Even more than the victories or the thrill of competition, Markus Indeck’s favorite moments with the Branford boys’ lacrosse team are those early Sunday morning practices. While it can get hot and there may be “gnats everywhere,” Markus says the moments where he and his teammates work hard to improve are what mean the most to him on the lacrosse field.

Markus, a junior, was looking forward to his third season as a member of the Hornets’ starting lineup this spring. Although he mainly operates as a defender, Markus competed on the offensive side of the ball in order to fill a team need last year. Whether he’s on offense or defense, Markus is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team prevail.

“I’m a very versatile player. We had holes in our roster, so I picked up a short stick and played offense,” says Markus. “It wasn’t easy, but it’s what I had to do to help the team. I tried my best and tried to help my team win as many games as possible.”

In addition to lacrosse, Markus participated in football, cross country, and wrestling when he was in middle school. When he started at Branford High School, Markus signed up to compete for both the wrestling and boys’ lacrosse squads.

Last summer, Markus began to feel pain in his left knee and was told that he was dealing with either tendinitis or a sprained patella tendon. Due to his injury, along with his desire to play sports in college, Markus decided to stop wrestling after his sophomore season and focus solely on lacrosse.

“I had to decide if I wanted to risk it and continue to wrestle or rest it all winter and get ready for lacrosse,” Markus says. “Throughout middle school, I couldn’t decide what I liked more between wrestling and lacrosse. I wanted to see which sport I could play in college, and I came to the realization that I had a better shot with lacrosse.”

Boys’ lacrosse Head Coach Jim May describes Markus as a “true student of the game.” Above all else, May likes the fact that Markus is a team player who always wants the Hornets to succeed.

“Markus has put as much time into learning and getting better as anyone I’ve coached. He is a great student and always respectful. He is always willing to help out at my youth camps,” says May. “Markus has had to switch positions quite often, which speaks to his accountability and willingness to do whatever it takes. Markus might not be flashy and in the newspapers, but to the coaching staff and his teammates, he is an invaluable asset.”

Markus started playing lacrosse in the 4th grade. He used to attend The Country School in Madison, where several of his friends played the sport. Markus went on to join Branford’s Youth Lacrosse program, but didn’t really start taking the sport seriously until the summer before 8th grade.

Markus says that “something clicked” for him as he was getting ready to head into 8th grade. That summer, Markus was presented with an opportunity to play for Sacred Heart University’s fundamental club team.

Following that experience, along with his two seasons starting for Branford, Markus has come to love the sport of lacrosse. At the same time, Markus recognizes all the hard work that people who play the sport must go through in order to produce on the field.

“It’s a lot of conditioning and a lot of hard work,” Markus says. “It’s a tough sport. It’s not easy, and a lot of kids can’t do it. Being a lacrosse athlete means everything to me.”

Aside from playing for Branford, Markus has also played club lacrosse for various teams around the state during the past few years. This year, Markus will be competing for the Team Connecticut Lacrosse Club. When he gets on the field again with the Hornets, Markus will be looking to step up as a senior leader and guide the team toward a promising future.

“I would like to be a leader on the team and a captain. It’s something I’ve been building to my whole high school career,” says Markus. “It’s going to take a lot of work. I’m a natural leader, but over the summer, I’m going to have to practice defense and keep perfecting my craft.”