Wilson beats Exeter 13-5 to win their 10th straight county title
While Wilson may not have expected to win its 10th consecutive BCIAA boys lacrosse championship, maintaining the title has become the Bulldogs’ benchmark for success.
Lifting the Berks trophy was a goal that first-year head coach Ryan Schaeffer and his team realized after defeating Exeter 13-5 to win a 129th straight game against Berks opponents Thursday at Albright College.
“This is not something that we take lightly or are just expected to have,” Wilson coach Ryan Scheaffer said. “I coach for moments like this, and it’s not for me, it’s for them. They worked hard to get it and they got it done. So I’m proud of them.”
Senior Dylan Garber and junior Seamus Breslin each led the Bulldogs with three goals, and senior Gavin Lenart led Wilson with three assists against Exeter. Now the Bulldogs will look to use the county championship as springboard for a successful run at districts.
“I wouldn’t say it’s (the
BCIAA title) like the expectation here at Wilson, but we’re here to win games,” Lenart said. “With this streak alive it adds some fire to just keep it going, keep having fun and keep winning out here.”
With the Bulldogs having accomplished their first goal, their sights are set on successfully defending their District 3 Class 3A title. Wilson (16-4) is seeded fifth and opens at home against No. 12 South Western Tuesday at 7 p.m.
So far they have proved those wrong who doubted the squad after they lost 13 seniors from last year.
“I’m just proud; it was one of our original goals going into the season,” Breslin said after Thursday’s win. “There was a lot of talk because we lost a lot of seniors last year, but I believe we still have talented classes that can prove what we can do and I’m excited for what districts has to hold.”
And the Bulldogs do indeed have talent.
Freshman Carter Brensinger leads the team in goals with 41. Despite being one of the smaller members of the roster, Brensinger’s size has been an advantage to him.
“I think as a younger kid, I don’t dodge a lot to score,” Brensinger said. “I play a lot of off-the-ball stuff and a lot of my teammates get me open and then I can finish for them, which helps us get the win.
“I know a lot of these guys have been keeping it (winning streak) going for a while, but I’m new. They really brought me in and it really helped me get to this level I’m playing at.”
Lenart also noted that Brensinger’s presence has added to an already dynamic offense.
“I mean, the little guy, Brensinger, he’s finding gaps,” Lenart said. “You know, he’s a mover; everybody’s just working off ball and I can see it.”
Working off the ball is a key component of the Wilson offense as the Bulldogs strive to control possession and move around the net with fast-paced passing. The possession game starts with the faceoff battle, and Wilson trusts that Matt Stitzel, the 2021 Berks co-Player of the Year, will take care of business in that department.
“Listen, I can’t speak enough about Matt Stitzel and what he brings to our team,” Scheaffer said. “He controls games for us; it’s that simple. And, and as much as teams game plan against him, it’s very difficult for them.”
Stitzel won 16 faceoffs against Exeter Thursday, which helped the Bulldogs not allow Exeter to score two in a row at any point. Stitzel has 15 goals and 17 assists, while acting as another potent piece of an offense that has eight players with double-digit goal totals.
“When we can control the sort of make-it, take-it, score-a-goal game, and know that we have a chance to get it right back, it’s a good feeling,” Scheaffer said. “So he (Stitzel) means a lot to us. And he’s going to help continue pushing us through to hopefully another championship at districts.”
With plenty of firepower on hand, Wilson will be finetuning its squad in hopes of bringing home another championship.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Lenart said. “I know we have a tough district schedule. And the expectation is still there: Go back-to-back and just work our butts off and keep going.”