The Salem High boys’ lacrosse team is going to the state final. The Spartans upset Class 4 powerhouse Atlee at Spartan Field Tuesday, 7-5, to earn a spot in Saturday’s state championship game at Charlottesville High School. Face off time is 10 am.
The Spartans earned the right to play for the state championship. Atlee had won the last three Class 4 state championships since dropping from Class 5 three years ago, and most folks figured they were the team to beat again. Now, that team might be Salem.
The Spartans will be playing Loudoun County for the state championship Saturday in Charlottesville. The Captains, from Leesburg, defeated Meridian High in overtime Tuesday in the other semifinal, 12-11. Loudoun County is 17-3 and they beat two common opponents with Salem in their region. They beat Broad Run, 11-6, and Jefferson Forest, 15-11, to reach the state semifinals, where they beat Meridian.
Salem was considered to have the tougher draw with Atlee on Tuesday but the Spartans were fired up from the get-go and got off to a great start, leading 3-0 after the first quarter on goals by Jackson Jones, Jackson Wininger and Oliver Farber. Ty Hicklin made it 4-0 in the second period before Atlee finally scored, then Parker Dallas found the net for a 5-1 halftime lead.
The Raiders struck first in the second half but Holden Custer answered with 8:15 left in the third period to make it 6-2. Salem was happy to use some clock at this point, but Atlee managed to score with one second left in the period and it was 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Salem’s defense stopped the Raiders at every turn as the fourth quarter wound down. Wade Marble scored with 3:49 to go to put Salem up 7-3, and when Dallas scored again 20 seconds later it appeared to be time to warm up the bus. However, Atlee challenged Parker’s stick and it was determined to be illegal, wiping out the goal. A long discussion followed, and when play resumed Atlee scored two to cut the lead to 7-5 with 1:34 to go.
The final minute and half was hectic, including a foul on Atlee for hitting Jones in the head with a stick. The Raiders had a chance to cut the lead to one with just under a minute remaining but Salem goalie Richard Hof made a sensational point-blank save and the Spartans were able to run out the clock.
‘Massive, massive win,” said Salem coach George Revercomb. “Beating the three-time state champs with this home crowd. Our defense played great. Just massive!!”
Last Friday at Spartan Field the Salem boys defeated Broad Run, 9-4, to advance to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Salem got off to a good start with a 2-1 lead after one quarter, as Marble scored both goals. They upped the lead to 5-1 before scoring twice in the final minute. Jones scored with 50 seconds until halftime, then Ryan Warren won the faceoff and fired one in six seconds later for a 7-1 halftime lead and Salem was in firm control.
Dallas, Wininger and Marble all had two goals for Salem and Dallas also had two assists. Scoring single goals were Custer, Jones and Warren, who won nine of 14 faceoffs to keep Salem in control of the ball. Hof had 10 saves in goal.
Salem is now 15-3 heading into the state championship game, and with Tuesday’s win the Spartans finished undefeated at home.
“So proud of this team,” said Revercomb. “But we still have one more to go.”
