Walpole is known for having the most prestigious high school athletes in Massachusetts, going to multiple Division 1 schools in numerous sports. This is very true for Davis Butts and Pete Bowes, who recently won the Division 1 NCAA Lacrosse Championship after beating rival Maryland 9-3 in the championship game at Gillette Stadium.
The set-up for these two athletes could not have been better, considering that they were playing just a couple miles from home with all their family and friends watching. This benefited Butts’ play by coming right out of the gate and scoring the first goal of the game. This goal was vital to the game by giving Loyola all the momentum and they did not look back after that as they continued to steamroll Maryland. As Butts said in a previous interview with BostonHerald.com, “It feels good. Like I said earlier, we had gotten this far and to be back in Boston is just a blessing. Beyond that, all my friends and family are here, I just spoke to them now, and they could not be more excited than right now.”
This type of play is typical for junior Davis Butts who is the starting midfielder on the Loyola Greyhounds. This year Butts has made his presence felt with 19 goals and 14 assists in just 17 games. Butts has been one of Loyola’s top midfielders, scoring in 11 of the 17 games. Before his college days he attended Walpole High School and that’s where his domination in lacrosse began. Butts is Walpole’s all time leader in goals scored(184), assists(109), and points(293). Also, he set Walpole’s all time single season record of goals scored with 60 and 116 points in 2009 as a senior. As a senior he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and was the Boston Globe’s Division 2 Player of the Year. As a junior, Butts earned All American honors. With this success in lacrosse, there is no surprise Davis Butts is one of the top players on the #1 ranked team in lacrosse.
The other Walpole native on Loyola is Pete Bowes, who is a young defenseman with a lot of potential. Although he has yet to play in a game this year, he is still one of the most talented lacrosse players out of Walpole and is competing for a job on a very competitive Loyola squad. While in high school, Bowes attented Walpole High School and starred in three different sports. Bowes received eight varsity letters in total with 4 in lacrosse, 3 in football and 1 in hockey. While playing at Walpole, Bowes made a name for himself in lacrosse, winning multiple individual awards and helped win Walpole its first State Championship along with Loyola teammate Davis Butts. Another reason Bowes has been so successful in lacrosse is by competing on extremely competitive club teams. Bowes has starred on the Boston Adidas team during his summer days and helped lead the U19 NESLL Black team deep into the playoffs.
Lacrosse is a major sport in Walpole and these two athletes are a testament to Walpole’s athletics. These two athletes have devoted their lives to lacrosse and it is finally paying off. With this much talent and devotion there is no question that Pete Bowes and Davis Butts have worked hard to earn the name of Division Lacrosse champions.
