On a Mission

5/28/2025

Last July when Jason Archbell accepted the position as Collegiate’s head boys varsity lacrosse coach and program leader, he was venturing into uncharted waters because he’d never coached at the high school level.

He knew the college game well, however.

In the 22 years since he graduated from Hampden-Sydney — where he was a four-year starter, two-time All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference defenseman, and honorable mention All-American as a senior — he’d made seven stops that included eight years as head coach at Division III Bowdoin (Brunswick, Maine) and the past three as an assistant at the University of Richmond.

This past spring, with a blend of tested veterans and athletes inexperienced at the varsity level, the Cougars finished 13-6 overall, 3-2 in the Prep League, and seventh in the final VISAA, Division I poll.

Setting the tone for the team that earned the Prep League Sportsmanship Award were senior captains Ben Heidt, Blake Ingold, and Adam Sulanke.

“They were fantastic on the field and with the way they practiced,” Archbell said. “How they went about their business in the weight room was a shining example of the way we want our younger guys to work. They were very productive on the field, but it was what they did day-in and day-out that helped our team.”

Heidt (Air Force Academy commit), Ingold (Colby College), Sulanke (West Point), senior John Seevers (University of Denver), and junior Rhodes Neuner earned All-Prep honors

Heidt scored 67 goals (a program single-season record) and recorded 19 assists.

Ingold scored 32 goals and added 20 assists.

Sulanke had 39 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers and Neuner scooped 59 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.

Junior Charlie Spraker won 65 percent of his faceoffs and collected 92 ground balls.

One morning recently, Archbell sat in his Jacobs Gym office and shared his thoughts, insights, and reflections about his Collegiate coaching experience.

So, how’d it go?

It went well. Certainly, there was an adjustment period for me trying to figure out the strengths of our team from skill level to tactical knowledge. You have 9th graders to seniors who are going to really good places to play college lacrosse. The knowledge base is very wide, which you find less of in college. It can be wide in college, from freshman to senior, but this is way wider.

How do you be simple enough but also sophisticated enough for times when we’re playing the really good teams on our schedule? That was a fun challenge. So it was just getting to know these kids. They’re so impressionable, so young. How do you get them to push themselves to a high standard that they’re not even sure they can reach? That’s not unlike college, but considering how much younger they are, it’s definitely different.

Did you meet your goals?

A great coach told me a long time ago that the goal is to win every game. I describe what we want to do as a mission. Sure, you want to win championships, but I want us to be a team that nobody wants to play against. That doesn’t mean we’re cheap or dirty. It means that when people leave the field, they’re thinking, Man, I don’t ever want to play those guys again.

We want to be a team that never goes away. Whether we’re up three goals or down three goals, we play the same way. There’s a resilience, a toughness, a grittiness to how we play. I want us to be selfless. I want us to play with enthusiasm. That translates season to season, year to year, decade to decade. Teams that play that way are always going to have a level of success. You’re not completely dependent on how much talent you have. That’s my goal every year.

Did you achieve that?

I feel like we got there, but it took some scaffolding to get there. Like most seasons, it’s never a straight line. There’re a lot of curves and ups and downs, but I was proud that we did get there. That’s my take on the season. We obviously lost in a heartbreaking (13-12) loss (to Blue Ridge in the VISAA quarterfinals). But I’m not sure they’d want to play us again. That’s something I’m really proud of.

Was there any problem coaching against Norfolk Academy, your alma mater?

No. It would have been a little different if I was coaching against Coach (Tom) Duquette and Coach (Neil) Duffy (Archbell’s mentors back in the day). Ryan Tucker is a great coach and a really good guy. I really like him and what he’s doing with his program. It wasn’t as difficult in that respect.

Are you glad you made the move from the college ranks?

Absolutely. Collegiate’s a special place because it’s got special people. What makes Collegiate unique is the people. The people have been so accepting of me and my family. They make you want to come to work every day. Everybody’s been so fantastic. It makes me feel really good about being here.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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