The list of activities has only grown in recent years.

Utah became the 22nd state to sanction boys and girls lacrosse in 2021, followed by Wisconsin in 2024 and Tennessee becoming the latest addition fielding teams this spring, according to the Olympic-recognized organization USA Lacrosse.

In just a few seasons, Northern Utah’s lacrosse programs are attracting student-athletes away from the track and placing a stick in their hands instead. West Field, the first high school to open doors in Weber County since Fremont in 1994, is the latest startup in the sport.

West Field junior Brexton White lines up on both sides of the football in the fall and the two-way lineman was intrigued when first-year coach Zach Colohan issued a need for “bigger dudes out there” when piecing together the Longhorns’ program after three seasons as Roy’s head coach.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

“It’s quick-moving and it’s nonstop like soccer,” White said. “The physicality element of it is more like football and what I knew. I’m trying to get down the basics of stick skills and moving the ball but the physicality comes pretty naturally based on my time playing football.”

With a little digging, one can trace the path of a football player to lacrosse.

The general principles of the game are simple:

• Two teams of 10 players, including the general roles of attackers, midfielders, defenders and two goalkeepers, are pitted against each other for four 12-minute quarters.

• Your position on the field determines the size of the “stick” used to move a rubber ball, close to the size of a tennis ball, up and down the field in search of a goal.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Football elements, such as rules allowing physical contact, create an emphasis on ball security. The game also shares soccer traits with a “faceoff” occurring at midfield at the beginning of each quarter and following each goal.

Lacrosse remains competitive with football in one category: the cost. Public school funding varies by district, but football alone regularly spills into the thousands as schools maintain facilities, equipment and coaches annually.

Some districts increased their sports fees by as much as $400 in recent years, according to reporting by the Salt Lake Tribune.

A four-year offensive lineman, Tim Stuart earned varsity letters playing football and throwing the javelin at Weber High. The senior ‘only ever heard good things’ about lacrosse before retiring his field events for a sport the district added just four years ago.

Stuart drew a connection between head coach Randy Allred and the enthusiasm of the team during the first week of practice.

“He loves what he does,” Stuart said. “I’ve been around a lot of coaches and they’re all different, but I love (Allred)’s coaching style. … Coming from football, you were definitely brothers but there’s a separation between lineman and skill so it’s a lot nicer when you’re one family.”

Now in his third season as coach, Allred and Weber (2-1) produced their second regular-season win by rolling past West Jordan 23-1 on Tuesday. Allred is 23-20 since replacing the program’s first-ever coach, Alex Garton, in 2022.

Sophomore Nixon Bennion, who broke a rib during his first season slotted at defensive midfielder, is one of Allred’s youngest contributors locked in for the long haul. Bennion befriended Stuart and fellow sophomore Cooper Johnston through lacrosse.

Weber recently made a team trip to watch a college match in place of practice.

“It really just begins if you want to try something new,” Bennion said. “I tried it because I had some buddies tell me about and I ended up really liking it. … Some of my closest friends are from this team now.”

There are currently 142 total lacrosse programs (74 boys, 68 girls) competing for state championships across 6A, 5A and 4A classifications. In Northern Utah, Ogden, Ben Lomond, Morgan and St. Joseph are currently without lacrosse.

Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.