By Alex Frazier
Meet…Colin JokaColin Joka is on a mission.
The Plymouth Whitemarsh attackman set the school single-season goal record at 60 last year.
This year before he graduates, he wants to go on record as the school’s career goal scorer.
At this point in the season, he’s around 140 with the record at 168.
“After my freshman year, I kind of thought I had a shot at it,” said Joka. “I’m trying my hardest to break it. It’s my personal goal.”
What makes him such a prolific goal scorer is his lightning shot.
“He has a lethal shot,” said PW coach Phil Chang. “He doesn’t need much space at all to get it off. A half a foot of space, he can rocket a shot that most goalies can’t keep up with. He can easily create his own offense.”
Being left-handed is also an advantage.
“From my experience most defenseman don’t expect my next move,” said Joka, “whereas if I was right handed, they would know what to expect.”
Of course, the better he got, the better defensemen became in marking him.
“Especially this year it’s been a little tough because most of the teams we’ve been going up against have been blocking me off,” he said, “so I’ve had to work hard to get open to get the ball.”
“People have been trying to shut him off,” said Chang. “It’s frustrating for that to happen, and it happens all the time, but he handles it well and works hard throughout the game to be involved and get the ball on offense and contribute.”
Even though he scores most of his goals lefty, he can also be effective with his right.
“He can finish pretty well with his right hand,” said Chang. “He puts a lot of time and effort into improving his lacrosse game.”
“It’s something I’ve been working on,” said Joka.
Because of all the attention he’s getting from opposing defenses this year, Joka has tried to be a better team player and dish off more to his teammates.
“I’m getting a lot more assists this year,” he said, “because I’m trying to help out and not be just one single player that scores all the goals. I’d rather have the team score goals than just me.”
Joka has started for the Colonials all four years. He was named honorable mention all-league as a freshman and has been first team the past two years.
When he came into high school as a freshman, he was undersized. And he knew it.
“A first I didn’t think about size at all,” he said, “but after I got on the field and realized the kids were pushing me around, my dad and I decided I needed to get a trainer.”
With his trainer he worked on strength and agility. And it’s paid dividends.
“It was one of the smartest moves I’ve ever done,” he said.
“He improved his athletic ability, his speed, his size,” said Chang. “His strength, especially has really improved.”
During the season he works on conditioning and off-season he focuses on strength.
He’s now 5 feet, 111/2 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds, certainly a good size for an attackman to go up against the normally bigger defenders.
Joka started lacrosse in fifth grade for the Conshohocken Bulldogs, a team his next-door neighbor started.
“They were my best friends and I just picked it up,” said Joka. “I realized I was pretty good at it, so I started playing and practicing and fell in love with the game.”
Since his next-door neighbor’s father also owned a lacrosse retail store, he was set up with birthday presents for quite a while.
Early on, he played midfield, but switched to attack in high school.
“The coach put me at attack,” he said. “I didn’t have any say, but I stuck to it. I loved attack. I didn’t have to run up and down the field. I just got to score.”
He also played soccer and baseball. He dropped baseball first and then soccer after his freshman year when he decided to focus on lacrosse full time.
“I didn’t take soccer seriously,” he said. “I just did it to stay in shape for lacrosse.”
Joka is also a captain of the team this year, a role he takes seriously.
“I like the responsibility,” he said. “I can encourage the team to perform well. I know the right thing to say at the particular moment to get the team, either to get excited to go out there and play, or to relax and calm down.”
“He’s a good kid. He works his butt off and plays lacrosse year round,” said Chang. “He’s a good leader with our young kids and always has a positive attitude.”
Besides lacrosse, Joka was a senior mentor for freshman.
Next year, Joka is committed to playing Division One lacrosse at Marist College.
“I heard about it from a kid on my club team who committed there last year,” said Joka. “As soon as I went up on my overnight visit, I fell in love with it and I knew that was the school I wanted to be at for my college years.”
He also considered Drexel, Delaware and Loyola.
Joka will be receiving nearly a half scholarship.
He plans on majoring in criminal justice.
“I recently became interested in it over the past couple of years,” he said. “I’ve been taking a class. I really like it. I’m going in that direction in college, but if I don’t like it, I’ll probably go more towards being a teacher.”
Ideally, he’d like to work for the CIA.
Battlin’ Bucks – After a dismal 7-11 mark last year, Central Bucks West is looking forward to a much-improved season this year.
“We’re looking forward to a very positive year,” said coach Matt Coverdale. “We think we’re going to put ourselves in a position where we’re qualifying for the District One playoffs.”
Being the smallest of the three Central Bucks schools, West has always struggled with numbers. It has had as few as 36 players for a combined jayvee and varsity and as many as 49, which they have this year.
“We had a huge influx of freshman, my largest freshman class ever,” said Coverdale. “There’s some good talent in the freshman class too. We have a good mix of seniors and upperclassmen, and we have some real leadership among the senior class.”
Coverdale cited specifically his three senior captains.
Midfielder Jack Firriolo started as a freshman at attack but moved to midfield his sophomore year.
He’s going to Catholic University next year.
“He has dynamite speed and skills,” said Coverdale. “He’s a weapon that can go either way and has great footwork as well as north-south ability. He’s the centerpiece of our offense.”
John Kirchner, a returning first team all-leaguer, is the anchor of the defense.
“He’s a lights out defender,” said Coverdale. “He brings great physical tools and great speed. He’s a weapon in the transition game, leading a number of fast breaks and clears.”
He is also given the responsibility of marking the opposing team’s best player.
“He does a great job of taking guys out of their game plan,” said Coverdale.
Goalie Jake Ross is the third captain. “He’s put together a real solid season so far,” said Coverdale.
That includes one game where he saved 15 of 16 against Souderton, and another when he stopped 10 of 11 against North Penn.
“He’s been a real force and a leader for us,” said Coverdale. “He’s got great vision. He calls out to the defense and coaches from the inside while we’re down on that end of the field.”
Coverdale also cited junior attackman Matt Adamski (hat trick vs. Archbishop Wood), senior midfielder Evan Gervais (hat trick vs. CB East), senior midfielder Gabe Ferrara (two goals vs. East), junior defenseman Mike Carty (bookend to Kirchner) and senior attackman Spencer Macquarrie (two goals vs. Hatboro-Horsham).
Senior midfielders Ward Udinsky and Mike Emery have been key factors in the Bucks’ defense.
“When they’re on the field, it’s like having two long pole defensemen,” said Coverdale. “They have the ability to stay in front of and push around a number of offensive middies from the other team.”
Around the league – While Central Bucks East seems to have control over the Continental Conference,Friday will bring two big tests in the National and American.
Defending champion Abington will face off against Pennsbury for the first time this year. Abington recently knocked off a potential contender in Council Rock North.
Neither team has a common opponent; the Ghosts have beaten both Council Rocks, while Pennsbury defeated Truman and Neshaminy.
Meanwhile in the American, defending co-champion Upper Merion and Plymouth Whitemarsh will take a step toward deciding this year’s champion. PW handled Wissahickon earlier in the week, and Upper Merion has a key early win over Upper Dublin, who can’t be counted out of what appears to be a three-team race.
SOL Top 5
1. Central Bucks East
2. Pennsbury
3. Abington
4. Central Bucks West
5. Council Rock North
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