INDIANAPOLIS — Former Carmel lacrosse head coach Jack Meachum was a mentor to many of his players.
“Having a really strong mentor like Coach Meachum helped focus in on a singular goal and working as a team,” Carmel lacrosse senior Charlie Marsh shared.
Meachum died in a head-on crash on State Road 38 on August 22, 2023. His death came just three months following his first State Championship at the school.
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“He shaped a lot of us a lot,” Marsh said.
Carmel lacrosse defensive coordinator Zavion Hutt remembers Meachum as one of his closest friends.
“Everyone knew him as the very down to business and hard-nosed guy, but I knew him as the happy-go-lucky, fun guy to be around outside of lacrosse,” Hutt said.
Senior Leo Presser says it took a long time to process the loss of his coach of over 10 years.
"It really took a while to settle in and relieve all the shock that was going on," Presser said.
New head coach Keith Allen says the loss was difficult for everyone in the Carmel lacrosse family.
“He was a component of their daily lives for so long,” Allen said. “Missing that component was a huge loss for them.”
Presser shared that the team struggled to come together following the loss of their coach but over time they learned to play and grieve together.
“We were all bickering with each other. It was a lot of hostility,” Presser claimed. “We didn't have the guy that was the centerpiece of the team.”
Coach Allen says the team set up meetings for the players to come together just to talk.
“Sometimes it was just moments of silence together,” Allen said. “I think being able to start playing together as a team really helps them come together.”
On Wednesday night, the Greyhounds will face off against Center Grove for a trip to the Indiana High School Lacrosse Association State Finals. The winner will play the winner of the Hamilton Southeastern-Cathedral game.
For Carmel’s players, it’s an opportunity to give their former coach something he would’ve loved.
“He's watching down on us from Heaven, and he's gonna be with us through this playoff run,” Presser said. “We're gonna bring him back another state championship.”
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