team, Miller has been trying to learn all the systems that were already in place.

“Initially I told the staff (assistant coaches) that I wanted them to continue doing what they were doing, and I would just be a spectator and take everything in,” Miller said.

Besides adding new plays to their arsenal and bringing a different attitude to the team, Miller has yet to change much about the program, which has helped a lot of the players to adjust more easily, and made the change seem less abrupt. Sophomore player, Henry Ferguson, has seen a definite change in the team since David became their coach.

“Dave seems a lot more committed and much more involved with our program,” Ferguson said. “As much as we love Tim we can’t do anything to bring him back now and we are happy with our situation.”

Although he stepped in near the end of the season, Miller still has a lot of goals for the rest of this year and into the future.

“I hope that this program continues on the trajectory that it has been on for the last ten years or so, every year getting better and better,” Miller said. “Our pinnacle last year was the state championship and to repeat that is going to be a tough one. When you’re on top, you always have a target on your back so that’s really hard. I hope for this season that the kids leave everything on the field and hold their head high come the end of the season.”