The Cal Poly Humboldt men’s lacrosse team has been playing here in Arcata since 1983. With an active alumni network and a passionate, growing team each year, Humboldt lacrosse has been able to foster the love of the game in hundreds of athletes. This is the first year as head coach for Augustus “Gus” Johnson. Johnson has an extensive athletic background but had never played lacrosse prior to attending Humboldt in 2008. Throughout high school and college, he coached youth boxing and after three years at Humboldt he moved to Portland, Oregon.
In 2015, Johnson moved back to Humboldt County and was quickly signed on to the team as an assistant coach after a call from an alumni member. He coached under Danny Eggert for three years, the former head coach who stepped down after the 2023-24 season. Johnson credits a lot of his lacrosse coaching knowledge to Eggert and his experience in the sport.
Men’s lacrosse at Cal Poly Humboldt is not considered a varsity sport, so the team competes in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), which is essentially the NCAA specifically for men’s lacrosse.
There are currently no youth lacrosse programs in this region but CPH has received a grant and equipment from U.S. Lacrosse to conduct youth camps and seminars to expose more kids to the sport.
“Leading and being a mentor [and] developing talent is awesome, and that is the point of all of this for me,” Johnson said. “As someone who didn’t find lacrosse until college, it’s really important for me to find the guys who have never played before, or maybe only played a year, and really develop them and see that talent grow.”
He is dedicated and committed to this team and his players.
“I have a day job, but that’s not what I tell people I do,” Johnson said. “I tell them, ‘I’m a lacrosse coach, this is me, and I love it.’”
It was purely coincidental that Senior Offensive Captain Macguire Ferrell found Cal Poly Humboldt Lacrosse. After following a friend who moved to Humboldt to attend school, he discovered the team and joined in the spring.
“Gus reminds me of my old travel team coach because he creates a very chill atmosphere, but has the discipline to run the team,” Ferrell said.
As a club sports coach, Johnson has the benefit of flexibility, because the ultimate goal is to have fun.
“I don’t like to be the tough coach, but I will push them when they need it,” Johnson said. “And flip the switch to put pressure on them and expect better from them.”
Ferrell has been playing lacrosse most of his life. Growing up in the Bay Area and playing travel ball in high school — then transferring from the Marquette club lacrosse team — he has the experience to lead the offense. As a leader, Ferrell commends the lack of arrogance on the team.
“If you tell someone they’re not doing what they need to do, they’ll lock in,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell quickly moved up the ranks to captain after only two months on the team, proving himself with his speed and voice.
“At the end of the day, it’s about community,” Ferrell said. “It is still a club so it’s about the people that show up and less about what you’re doing. There’s more camaraderie between the boys.”
Many members of the team come into the season with athletic experience and have played a high school or competitive travel sport, but not all athletes graduating high school want to play a varsity sport. Club sports are a space where athletes can be a part of a community without being held to the same schedules as varsity athletes. Some athletes come out of high school and travel sports burnt out and tired, but that is not something that comes with club sports.
“We’re on the field for 6 hours of practice a week and that’s it,” Johnson said. “This is an opportunity to have fun and grow and to be great on the field.”
Sophomore Vice President Jack Mattson has been playing lacrosse since he was 10. He was recruited to play while at a tournament in Grapevine, CA, where he ultimately decided to pursue going to Cal Poly Humboldt.
“Coach Gus really brought back a lot of appreciation for the game for the overall team aspect of the sport,” Mattson said. “I enjoy the family that you become a part of when you’re on the team. This season, I look forward to having loads of fun and hopefully winning a lot of games.”
The fall is all about developing their skills, focusing on fundamentals, and competing in a couple scrimmages. With about 24 team members and a handful of new athletes, this time is important for the team to ensure that the basics become second nature and can focus on running plays and the more strategic aspects of the game.
“Lacrosse can be a complicated sport, but it can also be as simple as you make it,” Johnson said. “We have an incredibly talented and very athletic squad and we have a good chance to beat people if we practice sound fundamentals. We can win games through execution more so than trickery. We want to be talented, and ultimately, the most fun is winning. No one likes to lose, but at the same time, I’m not here to make anyone wake up at 5 a.m. and go run gassers or run up the hill. If we’re not having fun, we’re not going to play well. It’s all about chemistry.”
Ariana Wilson is a junior Journalism major and the Lumberjack Sports Editor. As a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Women’s Volleyball team she brings an athletes perspective to our rising sports section. She intends to merge her passion for the environment and conservation with her love of journalism as a science writer.
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