The Salem Spartans will be looking to defend their Class 4 state lacrosse championship this Saturday when they take on E.C. Glass at Heritage High School in Leesburg. Game time is 10 am.
The Spartans will take a 16-2 record to Leesburg after defeating Hanover High in the state semifinal on Tuesday. The Spartans won 6-4 in Mechanicsville in a low scoring game.
The Spartans had beaten Hanover in a prior game this season, 11-4, and Salem looked good in this one with a 5-1 lead through three quarters. However the Hawks, coached by former Salem High player James Mahan, put a scare into the Spartans before the visitors escaped with a hard fought win.
Salem got two goals from Logan Sparks and one each from Parker Dallas, Holden Custer, Wade Marble and Oliver Farber. Richard Hof played an outstanding game in goal for the Spartans.
With the win Salem will play E.C. Glass for the third time this season, and this one is for all the marbles. The Spartans won the first meeting in Lynchburg, 13-5, but the Hilltoppers downed the Spartans, 7-6, in the Region D final in Salem just last week. That loss gave Glass a state quarterfinal home game while Salem traveled to Ashburn last Friday where the Spartans defeated Broad Run, 13-5.
This one was over early as the Spartans went up 5-1 after the first quarter and 8-2 at the half. Salem led 11-2 after three quarters as Broad Run scored three late goals with the game well out of reach.
Custer led Salem with four goals. Sparks had three goals and three assists, Marble had three goals and two assists and Dallas went four and four. Freshman Nate McNeil also had a goal.
Meanwhile, Glass beat Woodgrove in their quarterfinal, 20-6, and Tuesday the Hilltoppers beat previously unbeaten Meridian in the other state semifinal, 15-7. Glass is now 16-4 on the season.
The All-Region 4 team has been announced and Salem was well-represented. Dallas is first team attack and Region 4D Player of the Year. Also named to the first team were Marble at midfield, Ronnie Frith and Carson Garland on defense, Farber at short stick midfield and Hof in the goal. Second teamers are Tucker Preas on attack, Sparks at midfield, Andrew Nevergold at long stick midfield and Tristen Tucker on faceoffs.
