Bloomington Jefferson's lacrosse program won the Minnesota Boys' Scholastic Lacrosse Association state championship in 2000 and 2003, but ever since then the Jaguars haven’t had the success they’ve hoped for.

The No. 4-ranked Jaguars regained a little bit of that dominance with an 11-9 victory over No. 2 ranked Eastview on Saturday at Bloomington Jefferson High School.     

In this matchup last year, the Lighting defeated the Jaguars 8-7 in double overtime. Eastview went on to a runner-up finish at the state tournament, and Bloomington Jefferson lost to state champion Eden Prairie in section finals.    

Scott Cater has been coaching Bloomington Jefferson for 19 years, the longest tenured head coach in the state. Cater said this win for the Jaguars is a step in a long process to get back on top.

“It’s an uphill climb for our team because we haven’t been there,” Cater said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been there and battled teams like this, and our kids want it.”

Sophomore midfielder Ryan Graff was one kid who showed he wanted it. Graff scored four goals for Bloomington Jefferson, including two in the third quarter.


Bloomington Jefferson sophomore attackman Ryan Graff scored four goals in Saturday's victory over Eastview. Photo by Loren Nelson

“It’s a big win for us,” Graff said. “Last year we were here and we lost 8-7, double overtime, so before the game we were like let’s avenge that. It was one of the greatest team games I’ve ever seen us play.”  

Not only is the Jaguars' history rich with lacrosse tradition, but Graff’s is as well. His father, Rob, was a four year starter at Harvard, started coaching lacrosse at Drexel in 1988, then moved on to the Minnesota-Duluth program in 1992 -- driving back and forth from his home in Bloomington all those years. He retired from coaching the Bulldogs in 2010.

“He put the stick in my hand since I came out of the womb, so he’s always been there,” Graff said.

The game was back and forth throughout the first half, which ended with Eastview leading 4-3. Bloomington Jefferson went on a four-goal tear in the third quarter, including two goals from senior midfielder Taylor Johnson, to take an 8-5.

After an Eastview goal, Bloomington Jefferson scored three more goals to go up 11-6. It looked as though the Jaguars had the win locked up, but Eastview reciprocated Bloomington Jefferson’s scoring touch, with three goals of its own. The Lighting were down 11-9 in the closing minutes, but were unable to tickle the twine again.

Bloomington Jefferson will pose a threat this season, but its conference and section includes state powerhouses No. 2-ranked Eastview, No. 3 Rosemount, No. 5 Eagan and No.10 Prior Lake.

“Section three is a beast,” Cater said. “Our South Suburban schedule has five teams, any one of those five of teams are top five, ten in the state, so we’re battling. We want to put ourselves within that group.”


Bloomington Jefferson's Matt Mowatt, right, races past Eastview defenseman Scott Pugmire. Photo by Loren Nelson

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