The Rockbridge County High School boys lacrosse teams suffered a pair of losses last week, falling 9-6 at Blacksburg last Monday before losing 18-3 to Salem at home on Thursday.
With the losses, the Wildcats fell to 3-7, and their losing streak extended to five games. The game against Blacksburg (9-3) was close until the Bruins pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Andrew Kelly led the Wildcats with three goals, while Miles Holland, Grayden Brown and Pat Looney each scored once. Brown and Aiden Meyers each dished out one assist. In goal, RC senior Chase Pooley made eight saves.
Salem 18, RC 3
Facing defending Class 4 state champion Salem (10-1), the Wildcats suffered an 18-3 home loss on Thursday night in Lexington.
Grayden Brown scored all three of the Wildcats’ goals, and Pooley made 16 saves. Pooley and RC’s defenders kept the Spartans scoreless until Tucker Preas put in a goal a little over six minutes into the game. Late in the quarter, the Spartans scored again to make it 2-0. “I thought we played a really good first quarter and mentally were sharp,” said RC head coach Davey Jones. “Salem is the kind of team that’s going to take advantage of every single mistake.”
The Spartans did just that, extended their lead to 4-0 early in the second quarter before Brown scored to cut it to 4-1. After four more Spartan goals, Brown scored from Salem goalie Richard Hof’s left side to cut Salem’s lead to 8-2, but the Spartans added two more goals to take a 10-2 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Salem scored five more goals before Brown put in his third goal with 2:17 left, and the Spartans scored again to take a 16-3 lead into the fourth quarter. Salem added two more goals in the fourth quarter.
Before the game, the Wildcats honored senior manager Hayley Higgins and their 16 senior players: Brown, Pooley, Kelly, Meyers, Trenten Cash, Benjamin Davis, Malcolm Forbes, Justin Higgins, Avery McDaniel, Brennan McDaniel, Cole Peters, Daniel Reed, Caleb Robinson, Dusten Sisk, Liam Stillwell and Jack Wonderly.
Praising the seniors, Jones said, “I think it was a great night to honor the seniors. Grayden got those three goals, which is awesome.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to play at William Byrd on Monday and will play at Cave Spring tonight, Wednesday, before playing their final home game of the regular season next Wednesday, May 13. Both nights are scheduled to start with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity games scheduled to follow at 7.
Last Thursday’s game was likely the last to be played at Prasnicki-Ross Field at Veterans Stadium because RC will be installing artificial turf on its home field, likely starting next week. While the work is being done, the Wildcats will play their lacrosse and soccer games on the turf field at The Fields at Southern Virginia University.
Looking ahead, Jones said, “There’s still a lot of lacrosse left to play, and there’s still a path left to the postseason for us. That’s really what we’re focused on right now.”
ABOVE, RC senior midfielder Aiden Meyers (4) and sophomore midfielder Parker Flint (right) battle a Salem player for the ball as a Spartan goes to the ground. AT LEFT, Wildcat senior attackman Grayden Brown gets ready to take a shot while a Salem player guards him. Brown scored all three of RC’s goals. BELOW, A Spartan prepares to shoot as RC goalie Chase Pooley protects the goal and RC seniors Benjamin Davis (second from left) and Cole Peters (third from left) play defense. Pooley made 16 saves. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photos)
