An impressive first half propelled the Rockbridge County High School boys lacrosse team to a 21-9 victory over Hidden Valley in Roanoke on Monday of last week.
The Wildcats (3-2) jumped out to a 9-1 advantage by the end of the first quarter and led 16-4 at halftime in claiming their third consecutive win.
John Brooke and Grayden Brown combined for 21 points to pace the RC attack, with Brooke totaling three goals and 10 assists and Brown notching six goals and two helpers. Andrew Kelly won 14-of-16 faceoffs and scored two goals for the Wildcats.
After falling behind 5-2 in the first period to Franklin County just four days earlier – the ’Cats still stormed back to beat the Eagles by a 20-9 final – RC head coach Davey Jones talked with his team about setting the tone early on.
“You don’t want to be in a position where you have to fight your way back into it,” Jones said. “We focused on how we were going to start this game, and the guys delivered. A lot of energy right out of the gate. It was just a noticeable difference: our defense was talking; our bench was loud.”
Ashtin Taylor and Finn Looney split time between the pipes for the Wildcats against the Titans (1-5), and each goalie recorded six saves. Aiden Meyers and Parker Flint both spelled Kelly at the faceoff dot, with Meyers claiming 6-of-11 draws and Flint winning 4-of-6.
And while Brooke and Brown posted the big numbers on attack, RC’s entire offensive unit was productive. Patrick Looney had two goals and one assist, Quincy Speers notched a goal and two assists, and Price Lunsford and Justin Higgins each snagged a pair of goals. The Wildcats also got one marker apiece from Flint, Malcolm Forbes and Zach Hart.
“I love our offense because the guys are unselfish. They’re working for good shots,” Jones said. “We have six guys on the field at any given time who are threats with the ball.”
RC will take on Cave Spring in Lexington tonight, Wednesday, followed by a home date with William Byrd on Monday. Junior varsity action begins at 5:30 p.m. on both evenings, with varsity action scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
