Lumberjax Players Envoys Of Lacrosse!
Defensemen Adam Bysouth and Brodie Merrill drive cars with the Portland LumberJax Web address displayed on the back bumper and the team’s phone number and logo on the doors.
Can you imagine Zach Randolph or Darius Miles doing the same for the Blazers?
For Bysouth and Merrill, it’s about whatever they can do for the fledgling National Lacrosse League team. Anything to get the word out. Bysouth, 27, serves as director of community relations, and Merrill, 24, makes appearances on behalf of the team.
The two also have teamed to help coach Beaverton High’s club lacrosse team. Jax forward Tom Montour coaches at Aloha High, and Jax reserve Danny Ernst coaches at his alma mater, Grant.
About 13 players, or about half the Jax roster, live and work in the Portland area.
“Coaching has always been in the back of my mind,” says Bysouth, a fourth-year NLL player from Abbotsford, British Columbia, who played in Anaheim, Calif., last season. “I enjoy it, I enjoy the kids and watching them learn and progress. When I finish playing, I’m going to be involved in some way.”
Merrill, a rookie from Georgetown, already has established himself as one of the lacrosse league’s best players. He says coaching “is a different perspective, for sure. I certainly appreciate the position. It’s my first time doing it full time.”
As the LumberJax try to get their foothold here, the team has been marketing itself with fun commercials and sexy billboards, and game production has been crisp and entertaining. “And we want the team out to support the community,” Bysouth says. But, because the Jax and other NLL teams barely pay enough for players to survive, many have to keep day jobs and commute to Portland or other cities for games. Three Jax players — Mike Hominuck, Pat Jones and Luke Forget — and all three coaches travel from Ontario, Canada. Damien Davis travels from Baltimore. Many others live in Western Canada.
The Jax have a $350,000 travel budget to accommodate the team. Others have made Portland home, at least temporarily, including Bysouth, Merrill and Montour, all-star goalie Dallas Eliuk, all-star defenseman Ryan Sharp and all three Morgan brothers, Peter, Richie and David. “I’d like all the players to live there, but it’s not practical,” says Derek Keenan, the coach-general manager who lives and works in Oshawa, Ontario. He says the Jax wanted “solid” people like Merrill to live in Portland and represent the club. “He’s our marquee player,” Keenan says.
A superstar in the making, Merrill has adjusted well to the indoor game, in part because he grew up playing “box” lacrosse (indoors inCanada). He excelled in field lacrosse at Georgetown and signed to play with the outdoor Baltimore Bayhawks last summer. “He’s big, lean, in great shape, very smart and very coachable. And he’s just got that instinct,” Bysouth says.
Merrill averages 13 loose balls per game, second in the NLL to Toronto’s Jim Veltman. He also ranks second in defenseman scoring with 23 points, behind Rochester’s Steve Goll. Teams know who he is. Colorado tried to get under his skin last weekend. “Indoor lacrosse is a head game,” Bysouth says. “I’m a pretty emotional player, and I get intense out there,” Merrill says. “Sometimes you’ve got to be able to control your emotions. Playing box, you’ve got to play with an edge, but you don’t want to be hurting your team.” Merrill will play for the Canadian team in the International Lacrosse Federation outdoor championships in London, Ontario, in July. In the meantime, he wants to help the LumberJax (5-4) make the playoffs. Four of the NLL’s six West Division teams qualify for the postseason.
Merrill and Bysouth also want to help build lacrosse interest in the Portland area. It’s a growing sport, much to the dismay of prep football and soccer coaches who have seen some of their prospects take to lacrosse, a trend Bysouth has noticed. Lacrosse emphasizes passing, catching, shooting, stickwork, footwork and basics such as fastbreaks and defensive rotations. “Once the kids know the general concepts, they can put their own creative spin on the game,” Bysouth says.
