LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield senior John Briggs has had to pivot on his future decisions, but he hasn’t let that slow him down.
“I had always wanted to join the military and go that route after I graduated,” Briggs said. “But I’m a Type 1 diabetic, so I had to switch gears and put my focus towards law enforcement.”
That refocus led Briggs towards Norwich University. Briggs signed his letter of intent Tuesday to not only attend Norwich — which is located in Northfield, Vt. and is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States — but also continue his lacrosse career on the field with the Cadets next year.
“It’s a private military college, so it has that structure and that lifestyle that I’m looking for,” Briggs said. “No matter where I was going, I wanted to play lacrosse. So I reached out to the coach at Norwich right away.”
That not only checked off another important box for Briggs, but also exceeded his expectations for any program he thought he would join at the next level.
“I didn’t really care if I was playing for a good program or not, I just wanted to keep playing,” Briggs said. “But it turns out Norwich has a good program. I had a virtual meeting with some coaches and met some players and it fit pretty well. I’ll be playing on their fall team this year and hopefully can find a spot.”
Briggs and the Pioneers are currently in the middle of a season that just got underway Monday. The senior captain and midfielder already has one goal under his belt during Lynnfield’s 10-5 win over North Reading. It was the first game for Briggs and company in two years after last season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were super excited,” Briggs said. “It was a let down last year and I was definitely bummed out not being able to play. Now I can play in college so it makes it seem not as bad, but we’re still excited to be out there one last time.”
Pat Lamusta is in his first year as head coach of Lynnfield, but Briggs has become plenty familiar with him already through the years.
“Obviously this is his first year as head coach but he’s been an assistant and JV coach where I played under him before,” Briggs said. “He made those games fun but also taught more of the structure and fundamentals.”
“John is an important leader on the team and also an important scorer,” Lamusta said. “He’s been playing lacrosse since he was playing lacrosse in sixth grade. I remember working with him on the JV team years ago. He’s very committed to the program and we’re excited to see what he’ll accomplish at Norwich too. He’ll be joining another Lynnfield graduate Mitchell McKay there.”
For now, Briggs and the Pioneers are hoping to make a big step forward this season in their return to the field.
“Our biggest goal is just to be playing good lacrosse,” Briggs said. “We haven’t had the best seasons in the past. Now, making the tournament is a big goal for us and we’re optimistic about it.”
