You may or may not have noticed a SC 43 printed on Alumni team gear or that every alumni game the Alumni team opens the game with one less player on the field and often breaks the huddle with a boisterous shout of “Scotty”. This is to pay our respects to our teammate and friend Scott Charlson. Scott was one of the founding members of the program and his life was tragically cut short in the Iron 44 wild land Firefighting incident August 5, 2008.

Scott left his mark on the program by his contributions and energy both on and off the field. SOU lacrosse has always welcomed anyone into the ranks as long as they give full effort. Scott was not a lacrosse player but a hockey player. As the program first got on its feet only a handful of players had lacrosse experience. Scott came out and found lacrosse to fill his void missing hockey although he preferred the puck to the ball. He was unable to play in what would have been his third season in 2007 due to coursework required for his degree in journalism, but he was writing for SOU’s own Siskiyou newspaper at the time. So naturally he gave the lacrosse team some needed ink throughout the season helping to bolster it’s reputation on campus. He returned to the field in 2008 and was faced with a choice; take a summer class and graduate or come back for one more season of lacrosse and take some extra classes along the way. He decided on the latter and took a summer job as a wild land firefighter in order to pay for the extra classes and get himself in shape for his final season. His final season never came to be and the 2009 season was dedicated to him and his memory and the number 43 has been retired never to be worn again.

Scott embodied many of the values that the SOU lacrosse players and Old Souls feel help define the program. Hard working, hard hitting, selfless, fun and he was instrumental in building a sense of family and brotherhood amongst a burgeoning program. His impact remains today and his memory is far from forgotten. Whenever you asked Scott how he was doing he would almost always respond with his trademark response; “Just living the dream.”

The Old Souls is currently working and raising funds to enact a memorial on campus to our fallen friend. While this is something we have talked about for years it is now in the works of becoming a reality. We kindly ask for a donation in any amount be designated to this cause. Should we secure funding in excess of memorial costs a player scholarship fund will begin under Scott’s name. Without Scott’s kind, fun, funny and selfless attitude the SOU program would in no way have become what it is today, and we are forever grateful for his impact and friendship.

This page will remain active to honor Scott’s impact and legacy as well as to provide updates on the memorial and share stories of Scott’s influence. Check back to see how your donation is helping this cause and learn more about Scott.

As you can see from the below images, the memorial is coming together. We were honored to share this project with Scott’s family and the entire program at the 2019 Alumni Game. This page will be updated soon with the final details regarding the memorial and formal unveiling.

Heartfelt thanks to all who have supported and contributed in this endeavor.