BC High takes Div. 1 South
FRANKLIN — The BC High boys lacrosse team, with the pedigree of a perennial contender over the last five years, built a little bit of a chip on its shoulder when it was seeded No. 6 in the Div. 1 South playoffs this year.
Sunday , behind yet another bevy of scorers in the sectional title game against undefeated top seed Franklin, the Eagles showed why.
Louis Timmins and Vin Horton each buried hat tricks for BC High (14-3), leading an offensive onslaught en route to a 14-9 win over the Panthers (18-1) for its fourth Div. 1 South crown over the last five postseasons. The Eagles’ efforts came as part of a huge first half in which eight different players tallied a goal, using that momentum to maintain a lead the majority of the way and survive some bursts from a potent Franklin bunch.
A pair of goals from Owen Porter and Carter Rice gave BC High four multiple goalscorers in all, helping send them to the Div. 1 Eastern Mass. state final against familiar foe St. John’s Prep on Wednesday.
“I don’t take it for granted,” said head coach Marcus Craigwell, who won his first sectional title as head coach of the Eagles. “We knew the season that was without, which was the 2020 class. These guys have felt it. Some of these guys were on that championship team, so they realized. But a lot of guys are young. We just needed them to really buy in as well, and they did. … The pedigree is there, something I didn’t have to teach.”
Runs played a major factor in this one, as Timmins teamed up with Will Emsing and Emmett Martin for the first of three different stretches of three or more consecutive goals to help BC High to a 3-0 lead seven minutes in.
Luke Davis, who was nothing short of sensational with four goals and an assist for Franklin, brought the Panthers to a one-goal deficit shortly after, but that’s when Horton combined with Tim Rogers (2 assists) and Porter to put the lead at 6-2 just one minute into the second quarter. Again, Davis found pay dirt twice to bring Franklin back within 6-4, but that would be the closest it would get the rest of the way.
Timmins, Rice and James Carroll closed out the half with a 3-0 run to pull ahead 9-4. Matty Lazzaro (3 goals, 2 assists) found some room to heat up in the second half to help Franklin grind back to within 11-7 entering the final frame, but Timmins sparked a 3-2 advantage in the frame to seal the victory.
The senior, who has really enjoyed these playoffs after the last year’s season was canceled, also posted a hat trick in the semifinal win against No. 2 Natick.
“I’m not really sure (what’s opened up for me),” Timmins said. “Just, I think I just have another level when it comes to playoffs. I’ve been waiting for so long to get back to this point that I’ve just showed up. I’m glad it’s worked out how it did.”