Huntingtown High School senior midfielder Jackson Parker looks to get past Kent Island senior defender Nick Kline in the first quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Parker scored the Hurricanes’ first goal, but Kline and the Buccaneers eventually won 8-7 in overtime to advance to the state finals.
Huntingtown High School senior goalie Zach Powell keeps close watch on the Kent Island attackers in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Powell recorded more than a dozen saves but the Hurricanes eventually fell to the Buccaneers 8-7 in overtime.
Huntingtown High School senior Jimi Carter looks to get good shooting position against Kent Island defender Gavan Henry in the third quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Carter scored the game’s first goal but eventually the Buccaneers got the last one for an 8-7 overtime victory over the Hurricanes.
Huntingtown High School senior Nate Duvall turns the corner on several Kent Island defenders and looks for a clear shot in the third quarter of the 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Duvall scored the tying goal late for the Hurricanes, but the Buccaneers eventually prevailed 8-7 in overtime in that contest.
Huntingtown High School senior midfielder Jackson Parker looks to get past Kent Island senior defender Nick Kline in the first quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Parker scored the Hurricanes’ first goal, but Kline and the Buccaneers eventually won 8-7 in overtime to advance to the state finals.
Staff photo by Ted Black
Huntingtown High School senior goalie Zach Powell keeps close watch on the Kent Island attackers in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Powell recorded more than a dozen saves but the Hurricanes eventually fell to the Buccaneers 8-7 in overtime.
Staff photos by Ted Black
Huntingtown High School senior Jimi Carter looks to get good shooting position against Kent Island defender Gavan Henry in the third quarter of last Friday’s 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Carter scored the game’s first goal but eventually the Buccaneers got the last one for an 8-7 overtime victory over the Hurricanes.
Staff photo by Ted Black
Huntingtown High School senior Nate Duvall turns the corner on several Kent Island defenders and looks for a clear shot in the third quarter of the 2A state semifinal game at Paint Branch. Duvall scored the tying goal late for the Hurricanes, but the Buccaneers eventually prevailed 8-7 in overtime in that contest.
In a game that truly neither team deserved to lose, the Huntingtown High School boys lacrosse team saw its bid for a state title come to a heartbreaking conclusion last Friday evening when the Hurricanes were edged by defending state champion Kent Island High School 8-7 in overtime in a 2A state semifinal contest at Paint Branch in Montgomery County.
Huntingtown (18-1) had fallen to Kent Island in last year’s 2A state title clash at Loyola University and last Friday the Hurricanes and Buccaneers were almost inseparable throughout a semifinal contest that could have easily passed for a championship game. Huntingtown led by as many as two goals once, but the teams were tied on six different occasions and fittingly needed overtime to decide the outcome.
“I’m so proud of the way our guys played from start to finish,” said Huntingtown coach Pete Kerwin. “Our seniors and our younger guys all played with a lot of heart the entire game. They’ve set the bar high for the program. Our ultimate goal is to get to the [2A State] championship game every year. But just because you don’t and you lose one game doesn’t mean the season was not a success.”
Midway through the first quarter Huntingtown senior Jimi Carter gave the Hurricanes a brief 1-0 lead only to see it matched moments later by Kent Island’s Eric Hofmann. In the waning seconds of the first quarter, Huntingtown senior Jackson Parker scored to lift the Hurricanes to a 2-1 edge and early in the second quarter Carter’s second tally pushed the advantage to 3-1.
“It really was a great game to be a part of,” said Carter, who along with Parker and goalie Zach Powell are all headed to Barton College in North Carolina for men’s lacrosse for the next four years. “I was enjoying every minute of it. It was a great game. I loved playing with these guys all four years and now I’ll get to play four more years with two of my teammates.”
While the two teams would combine for only five goals in the first half, they matched that sum in a frenetic third quarter. Kent Island’s Brady Vodehnal scored six seconds into the second half to bring the Buccaneers even, but Carter gave the Hurricanes a brief lead three minutes later. Tucker Claxton tied it at 4-all with 4:30 left in the third then Johnny Hollinshead gave the Hurricanes another brief lead before Michah Quinn tied it at 5-all late in the third.
Midway through the fourth quarter consecutive goals from Kent Island’s Mark Rees gave the Buccaneers a 7-6 lead with 6:40 remaining, but the Hurricanes finally got the equalizer when senior Nate Duvall scored with 1:31 left. Hofmann nearly won it in regulation for the Bucs, but Powell made a tough save with the shooter in close range to send the game into overtime.
As it had done through much of the game, Kent Island won the face-off draw to start the sudden death overtime and seconds later it was Claxton who held possession. Powell had rebuffed the junior on several occasions in regulation, but on its opening of the overtime, Claxton rifled a high shot past the keeper to vault the Bucs to an 8-7 victory.
“It was a very tough game right from the start,” said Parker. “It really felt like a championship game. Both teams gave it their all and our guys, even our young guys, had a lot to be proud of. The program has really come a long way. I think we helped establish the success of this program.”
Two days after upending River Hill 10-9 in the 3A State quarterfinals, the Chopticon High School boys lacrosse team fell to Severna Park 24-4 in the 3A State semifinals at Crofton High School on Friday evening. The Falcons scored early and often against the Braves, who had garnered the 3A South Region title and subsequent state quarterfinal victories in their previous two outings.
