BE boys' lacrosse team captures first state title!
They came. They saw. Then, they conquered.
The Bishop England boys’ lacrosse team won the Class AAAA state championship Saturday with an 11-4 victory over A.C. Flora. The team traveled to Chapin High School to accomplish the feat and before their match, they watched their girl compatriots at BE pick up their second straight state crown.
Did boys’ coach Sean Keiper and his team feel the pressure of great expectations?
“No, I don’t think we felt pressure,” said Keiper, who capped his first year at the school with a 14-3 record and the ultimate prize. “We saw opportunity … to see the girls win their title and then be able to bring both trophies home – it was an exciting opportunity.”
The High School League sanctioned lacrosse as a sport in 2010, and the Bishops have eyed the prize for quite a while. This season, the team seemed primed for a run at the title because the HSL split the sport into two divisions, meaning the Bishops didn’t have to compete against schools with four and five times the enrollment numbers. Another number, 12, also aided the Bishops’ run. That’s how many seniors were on the roster.
“From the beginning of the season, everyone was aware of how big our senior class was. The seniors helped bring in the underclassmen, who bought into the program. The seniors have played for a while and did a good job of setting the bar high for future teams. It was great that they ended their careers with a state championship.”
The Bishops began the postseason with a 13-5 victory over Bluffton and followed that up with a 17-3 decision over Waccamaw. The Bishops survived a 9-8 match over Hilton Head in the Lower State championship to advance against A.C. Flora, a team they defeated 12-5 in the regular season.
“We knew, coming in, that they were a good team, well coached with good athletes,” Keiper said. “Anytime, you are in a state championship, you know you’re going to be in a fight. We knew we had our work cut out for us. But the team has worked since day one. It’s never easy to play at that level at that time of the year.”
The Bishops made it look easy against A.C. Flora, scoring three goals in just over the first minute of the match. The Bishops were in control, 8-0, at halftime. Connor Malark and Michael Gaffney both recorded hat tricks to lead the Bishops.
Keiper said winning a state title in his first year will help make it easier to get students interested and involved in the team.
“We have such great kids who worked hard and deserve this,” Keiper said. “When you win, people notice. That makes it easier to get more players out and help keep the momentum moving forward. Now, we can say we have been there. I am already looking forward to next season and to continue making great things happen.”