Athlete Spotlight: Jerry Dickson

With only two boys lacrosse teams in the Augusta area, most sports fans might not realize how physical the game can get.

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Those fans need to look no further than Lakeside's Jerry Dickson.

The junior attack scored six goals in the first of two games the Panthers played last Saturday in Powder Springs, Ga. Though the double hat trick performance led the way in a 13-5 victory over McEachern, it's hard for Dickson to remember the details.

"I'm having trouble remembering that game because of the concussion I had in the second game," he said. "It's kind of blurry."

Dickson not only suffered a concussion on a hit he took in the second game of the day against South Cobb but he also split his lip.

"I've heard of that stuff happening, but I didn't think it would happen to me," he said.

It all came on a play that, according to Lakeside lay coach Ron Ritter, was legal.

"It was a clean hit," he said. "The guy who hit him was bigger than anybody Lakeside has on their football team."

The hit that knocked Dickson out of the game came too late for Lakeside's opponents. On top of his six-goal performance against McEachern, the junior dished out two assists in the first half of a 14-1 win over South Cobb before he left the game.

Dickson is one of the top offensive players for the Panthers this season, despite a lacrosse career that started only a year and a half ago. He joined the Columbia County lacrosse club team his sophomore year after quitting the Lakeside football team.

"It wasn't fun for me anymore," he said. "I had never even seen a game (of lacrosse) before, but they told me it's got a little bit of every sport."

Dickson said his concussion will keep him out of practice for most of the week, but he plans on playing in Lakeside's next game on March 9 at St. Pius X.

That Friday night game will mark the beginning of region play. Lakeside, ranked No. 11 in the state, according to the Georgia High School lacrosse computer ratings, holds a 2-0 record on the season in only its second year of competition. Ritter said he's seen a big improvement from all his players after a year's worth of experience.

"It's almost like night and day," he said. "They're learning the finer points of the game instead of just running and shooting."