Wootton Boys Lacrosse Loses to South River

The South River boys lacrosse team (Anne Arundel County) escaped with a 14-13 victory over Wootton to advance to the state championship game on Tuesday against the winner of today's Dulaney (Baltimore County) versus Linganore (Fredrick County) matchup.

A four-goal South River lead with 7:23 remaining had shrunk to just one goal by the time Wootton's Chris Cornelius scored with 1:39 to play. With 12.4 seconds to go, the Seahawks dug in on defense and survived for the win as the Patriots were unable to get a shot on goal.

The Seahawk boys raced to the center of the field in jubilation, celebrating their second trip to the title game in the last three years.  For the Patriots, a valiant effort and gallant come-back came up painfully short, as the players dropped to the turf with hands over helmets in despair.

"Every once in a while it's better to be lucky than good," smiled a relieved South River coach Paul Noone, whose team won the state title in 2009. "We dodged a bullet."

After two quick goals by Wootton's Chris Doran (47 seconds into the game) and freshman sensation Austin Schoenfeld (four goals) who scored two minutes later, the Seahawks reeled off five unanswered with five different players.

"We got on a run there, and they were feeding off the adrenaline," Noone said. "I was kind of hoping it was going to break their back (giving up five straight goals) but it didn't. They (Wootton) hung in there."

Sophomore Ben Chisholm made it six consecutive goals after his bouncing shot beat Wootton goalie Matt Hoy 24 seconds into the second quarter. However two goals within 35 seconds by Patriot senior Matt Greenblatt (who led all scorers with five) cut the lead to 6-4 for the halftime score.

"Give them all the credit in the world, they never quit," Noone said of Wootton. "That's a credit to their coaching and that's a credit to their team itself. Our defense didn't play lights out, but they played well enough to win, and that's all we needed. We moved the ball well, they just hung with us."

The two teams then began trading goals during most of the third quarter, until four straight goals by senior Joey Papetti helped open up at four goal lead, 11-7, with 3:13 remaining in the quarter. Dylan Luiza added two of his four goals in the third quarter to contribute to the 12-9 fourth quarter advantage.

But it was Luiza's shot from an assist from senior Will Wagner at the 7:23 mark that proved to be the game winner, extending the Seahawk lead to 14-10. Wagner fought hard for a loose ball, desperately secured it and flipped it to a streaking Luiza for the score.

Then sloppy play, turnovers and lost face-offs led to three scores by Wootton's Curt Brooks, Schoenfeld and Cornelius. The Seahawk fans were in a near panic.

After a South River time out with 38.4 seconds to play and a one goal lead, they ran what they hoped would be their final play, but a hard check to Luiza freed the ball to set up the Patriots final play with only seconds remaining.

The final play was supposed to go to Cornelius but the ball never got to him.

"These boys work hard," said Wootton coach Colin Thomson of his team. "We push them hard, we demand a lot but they also respond because they want it just as much as anyone else. This program is all heart."

Thomson told his team after the loss how proud he was of their effort and feels that next year his young team will be ready for another run. And he was impressed with the South River team.

"I have a lot of respect for their team, their coaches, their players are tough kids, they swarm the ball, and they got some shooters," Thomson said. "They have a heck of a program and I think they have a great shot (at winning the state title). But I don't want to jinx anybody."

A key moment in the game that may have been lost in the exciting finish but very well may have determined the outcome of the game happened to start the second half. South River's Sumpter made two remarkable saves back to back against Schoenfeld and Cornelius to preserve at the time a 6-4 lead.

Eighteen seconds later Papetti scored his first of four consecutive goals to give the Seahawks breathing room and a lead they would never relinquish.