Howell Boys Lacrosse Unable to Hold off Jackson Memorial

For a good part of its Shore Conference Tournament second round game against Jackson Memorial, it appeared as though the Howell boys lacrosse team was on the brink of another upset on the road.

Unlike their first round game on Tuesday against Colts Neck, the Rebels were not as lucky, losing 12-8 to the Jaguars. The loss ends the team's conference tournament run and comes almost exactly one year after the Rebels upset this same Jackson squad in last year's bracket.

After going ahead 4-1 early, the Jaguars scored eight unanswered goals to take a commanding lead away, and knock off the 10th-seeded Rebels.

"I feel bad for the kids, I let them down a little bit today," Howell head coach Derek Reichenbecher said. "They fought really hard throughout the entire game, and I just didn't have them prepared."

The Rebels took their first lead of the game when sophomore Alec Dambach found a cutting Kevin Scott for a 2-1 advantage. It took a while for Howell to gain an advantage, with Scott's goal coming with just nine second left in the first quarter.

Scott returned the favor early in the second quarter, drilling Dambach with a long pass as the Rebels went up, 3-1. Captain Rob Hart found the back of the net next, driving off the right side, giving Howell its biggest lead of the game at 4-1.

After Jackson Memorial soared back, tying the game at 4, Hart took control early in the third quarter, scoring directly off a face-off. It was just 20 seconds later that he fed Scott over the middle for another goal, giving the Rebels a 6-4 lead.

The Jaguars then reeled off eight straight goals, taking a commanding 12-6 lead.

Ryan King and Tyler Ott each tallied late goals for the Rebels, finalizing the score at 12-8.

Howell appeared to have difficulty sustaining possession in the second half -- particularly in the fourth quarter -- which lead to the big offensive by the  Jaguars.

"We talked about that at halftime and I was right but in the wrong way," Reichenbecher said. "I thought the team who held the ball would contol the game, and it was, but I thought it was going to be us."

Goalie Nick Schwarz was strong for Howell, despite being under durress for a large amount of time.

Long pole defensemen Max Fontaine, Blase Dellavalle and James Bodeker did a tremendous job against Jackson Memorial.

Howell will play two regular-season games against Manasquan and West Morris Central before the start of the NJSIAA playoffs.

"The guys have to be able to turn the page and move on," Reichenbecher said.