Already a school record-holder, Drake Lenckus wants something more.
The senior attacker, who surpassed 200 career points this season and owns the Crystal Lake South boys lacrosse program’s record in points, aspires to lead all of his teammates. That includes his brother Derek, a freshman midfielder and a key reserve for the undefeated Gators.
Operating under the guidance of his father, Crystal Lake South coach Tim Lenckus, Drake has captained the Gators to six consecutive wins after the team beat Burlington Central 8-4 in Fox Valley Conference play Thursday evening. Commanding the South offense, Lenckus sent out a team-best three assists and added one goal to aid the attack.
“My dad’s been the coach for the past three years, and he’s put all of his trust in me,” Lenckus said. “With my brother coming in, it’s good to push him every day, and he pushes me. Watching him before the game and watching him cheer me on has been a great experience.”
Lenckus and the Gators (6-0, 1-0 FVC) have scored 69 goals over their first six games, an average of over 11 per game. Senior Logan Driscol, another attacker for South, scored three goals to help the Gators remain unbeaten Thursday night. Controlling possession for most of the game, South maintained a 4-2 halftime advantage.
“I have my boys up top,” Driscol said. “They handle it up top, and they get good movement, which frees me open on the crease to do my job. Drake gets me the ball, and I just put it in the net. When we have an all-conference player like Drake taking it down, he draws my guy and gets the ball to me.
“I just dump it in the net and we keep rolling.”
South led 2-0 after the first quarter, where Anthony Pollina finished a Lenckus assist before Driscol scored on a Lenckus pass with under six seconds remaining. Burlington Central (2-2, 0-1 FVC) found a hole in the Gator defense early in the second quarter, scoring its first goal after Logan Nuzzo found teammate Parker Auxier for a Rocket strike.
But South recovered quickly, getting goals from Lenckus and Driscol before Central’s Tanner Rosborough beat the halftime buzzer at the end of the second quarter. South midfielder Renner Stavropolos aided an Owen Hess goal midway through the third and a Pollina goal near the start of the fourth.
Hess and Pollina each scored twice in the win.
“The boys came out a little flat,” Central coach Travis Tranchitella said. “We didn’t make adjustments on offense when it came to our shot placement. We were shooting high, and their goalie would make the save, and then we would keep shooting high on them. We weren’t changing plans on them at all or making the right adjustments.”
On defense, South goalie Danny Hayes recorded 10 saves, most of which came over the first three quarters. Hayes, who deflected or caught a handful of close-range shots, has anchored a defense that has conceded only 23 goals in six games, an average of under four.
“I was just staying locked in and not letting anything get in my head,” Hayes said. “The eye-tracking drills I do helped, and I remind myself that it’s just a goal and I can move on to the next one. We had good defenders out there today. Our keys were communication and sliding.”
Despite a pair of fourth-quarter goals, Central was unable to mount a comeback. Both Driscol, who eclipsed the 100-goal mark earlier this season, and Hess, who finished a Lenckus pass near the crease, found the net late to clinch South’s victory.
The Gators, led by Lenckus, are already three wins away from tying the 2025 team, which went 9-11.
“I’m going to draw a couple of guys a game and get pretty beat up, but I know I can’t shell up or quit,” Lenckus said. “I have to keep it going, and I can’t let my team down. I have to show leadership.
“It’s about confidence and how you carry yourself. You have to go out on the field, be confident in your skills and trust both of your hands.”