The Hull High boys’ lacrosse team was comfortably ahead at the half, 15-0, against visiting Quincy-North Quincy on Wednesday afternoon, well on their way to tying a program record with their 12th victory of the season.
Coach Chris Weber, however, was not going to waste an opportunity to deliver a few teaching points.
With the windmill whirring and the early spring sun glistening off the water of Boston Harbor, Weber rehashed the fundamentals of scooping a ground ball.
This is the best season in Hull lacrosse history. But Weber won’t forget the program’s humble beginnings. Neither will his eldest son, Shane, a senior captain and a starter on defense since eighth grade.
Now, Weber’s squad is competing for a South Shore League title and a high tournament seed in the Division 3 South bracket.
“When I was in eighth grade, we just had a bunch of guys that weren’t necessarily lacrosse players,’’ said the younger Weber, who netted six goals on Wednesday. “Now we have some real players.’’
The Webers aren’t the only father-son combo guiding relatively new program to success.
Ralph Grillone Jr. and his son, senior attack Ralph III, have Cardinal Spellman at a program-best 13-2.
The Cardinals debuted only as a varsity program three years ago. They made the D3 South tournament as a No. 15 seed last spring, and are now Catholic Central champions.
Coach Grillone attributes success to players like his son, who has amassed over 300 points in three seasons. The Brockton teen plays club lacrosse with the Primetime Penguins and will continue playing at St. Michael’s College.
“It helps having kids that play all year,’’ the elder Grillone said. “They kind of take other kids under their wing.’’
Senior middie Cam McLaughlin joined the team last year. The Rockland resident played youth lacrosse in Abington; his hometown didn’t yet have a program.
McLaughlin says many of Spellman’s top athletes were drawn to the sport. Chemistry came easy.
“For the most part, a lot of kids became friends by joining the lax team,’’ said McLaughlin.
A few Cardinals received tutelage from college coaches at the Elite 100 camp at Endicott College last summer. Many joined a winter league at the Fore Kicks facility in Taunton, developing their skills against high school competition.
Whitman-Hanson, meanwhile, runs camps and clinics to build the next generation.
The Panthers’ varsity program started in 2008. They’ve made back-to-back D2 South tournament appearances, including netting a first-round win a season ago.
Coach Rob White played at Nichols College in the ’80s. He and assistant Adam Goode are heavily involved with the school’s youth program.
Six years back, the pair set up a winter clinic for nine- and 10-year-olds at the Pembroke Field House. The high school captains come down to direct the youngsters.
“We just run through drills,’’ White said. “Passing, dodging — all kinds of things.’’
The camps have produced talents such as freshman Riley White, the coach’s son, sophomore middie Jake Long, and freshman attack Mason Gorman, who have combined for more than 50 goals this season.
The Panthers are 9-8, set for another tourney bid. That’s impressive, given that the team’s Patriot League schedule features powers like Duxbury, Hingham, and Hanover.
Bridgewater Raynham has followed a similar trajectory. The Trojans are in their eighth varsity season, and have qualified for the Division 1 tournament in each of the past six seasons. Coach Matt Connolly says the depth and talent levels keep rising.
At 8-8, the team has already clinched at least a share of the Maritime League title, thanks to a balanced scoring attack.
Eight players will likely end the season with double-digit goals.
Meanwhile, Hingham High’s program stands as an inspiration to the newcomers. With coach John Todd in his 28th year at the helm, the team is 14-4 this season, no surprise after two successive D2 South titles. Todd credits Rich Santoro and Brian Hlidek for pioneering the youth program, and Mike Brazis for running the alumni network.
Even with solid community support, Todd says, building relationships is important. Hingham allows players from Hull and other towns to come to camps when numbers aren’t strong enough. Coaches play together in adult lax leagues.
“Really the brotherhood of the game is a huge driving force,’’ said Todd. “That’s where guys like [Hull coach Chris Weber] raise the level of love for the game at all ages.’’
Weber had a building-from-scratch track record when he came to Hull: he started the Scituate program in the mid-’90s.
“If it were any other coach’’ for the job, said Jim Quatromoni, Hull’s athletic director, “I’m not sure we’d be having this conversation. Weber’s understanding of what needed to be done’’ was the main ingredient for the program’s success.
Now Weber has players like senior attacker Anthony Marcella, who recently became the school’s first 300-point scorer. Marcella was a captain as a sophomore, following the example of his older brother Dominick, who graduated in 2013.
Hull made its first two tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013. After missing the cut in 2014, the team qualified last season.
“I feel like we’re more confident,’’ said starting goalie Bode Weber, an eighth grader who harbors dreams of following in his father’s coaching footsteps.
“Years before, we’ve went in like ‘maybe we’ll get a couple games’. This year, the team feels like we can actually do something.’’
Matt MacCormack can be reached at matt.maccormack@globe.com.
