This Thursday, new Woodward Academy girls’ lacrosse coach Meghan Fox begins her journey of trying to lead the Lady War Eagles to a new level of success.

Not only will Woodward host Riverwood Thursday, but Fox will make her debut as a varsity head coach and officially replace Brent Hilpert which is no small feat in her eyes.

“I’m nervous because of Brent Hilpert’s success,” said Fox last Friday. “He started the program and he coached for 15 years. He brought the program to being a contender in the state playoffs each year. I think there are just big shoes to fill.”

Even though Fox feels the pressure to succeed, she is more than capable of handling it since she was a varsity assistant the past six seasons and the players are very familiar with her.

“I’ve coached most of these girls throughout their entire high school experience so I know them quite well,” Fox said. “I know their strengths and weaknesses and what we want to build on. I think it is a great benefit that I have worked with all of them for a long time.”

Another positive for Fox is she has Drew Jackson, who signed a letter of intent to play at USC next year, on the roster this season.

“Drew is a player you only get once as a coach in a career,” Fox said. “She’s definitely the best lacrosse player Woodward has ever seen and has the potential to be one of the best lacrosse players ever in the state. She broke every school record we have except for saves on goal because that is the only position she hasn’t played for us.”

Fox also realizes how influential it is for the future of the program when you have a player like Jackson.

“I love having the younger girls watch her because they can see that this is what you can do with this sport,” Fox said. “It’s wonderful to have her on a team as a leader and someone who understands the game so well.”

As far as goals this season, Fox wants to see the Lady War Eagles play faster en route to hopefully reaching the semifinals in the playoffs.

“We lost to Chattahoochee the past two seasons in the quarterfinals by one goal each time,” Fox said. “It’s definitely a thorn in our side and a goal of ours to get past the quarterfinals.”