Excerpts taken from original article by Matt Kinnear of Inside Lacrosse
Marist face-off specialist Peyton Smith downplays what he’s doing.
“I’m just playing lacrosse. I‘m literally just playing lacrosse,” he says.
But the letters and numbers visible on his uniform and helmet mean so much more to so many. JR-41 and EC-34. One is a fresh reminder of a legacy that is being built; the other a nearly decade-long reminder of a figure who has become synonymous with the Marist lacrosse program.
Smith is dedicating his lacrosse season — one he’s started very well — to Julian Rogers, who wore No. 41 at New Bern High School (N.C.). He wears his number and initials on his helmet — along with the “EC” for Eddie Coombs on the jersey and the EC-34 wristband the whole team dons. He says it’s a small gesture, but like Marist\’s remembrance of Eddie Coombs, it\’s immensely meaningful to the family.
Smith coached Julian Rogers over the summer with the 919 lacrosse club in North Carolina, and the young player had an immediate impact on him.
Julian, 16, died in July, and Smith got the news from another player on the club. His obituary talks about his love of lacrosse and how he was a proud member of the New Bern Bears lacrosse team.
“It was really hard at first. I’ve just started coaching. I didn’t know where I was going with this. I did it for fun, to help out my community. Now I have a player I was close with passed away,” Smith says.
He took inspiration from Coombs’ legacy at Marist and what that’s meant to the Coombs family and him personally.
“It was hard, but the biggest thing I thought about was how Marist as a program, we handled the passing away of Eddie Coombs. How that we\’re still a little bit under 10 years later are still wearing ‘EC’ on our jersey. I’m talking to you right now wearing an EC-34 wristband. How much that means to his family that we still appreciate everything Eddie did for this program and how much he impacted them. I knew right away I wanted to do something to help his family heal. To give them some light in their lives. I’m just playing lacrosse. I‘m literally just playing lacrosse. I hope that by me reaching out to them it would give them light in a dark time,” Smith says.
Julian has affected so many others. New Bern players are wearing No. 41 on their helmets and dedicating the season to him. Friday, the team will have a 41-second moment of silence for him.
Smith didn’t know Julian’s family that well but reached out to the parents, Juliet and Julian Richard Rogers, Jr.
“I don’t’ know if you guys remember me, but I remember Julian. I just want to let you guys know that I’m going to wear JR-41 on the side of my helmet. Julian’s going to be with me every game” he recalls messaging the parents.
Now their families are close. “They’ve basically adopted me as another son,” Smith says.
On March 8, Smith returned to North Carolina as Marist played against the Tar Heels. Julian’s family and friends made the trip and brought signs that said “9 for 41.” Smith and Julian’s family had only met briefly prior to the game.
Marist coach Keegan Wilkinson has experienced the loss of a player. When Coombs passed, Wilkinson was an assistant at Marist and had recruited him. Wilkinson found out Smith was dedicating the season from one of Julian’s family members, as Smith didn’t want to make it about himself. Smith and Wilkinson sat down and talked about the loss and how they could continue to spread Julian\’s legacy in a way similar to Coombs\’.
“The most impressive thing is how Peyton’s dealt with it is his maturity. It’s a long way from home for him. We’ve watched him grow up. He’s having a tremendous year this year. It’s not surprising to see it’s matched with the maturity in all facets of his life,” says Wilkinson. “When we reflect back on Eddie and what the Coombses went through, it was those small things when people reached out and expressed their sympathy and that it was going to motivate them to do great things. That’s what’s driven myself. When it’s guys on our team and other teams that talk to me about Eddie, it’s those relationships that get you through. I can’t imagine how much it means to [the Rogers family] to have someone really looking out for them as they’re going through a really painful thing in their lives.”
It’s just lacrosse, but it helps.
Smith has been starring this season on the field. He has a 66.4% face-off percentage for a Marist team that’s started 3-3 and won its first MAAC game. This season was his turn to be the primary face-off specialist, and it motivated him in the summer. Wilkinson said he would get messages from Greg Gurenlian and Brendan Fowler from Faceoff Academy detailing how hard he was working. Smith says coaching the position this summer has been a big part of his success.
“Breaking down the face-off position for somebody else over and over and over again reminds me of some of the little things when I’m playing. It’s such a technical position. Your stance, your first move, second move, all these different components to clamp over a white ball. I think that breaking it down so much helped me in my own technique,” he says.
He’ll take the field each day. JR-41 will be there helping him.
“Nothing more would make me happy than to win this conference for Julian and his family, and share the experience of a championship with them,” says Smith.
