Highlanders and Hornets win
JUPITER – The Lake Highland Prep boys lacrosse team pulled off another playoff rally on Friday, this time in the final four.
The Highlanders scored three unanswered goals late in the fourth quarter, including a game-winner by Jack Vaughan with 31.1 seconds remaining in a stunning 9-8 victory over Lake Mary in an all-Central Florida state semifinal at Jupiter High School.
The Highlanders (16-6) extended their 14-game winning streak this season against area teams but now face a South Florida juggernaut.
LHP meets defending champion and state No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (20-1) in tonight’s state final at 7:05.
Lake Highland, ranked No. 1 in the Sentinel Super Six, will look to win its sixth state title.
Vaughan scored twice in the last three minutes of the game to lift his team to the victory.
“We were resilient and fought back and never gave up,” Vaughan said.
“My teammates were able to find me and I was able to bury it in the net. It's a great win.”
Area No. 2 Lake Mary (16-6) lost to the Highlanders 15-3 in a February regular season game but the rematch was no rout.
Lake Highland jumped out to a 3-0 first-quarter lead, but the Rams scored the next six goals and appeared to have all the momentum early in the third quarter.
Lake Mary failed to score in the final quarter and the Highlanders outscored the Rams 6-2 in the game’s final 22 minutes.
Lake Highland had to rally twice in the playoffs to advance, defeating Hagerty 9-7 and Bishop Moore 13-12 in overtime.
The Bishop Moore Catholic High School girls lacrosse team is heading back to the state championship after defeating Ponte Vedra 19-12 in the state semifinals on Friday at Jupiter High School.
The Hornets (19-4) advanced to today’s final and will play Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas at 4 p.m.
Bishop Moore lost a matchup against St. Thomas Aquinas in the regular season.
The Hornets, who were ranked No. 1 in the Super Six area rankings entering Friday, will play in the state championship game for the first time since 2012, during which the school fell to Vero Beach.
“We played very well and we were patient and smart,” Bishop Moore coach Kelly Blystone said of Friday’s semifinal win. “We controlled the draw and we have so many options on the attack.”
The Hornets trailed 4-3 but scored four unanswered goals and went on to take a 11-5 lead into halftime.
After taking a 14-6 lead in the second half, Ponte Vedra scored four consecutive goals to cut the deficit 14-10. Abby Spalding, who scored three goals, answered back for the Hornets to turn the momentum and help her team pull away.
Makayla Hofmann scored four goals and Nicole Blystone scored three goals and added three assists. Ellie Stricker chipped in with three goals and Abby Kachris scored twice.
“We were focused and kept up our intensity and we are playing well as a team,” Blystone said. “St. Thomas is a good team and we will have to play well.”