After battling the rain on Tuesday and coming up short to its conference rivals, Jefferson (10-3, 4-2) returned for practice on Wednesday with attempts to lighten the mood with relay races and other fun activities.

“We brought a lot of energy to practice yesterday, which was good,” Jefferson coach Natalie Swiler said. “We wanted to get excited and make the last regular season game special.”

It didn’t take long for the Jaguars, ranked No. 5 in the May 15 coaches’ poll, to show their renewed energy. They jumped all over the Orioles (5-7, 1-5) with three goals in the first two minutes of Thursday’s game. When the opening half was complete, Jefferson held a commanding 14-0 lead.

By the time the second half rolled around, the Jaguars put it into cruise control and scored only four goals in the final 25 minutes.

Like it’s been all season, the Jaguar scoring attack was led by the sister duo of Morgan and Julia Jones. They entered the regular-season finale as the team’s leading scorers and that continued Thursday. Julia Jones, a senior, added a team-high five goals in the win while Morgan Jones, a sophomore, was close behind with four goals.

“On the field they just find each other,” Swiler said. “They know what they’re going to. Julia is great at feeding her teammates, especially her sister. I was blessed to come in and have their chemistry.”

While she and her sister are both experienced lacrosse players, Julia Jones said after the game her connection with her sister is natural. She also said the two work together a lot in practice and have discussions in the car on the way home from practices and games.

“We just know where each other is on the field,” she said. “It’s similar to a twin connection. But it’s definitely improved this season.”

The Jones sister improvement coincides with the rise of Jefferson. The Jaguars, who were in contention for the Metro West Conference title this season, sit in the top five of the state rankings with section playoffs beginning next week.

The next step for Jefferson will be the Section 6 tournament. At first glance, Jefferson and the rest of Section 6 will likely have to top No. 2 Prior Lake if they want to advance to state.

Defeating the Lakers will be a tall task for anyone, including the Jaguars. Swiler realized that and used Thursday’s game as a way to prepare for the postseason. But the team also had its fair share of fun wrapping up the regular season and celebrating the accomplishments of seniors, including Julia Jones.

“It was cool to be a part of this,” she said. “It’s kind of like one door closes and another open one opens. Next year, I’ll be able to watch my sister still play and I have another younger sister coming up.”

In other words, the Jones’ run at Jefferson is far from over.