NAPLES — The third time is not always the charm.
Benjamin boys lacrosse shook off its bumps and bruises to win the all-Palm-Beach-County Class 1A state championship on May 10, rallying to 14-11 victory with a dominant second half.
Down 6-3 at halftime and without senior Caden Hayes, it seemed that the Bucs’ luck might have run dry against a Scots team aiming to avenge its two regular-season losses to their rival.
That luck returned with a man advantage in the second half that gave Benjamin a clear comeback avenue.
After starting out hot in the first minute of each quarter in the first half, they finally made it stick in the third. From three goals down, Benjamin took ownership of the game, mounting a six-goal run that silenced the fans in red.
“We made a few adjustments, offensively,” Benjamin coach Peter Cordrey said. “But it was really their penalty that gave us the opportunity. We have great man-up offense. We use the ball well. We’ve been down at halftime, we just take it one play at a time.”
From there, the flood-gates opened and the Scots’ hopes began to cool as the Bucs’ offense continued on its collective heater.
“On the game on Thursday, we went into halftime down as well, and all of us players realized what was at stake,” Jayden Vega said. “I think we all came together, and coach is strong on ‘team before self.’ None of us wanted that to be our last game together. And I think that’s what showed again here today. Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.”
Hobbled with an ankle injury that he suffered on April 30, the day prior to the state semifinal victory over Community School of Naples, Alex Ponchock was the one to galvanize the rally following a Scots penalty. He scored back-to-back goals as part of a three-goal blitz in the first 1:59 of the second half.
“I sprained it pretty bad,” Ponchock said. “But no question of playing. Last game at Benjamin here, I wanted to experience it all.”
Ponchock’s ankle looked okay when he ran with teammates to celebrate with the crowd after the final whistle.
“He’s a warrior,” Cordrey said. “He said, ‘Coach, I’m playing no matter what.’ “
Ponchock and teammate Jayden Vega would cement their respective hat tricks early in the fourth, but only before the Scots battled back with three straight scores.
Jacob Froot scored for Benjamin on a man advantage following a scrum around the crease, setting the Buccaneers up for a clean finish as the clock wound down.
The difference between last year’s state title run and this year ― and which made the Buccaneers even more dominant ― has been the dynamic change in faceoff success brought by the return of Dylan Furshman.
“We’re going to re-class that guy and get him back next year,” Cordrey joked. “He’s just awesome, and he played out of his mind today.”
It’s the second straight state title for Benjamin, who take home another trophy following a 24-1 season.
For St. Andrew’s, the loss is an especially painful one after fighting tooth and nail to get back to the state series for a chance at redemption.
Last year’s loss to Community School of Naples in the Class 1A semifinal left head coach Tony Seaman and his players with the goal of “rectifying what happening 364 days ago.”
With second-half penalties providing the Buccaneers with man advantages, the Scots were unable to replicate their first-half success as the gap on the scoreboard continued to dance just out of their reach.
“They’re very good, they played well and did the things they had to do,” Seaman said. “We came back twice. We managed to get within one or two there. I’m never happy with calls anyway, but they didn’t go our way and that was too bad.”
With the defeat, the Scots will turn to a massive junior class next season following this year’s opportunity left wonting in Naples.
“We have seven guys that are graduating, and they’ve been great leaders.” Seaman said. “It’s our junior class that’s so strong and they’ll come back with a really bitter taste now. That makes practice easier next year.”
Alex Peterman covers high school sports for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: State lacrosse: Benjamin boys take down St. Andrew’s in successful Class 1A title defense
Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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