NewsAthleticsUpper School
Lacrosse, at 9-2, Remains Unbeaten in State
May 1, 1999 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
State runners-up from a year ago, the lacrosse team avenged its sudden death overtime loss to Woodward Academy last year by defeating the War Eagles 13-4 in the season opener March 18. The Tigers followed up the win with a 16 - 2 shellacking of Pace Academy the next day.
In the waning part of the season, the 9-2 Tigers, still undefeated in state play, demolished Westminster twice within five days, 16-8 and 15-4. In the first game, Thursday, April 15, Devin Flanagan scored five goals; Robert Hortman and John McElrath had four; and John Scott Husser had three. Jean Baptiste Vervaeck made 18 saves at goalie. In the second game, Tuesday, April 20, Hortman and McElrath had four goals each, and Flanagan and Will Thuston scored two goals each. Vervaeck had 16 saves.
Inbetween the Westminster victories, the team crushed Centennial 14-0 Saturday, April 17, outshooting its opponent 53-10. Hortman provided five goals, and McElrath scored twice. Goals were also made by Husser, Thuston, Ches Martin, Flanagan, Ben McElrath, and Jeff Hortman.
But the middle portion of the season was when Darlington lacrosse made the most progress: the team travelled to Wilmington, N.C., to play in the Cape Fear Academy Invitational Tournament. There, Darlington – which plays most of its games in Georgia, a state where lacrosse is still a new sport – faced teams with established lacrosse traditions: Cape Fear Academy, Cardinal Gibbons School, and Ravenscroft School.
The Tigers lost to Cape Fear and Cardinal Gibbons, the fourth- and third-ranked teams in North Carolina, which ended up playing for the tournament title. Rebounding in the third round against Ravenscroft, the Tigers scored 15 goals against the tournament’s best goalie, a Division I prospect, winning 15-6 and earning a fourth place finish in the tournament.
“It is these tournament experiences that are crucial in developing the field sense and gamesmanship which will help the Tigers to fortify their position as the premiere lacrosse team in the state,” Head Coach Tim Foote said.
In addition to the offensive leadership of Robert Hortman, Husser, and Thuston, two defensive players, Chip Johnson and Culver Kidd, scored during the tournament. Bastian Widenmayer, after having only played lacrosse for two weeks, scored his first career goal in the Tigers’ triumph over Ravenscroft.
Parent volunteers contributed to the success of the North Carolina trip. “Due to the assistance of Bob Hortman, Bob Babcock, Dan Gore, and Rusty Kidd, the lacrosse team was able to focus on the task at hand and make the most of what will surely make them the dominant team in Georgia,” said Foote.
In the waning part of the season, the 9-2 Tigers, still undefeated in state play, demolished Westminster twice within five days, 16-8 and 15-4. In the first game, Thursday, April 15, Devin Flanagan scored five goals; Robert Hortman and John McElrath had four; and John Scott Husser had three. Jean Baptiste Vervaeck made 18 saves at goalie. In the second game, Tuesday, April 20, Hortman and McElrath had four goals each, and Flanagan and Will Thuston scored two goals each. Vervaeck had 16 saves.
Inbetween the Westminster victories, the team crushed Centennial 14-0 Saturday, April 17, outshooting its opponent 53-10. Hortman provided five goals, and McElrath scored twice. Goals were also made by Husser, Thuston, Ches Martin, Flanagan, Ben McElrath, and Jeff Hortman.
But the middle portion of the season was when Darlington lacrosse made the most progress: the team travelled to Wilmington, N.C., to play in the Cape Fear Academy Invitational Tournament. There, Darlington – which plays most of its games in Georgia, a state where lacrosse is still a new sport – faced teams with established lacrosse traditions: Cape Fear Academy, Cardinal Gibbons School, and Ravenscroft School.
The Tigers lost to Cape Fear and Cardinal Gibbons, the fourth- and third-ranked teams in North Carolina, which ended up playing for the tournament title. Rebounding in the third round against Ravenscroft, the Tigers scored 15 goals against the tournament’s best goalie, a Division I prospect, winning 15-6 and earning a fourth place finish in the tournament.
“It is these tournament experiences that are crucial in developing the field sense and gamesmanship which will help the Tigers to fortify their position as the premiere lacrosse team in the state,” Head Coach Tim Foote said.
In addition to the offensive leadership of Robert Hortman, Husser, and Thuston, two defensive players, Chip Johnson and Culver Kidd, scored during the tournament. Bastian Widenmayer, after having only played lacrosse for two weeks, scored his first career goal in the Tigers’ triumph over Ravenscroft.
Parent volunteers contributed to the success of the North Carolina trip. “Due to the assistance of Bob Hortman, Bob Babcock, Dan Gore, and Rusty Kidd, the lacrosse team was able to focus on the task at hand and make the most of what will surely make them the dominant team in Georgia,” said Foote.
