Tatum Snow in a game against Grimsley on Friday - NC Prep Photos

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Tatum Snow just finished her sophomore year as a girls lacrosse player at West Forsyth, but she has more than proven herself on the field.

Snow was recently named First Team All-State in girls lacrosse by the N.C. Coaches Association. 

Snow finished the season as the Titans’ leading scorer with 99 goals, according to MaxPreps.

“I think it’s really cool, honestly,” Snow said. “All the girls did a really good job. We have some girls on second team and third team as well. I think it’s very cool.”

Rising senior Gaby Vestal, rising senior Brigdhe Mullen and rising junior Isa Gil from West Forsyth made Second Team All-State, and recent graduate Kayleigh Mutkus made Third Team All-State. 

Snow also made First Team All-Region in the West. Vestal, Mullen, Gil and Mutkus all made Second Team All-Region. 

“It was a few weeks after school ended,” Snow said of first hearing about the honor. “I thought it was crazy because last year I got Second Team All-Region and Third Team All-State, so getting First Team All-Region was crazy.”

Doug Brawley, the head coach at West Forsyth who helped the team go 21-6 overall this past season, including 12-0 in the Central Piedmont 4-A, was one of the coaches who voted for All-State and All-Region.

“You can only nominate people who earned all-conference recognition,” he said. “And then, after all the girls are listed on a big spread sheet with their game statistics, their achievements, where they’re going to college, their class, anything that makes them stand out over the others. 

“I just base it on players that I’ve seen. So, in addition to our conference, you know, we had representation. We played in Charlotte, Lake Norman, Kernersville, Hickory. And so, we submitted our votes and as a result of that the highest all-region point getters, award recipients, advanced to the All State, which is from the same voting pool.”

The fact that Snow made First Team All-State shows how she compares to the rest of the state.

“Something well worth mentioning is the vast volume of players at that level,” Brawley said. “That’s where the Weddingtons, the Myers Parks, the Charlotte Catholics, they’ll have five or six people make (First Team) All-State. And they’ve just got a high level of talent that Tatum could play with anybody in the state. There’s no doubt. But we’re definitely blessed to have her at West.”

Although not quite a junior yet, Brawley immediately saw Snow’s talent. 

“Most of our girls arrive with little to no experience,” Brawley said. “Tatum was the exception to that rule. She arrived last year having played six or seven years of lacrosse, even had played some boys lacrosse. The key at those early stages is just, can you catch and throw the ball? And then, can you run?

“And Tatum is an incredible runner. As a matter of fact, she qualified in the mile run and the mile relay last year. She went up to New York and competed on a national level. So, the kid can run. You can’t teach speed.”

According to Snow, she is one of only two sophomores who made First Team All-State.

“I guess it shows that I stand out a little bit and they see something in me, maybe,” she said.

Not only does Snow excel at scoring goals, she helps the other players score goals because of her presence.

“I think I just help the offense move a little bit,” she said. “So, I’ll cut or I’ll drive.”

There might also be one other thing.

“I feel like I’m smart when I’m on the field,” Snow said. “And I can see the field very well, I feel. And sometimes leadership.”

Brawley already sees Snow stepping up.

“She’s already in a leadership role, not so much by title, but is very open and welcoming to the younger players,” he said. “She definitely plays team ball, (instead of) chasing numbers. She plays the game to the best of her ability to achieve what the team is after.”

It’s incalculable about how much better Snow can improve the next two seasons at West Forsyth.

“She’s borderline unstoppable when she wants to be,” Brawley said. “Now, she can pinpoint the placement of that ball anywhere in the net. If she gets by the front line of defense, you can pretty much guarantee the ball’s going to go in the goal. She’s an excellent shooter, very target-specific. And continuing to take what the defense gives you. 

“If the defense slides to you knowing that there is someone else on your team who’s wide-open. If the defense doesn’t slide, recognizing that you’re one-on-one, and knowing that you can take that person. You can score against that person.”

Whether Snow, who is playing club lacrosse this summer for the Triad Honeybees, can reach at least 100 goals next season is a big question.

“I feel like when we play like teams that are not as good as our team, we put in all these new girls, I just feel like I need to help the girls a little bit more,” Snow said. “I need to get more assists, I think.”

Despite the awards she’s already received, Snow still has two more seasons of playing lacrosse for the Titans.

“In games when we’re playing a team that’s not as good, but trying harder,” she said. “Because I can improve on certain stuff like that.”

With Snow and five other players from West Forsyth making one of the NCLCA’s All-State teams, amplified the season the team had during the spring.

“I thought it was really cool,” Snow said. “I think it’s really cool that they all made it. It’s such a big honor and our school’s not very known for lacrosse, so it was really cool that we all made it so good.”

Many of the players who made First Team All-State are from the Charlotte and Raleigh areas.

“I won’t compare it to the rest of the state because there’s a whole other level of competition we’re striving to achieve,” Brawley said. “But as far as locally in Forsyth and Guilford County, we’ve got some very, very talented players.”

The Titans had plenty of success with the players they had.

“It was really cool,” Snow said. “We had a lot of girls that assisted well like Bridghe. She had a lot of assists this year. And defensively, we had a lot of good defensive girls that were really good at running the ball up. It was really great because I’m a midfielder. I would get really tired running back and forth. The girls could run it up really good.”