The Bolles School (Jacksonville) met Saint Edwards School (Vero Beach) in the first semifinal at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee and the game turned into a classic back and forth battle culminating in Bolles' Jack Mulvey burying a nice feed from Bobby Crouch as time ran out in the first half to appropriately tie the score at 8 going into the break. Bolles got 3 straight to open the 3rd quarter before Saint Edwards would go on a 6 goal run of their own that would propel them to a 15-13 victory and a chance to play for the state title.
Bolles ends the season at 13-4 after an incredible run in which they won district and area championships en route to their 1A Final Four appearance at the state tournament. Although they will lose a couple of talented multi sport seniors, the program has nice depth and should stay a viable contender for years to come. The Bulldogs beat some strong schools in the playoffs, first overpowering Providence School of Jacksonville, then winning 3 close games against Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Oak Hall School and Maclay to get to the Final Four. They didn't go down easily to Saint Edwards at the state tournament, they showed every bit of the heart and grit they played with all season long. Heads high boys.
Deep South Lax Report's Top Performers:
Bolles: Bobby Crouch, Jack Mulvey, and Spencer Surface.
Saint Edwards: Ricky Savage, Drew Sternberg, and Oscar Lindenthal.
In the second semifinal Canterbury School (Fort Myers) had their dream season come to an end after Saint Andrews School (Boca Raton) beat them by a score of 11-1. Canterbury's defense and goaltender Dylan McMillion played well during a scoreless first quarter but Saint Andrew's Anthony Borodiak would net a second quarter hat trick while Will Adams chipped in 2 goals of his own to give the Scots a 5-0 halftime advantage. Canterbury could not muster up much on offense in the second half either thanks to the Scot's vaunted defense which helped them cruise into the state title game.
Canterbury enjoyed an incredible season finishing at 13-4. They beat IMG Academy 6-5 in the first game of the season to set the tone for 2021. In the playoffs the Cougars were able to avenge 2 tough regular season losses, first by beating Cardinal Mooney in the District Championship and then 2 games later they upset Tampa Jesuit to win their Region and punch their ticket to the Final Four. It was the first time a team from the Southwest Florida region has made it to the state tournament. Nothing to be ashamed of here.
Deep South Lax Report's Top Performers:
Canterbury: Dylan McMillion, Carson Fuchs and Holden Gelinas
Saint Andrews: Anthony Borodiak, Will Adams and Jack Schulte
Now the stage is set for the 1A Championship Game which was held the next afternoon between Saint Edwards and Saint Andrews. The Scots used a balanced attack and their stifling defense to dismantle Saint Edward's attempt at an upset, but the game certainly had it's moments where the Pirates had their chances to take them down. With the Scots leading 4-0 late in the second quarter, Saint Edwards junior Riker Pratt scored 2 quick goals to send Saint Andrews into halftime clutching a 4-2 lead and wondering where their momentum had gone. The Scots would bounce back and add to that lead in the third quarter, but they got another scare early in the fourth when Pirates sophomore Ford Norris would score twice in less then a minute, cutting the Scots lead to 7-4. Saint Andrews turned it on shortly thereafter and took home the Championship running away with a 13-5 victory.
For the Scots, the 2021 season ended perfectly with a record of 16-0 and the state title. Their defense was headlined by senior Corey Frydman (UMASS commit) and junior's Gunnar Schwarz (Navy commit), and Sean Jordan (Harvard commit). Supported by sound players like Timmy Martin, Zach Brent, Tristan Moss (Denison commit), Anthony Borodiak (Tampa commit), Moses Perry, Ryan Kaplan and Phillip Bouressa, the Scots defense gave fits to its opponents all season long. In fact they were so stingy, they allowed less than 4 goals per game on average. The Scots will have a target on their backs in 2022, but with so many key components set to return on defense, it is quite likely the road to states will lead through Boca Raton again.
But teams like Saint Edwards are gaining momentum. Rosters in the southern part of the state are filling with talented lacrosse players. 1A looks like it will be up for grabs for years to come no matter how strong any 1 team might look this season. Saint Edwards beat Jupiter Christian, Benjamin, Holy Trinity Episcopal, Lake Highland Prep and Bolles during their playoff run. Plenty of talent on those teams. When you look at Saint Edward's roster, you realize how many contributions came from the underclassmen during the 2021 campaign, and you begin to understand that things are only getting started in Vero Beach. We can expect more intense battles between these teams in the future for sure.
High Fives to Head Coach Tony Seamon and his staff, getting the Scots back on top where they spent so much time for decades. This is the first boys lacrosse state title for the Saint Andrew's program since 2012. Congratulations everyone involved!
Deep South Lax Report's Top Performers:
Saint Edwards: Liam Murphy, Eli Barin, Riker Pratt and Ford Norris
Saint Andrews: Gunnar Schwarz and the entire Saint Andrew's Defense
Story written by Larry Palumbo, released on Friday, May 21, 2021 @ 12:00 EST
All rights reserved, 2021 copyright by Deep South Lax Report
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