ADAMS TWP — Five members of the Mars High School boys lacrosse team decided to challenge themselves.

Challenge met — and exceeded.

Quinn Fuller, Austin Cote, Wes Scurci, Josh Seipp and Jacob Caringola — all incoming juniors at Mars — played for the Low and Away club lacrosse team last summer.

This year, they decided to try out for the Pittsburgh True lacrosse team.

“They play the best competition out there,” said Cote, a midfielder. “It's a great program and we all decided to play there together.”

True Lacrosse has teams at many age levels, boys and girls. The Mars contingent plays for the 2022 Black team, which is coached by True Pa. lacrosse director Jason Rozembersky.

Josh Lambert, a member of Mars' coaching staff, is also a coach in the True system.

“He's not the only reason we decided to switch over, but Coach Lambert was part of it,” said Seipp, who plays an attack position. “The coaching is tremenmdous in that program. We play as a team.”

They've been winning as a team as well.

Their True Pittsburgh squad — comprised of incoming juniors from throughout Western Pennsylvania — has already won a state tournament this summer. Cote, Seipp, Scurci and Fuller also made the True national team, which went unbeaten in winning a national tourney in Maryland.

The teams have a couple of tournaments to go yet.

Fuller, a defender, played a key role in the national tourney title as True won its first game, 10-0.

“Quinn Fuller is one of the best lockdown defenders I've seen anywhere at the local and national level,” Rozembersky said. “He rarely gets beat. You don't see people get past him.

“That kid has a chance to play college lacrosse at a very high level.”

All five of the Mars players have been involved in lacrosse since elementary school. Fuller has only been playing defender for two years.

“I went out for the Keystone team a couple of years ago and figured that was my best chance to make it,” Fuller said. “That role has just stuck with me since.

“My goal is to play major Division I lacrosse. That's what I'm working toward.”

Scurci is an attack player while Caringola plays midfield.

“I'm a passer, a big assist guy, basically,” Scurci said. “The fact we made the national team shows the lacrosse talent we have in Western Pennsylvania.

“It was fun, winning that national tournament. We're showing that we can play competitively with kids from Maryland, Long Island, some of the lacrosse hotbeds.”

True Lacrosse has programs in 16 states. Each of its national teams are comprised of the best players from those states.

“Our Pennsylvania team went 4-0 at a tourney in New Jersey and our national team went 3-0 in Maryland,” Rozembersky said. “Having four kids from Mars on our national team shows how advanced that high school program is.”

Caringola said the True teams succeed because of “consistency and refusing to quit.

“I like to play both ways, get back on defense and help move the ball with cutting and screening.”

Mars was favored to win the WPIAL boys lacrosse championship and contend at the state level this past spring before the high school season was canceled.

“Our youth program is probably the best in Western Pa.,” Seipp said. “We have great coaches and we learn fundamentals early. By the time we get to high school, we've all been playing the sport together for so long.”

The Planets have had seven freshmen on a WPIAL championship team before.

“Our (high school) team next year should be even better than we would have been this year,” Scurcvi said.

“Work ethic and coaching. That's what gets us there,” Fuller said.

And will probably keep this quintet of players on the field for a while yet.

“All five of those guys want to play collegiate lacrosse and all five are going to get there,” Rozembersky said.