Future set for 3 Casa lacrosse seniors

Casa Grande senior lacrosse players Jeremy Bonner and Josh Garcia to play on University of Arizona’s club team, while teammate Ian McKissick will play NCAA Division 1 lacrosse at Cleveland State University.|

The heart of what is expected to be a strong Casa Grande High School lacrosse team has already committed to continue competing on the college level.

Seniors Jeremy Bonner (midfield) and Josh Garcia (attack) have agreed to play on the University of Arizona’s club team, while teammate Ian McKissick (midfield) will play NCAA Division 1 lacrosse at Cleveland State University.

All three still have senior seasons to play for the Gauchos, and they will go into their final high school campaign with something to prove after an outstanding 18-5 2018 season that wasn’t quite good enough to dethrone cross-town rival Petaluma, the North Bay League champion.

All three played football this fall, but are first and foremost lacrosse players.

“I thought it was all right,” McKissick noted of his one-season football career. “I had a good time.”

But, his first sports love has always been lacrosse.

“I grew up playing lacrosse,” he explains. “I started playing with my sister and then played with the River Cats (youth soccer program).”

He played soccer (“Not physical enough”) and baseball (“Not enough running”), but it was always lacrosse that had his heart and dedication.

In his one year of football, he played wide receiver, and he was an All Vine Valley Athletic League choice as a punter.

McKissick ended at Cleveland State through a connection his high school coach, Ben Hewitt, has with the college’s head coach. That connection led to a visit and the visit led to the signing of a letter of intent.

“I liked the campus and I liked Cleveland,” McKissick explained. “The idea of living in the city appealed to me.”

So did the idea of playing Cleveland’s style of lacrosse. “I like to play fast and aggressive, and that is the way they play,” he explained.

The lacrosse player is the son of Ronald and Lisa McKissick and has two older sisters.

Separate choices

There was no collusion between Garcia and Bonner, but it wasn’t exactly coincidence that they both made the decision to attend the University of Arizona.

“We didn’t plan to go together, we just ended up there on Prospect Day,” explains Bonner. “We made our own choices.”

For Bonner, that choice was largely because of the people he met during his visit.

“Everyone was really, really nice,” he said. “Everyone was very helpful. I also liked the way they ran their practice. Everything was timed right to the minute.”

Bonner looked at several options, including playing at San Jose State University, but his visit to Arizona cinched his decision.

All three athletes have enjoyed their time at Casa Grande and are looking forward to one more season before moving on.

Bonner has especially enjoyed playing for Hewitt. “He is the best coach I’ve ever had in any sport,” he said. “I could always explain my thought process to him. He listens.

“We are all excited about this season. We’ve been waiting all summer for a chance to play Petaluma again.”

Bonner played wide receiver and defensive back for the football team, but his main sport has been and continues to be lacrosse. He has played on the varsity level since his freshman year.

On top of classes and sports, Bonner also works.

He is looking forward to being on his own, but he points out that Arizona is still close enough for him to keep in touch with his friends and family.

Bonner said his mother, Denise Lepe, has been one of his biggest supporters. “My Mom has been a big part of everything I do,” he said.

He has also received support from his father, Robert Bonner, and has an older brother who is a St. Vincent High School graduate.

For Garcia, like Bonner, the visit to the Arizona campus was all it took to convince him it is the place for him.

“I loved it,” he said of Arizona. “The campus is big and beautiful. It was by far the best college I visited.”

Garcia had several offers from Division 2 and Division 3 schools, but, as he puts it, “I decided to go a different route. I wanted to go to a place where I could play and still have fun.”

Like Bonner, he also liked the college’s location in Tucson. “I wanted to be on my own, but it’s not some place really far away like Maryland,” he explained.

As a youth, Garcia, like most Petaluma youngsters, was introduced to sports through baseball, but a friend turned him on to lacrosse. He calls the switch to the field sport, “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I like the fast pace and the contact.”

An outstanding defensive player in football, he was among the team’s leading tacklers. “Football was great, especially the Egg Bowl. That made my year,” he said.

He credits his parents, John and Heidi Garcia, for helping him enjoy youth and high school sports and putting him in a position to keep playing.

“They knew what I wanted to do, and supported me,” he said.

All three athletes are interested in sports medicine and plan to major in kinesiology or some related field in college.

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