Severna Park Edges out Churchill for State LAX Championship (PHOTOS)
Moshyedi urges on Churchill fans after his explosive goal
Let’s set the record straight Severna Park got lucky with their 7-6 win against Churchill at Owings Mill May 24th.
Churchill fell short by about 50 seconds to either winning their first state lacrosse championship or at least forcing a sudden victory overtime period. Instead the Severna Park Falcon’s escaped with their 37th consecutive win and their second straight MPSSAA state lacrosse championship.
Churchill outplayed and kept the Falcons in the position of playing behind the entire game until the last 3.1 seconds when the Falcons took the lead and championship away from Churchill.
Given a second chance I am sure that Churchill players and coaches might have approached the last 50 seconds of this game with more concentration. Up to this point the Bulldogs had the Falcons playing back on their heels. The Bulldogs survived a resurgent second half Falcon team and still maintained a share of the lead when fortune played into their hands.
Churchill played probably their best game of the last two seasons but it was not without mistakes mostly on the offensive side of the field. Too many errant passes in front of the Falcon’s goal and turnovers kept the Falcons in the game. Churchill could have and should have put the Falcons away in the 4th quarter but fell short with their play in front of the crease.
If using sideline fan chatter from the Falcon’s faithful is any measure, the Severna Park team had to be frustrated by the deliberate time consuming play exhibited for 47 minutes by Churchill. The Falcon fans were on the officials to call timing fouls for not attempting a shot on goal. They would clock the time and then scream it out to the officials pleading for a penalty – to no avail. In fact it may have worked the opposite for their team since Churchill’s ball control was indeed frustrating for the Falcon’s for the entire game and they did not need any off field reminders.
All of this worked well enough until after bone crushing plays in the last 90 seconds when Churchill recovered a Severna Park turnover ground ball to call a time out with about 58 seconds left on the clock and the score tied 6 to 6. Coming out of that time out Churchill needed to do is to maintain ball control as it had it done in the prior quarters and run the clock down for a final shot on goal or perhaps maybe two.
You see two things were working in favor of Churchill, the clock and the weight upon Severna Park of winning 36 games in a row. The Falcons, in the last 50 seconds were in that rare air where they were afraid to lose and Churchill had nothing to lose.
The lacrosse gods however did not look at this in the same manner. At the 40-second mark Churchill’s offense turned over the ball when no one came to help out giving Severna Park the lucky edge they needed. Some 37 seconds and a timeout later to set up the game winning play Severna Park scored and claimed the championship.
Now let me be the first to say this officially – the best lacrosse team play is right here in the 208 zip code area. If you are reading this article and know anything about this sport please don’t fall into the trap that the Baltimore zip code areas of 210 to 212 has the better teams. They do not. It is hokum to think because Montgomery County has never won a state lacrosse championship either in the Women or Men’s division that we lack the right stuff.
Churchill this evening was as good, may I say even better, than their counterpart from the nearby Annapolis area. Sometimes lady luck has a favorite but that too will end because of the way teams like Churchill continue to raise the bar in the Montgomery County public school arena. They will eventually make their own luck.
Lastly, to prove my point about Montgomery County lacrosse as being the best in the state – within a 7-mile radius of the interchange of River Road and I-495 we have three of the best high school talented teams in this sport with teams comprised from Landon, Bullis and of course Churchill. Expand that radius out a little farther and talent level, both public and private, is indeed improving. Had either of those two private schools (Landon or Bullis) or other privates from within the state been allowed to play (at the MPSSAA 3A/4A level) we might have had a different outcome.
Congratulations to Severna Park – it was an exciting win. May you continue your streak in 2018 but be sure to look over your shoulder because the talent pool chasing you is getting closer.
Here below are some photos of last night’s MPSSAA event from Stevenson University in Owings Mill.
All photos copyrighted
Photos 2017 © Phil Fabrizio | as PhotoLoaf for MCM
This sounds like sour grapes to me. Landon and Bullis crushed Churchill this season. Add Severna Park to that list now. They may not have crushed them but we adapted to Churchills game of keep away.
Jeff, it’s fact check time: Churchill entered state finals with a record of 18 -1, their only loss was to Landon, they did not play Bullis in 2017. So thanks for your comments and learn of your support of the Champions from Severna Park with that great tradition of outstanding lacrosse. It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it.
There is a reason a Montgomery team has never won a championship and that is because they aren’t good. This year was the first year I have ever seen a good team come out of Montgomery county. Severna Park is state champs and your going to have to deal with that, they are the better team and that’s why they are champs!!!!!
Thanks Ryan for the comments, it’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
This may be the absolutely dumbest thing i’ve ever read given that the author who wrote this is completely bias towards Churchill, and it sounds like he shit his pants when Jack Thomas hit the game winner. Maybe you can write an article on luck and how that effects the outcome in sports… wait it doesn’t because skill, talent, and heart is what gets the gold and though Chruchill is a good team and played all around better then SP last night they didn’t have the balls or heart to pull up and win so until you get those have fun being known as “Runner Up”. #B2BChamps #theproofisinthepudding
Thanks for the comments, Thomas was all around the net at Mustang Stadium as he was in the semi’s against Montgomery Blair on 5/19 on that wet turf field in Gaithersburg, he is a talent for sure. It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
“Scoreboard.” Churchill played really well, but couldn’t close it out.
Severna Park played great defense against a good team. People forget that Severna Park played tight games against three really good teams, Hereford, Severn and Spaulding in the beginning of the season. So while they blew out a lot of teams, they got the job done at the end.
When a Montgomery County team crushes a Balt/Naptown team in the final then you will have to something say.
Thanks William for the comments and you defending of Severna Park with that great tradition of outstanding lacrosse. It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
I’m going to say this straight up and that is that Anne Arundel county has better lacrosse than Montgomery county. The players are much better too. Down there you guys have 3 schools with good lacrosse, Bullis, Landon, and Churchill. In Anne Arundel county we have more schools. Are talent is spread throughout at least 7-10 lacrosse teams. Many kids from AA County also go up to Baltimore to play for schools like Boys Latin and Calvert Hall. The players from Anne Arundel county are better and there are more schools so the talent gets spread out. Don’t say your little 7 mile radius of talent is better because it’s not.
Glad to see you defending AA county with that great tradition of outstanding lacrosse. It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and perhaps try wishing both teams well in the future.
TO HEAR YOU THE FINAL SCORE SHOULD NOT COUNT. MOST LOSERS FEEL THAT WAY. YES CHURCHILL PLAYED A GOOD GAME BUT THE SCORE SOMEHOW TELLS WHO THE WINNER IS. THE TENACITY THAT SEVRNA PARK HAD AND THE ABILITY TO SCORE AS NECESSARY TO WIN IS WHAT SHOWS A WINNER. HATS SHOULD BE OFF TO BOTH TEAMS FOR A WONDERFULL GAME AND TO BOTH TEAMS CONTINUED SUCCESS. THEY BOTH PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT AND CHURCHILL SHOULD NOT HAVE THEIR REPUTATION TARNISHED BY SECOND GUESSING HOW THEY SHOULD OR COULD HAVE. THEY PLAYED VERY GOOD BUT STILL LOST.YOU SHOULD BE CONGRADULATIG THEM, FOR THIER OUTSTANDING PLAY NOT SECOND GUESSING THEM
Great point Dave both played their hearts out and represented their schools with honor. It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across it. Thanks again for your comments and wishing both teams well in the future.
Phil, you fail to point out that in the first quarter of the game a Stall Warning was called on Churhill. Shortly after the Stall was called by the officials, Churchill stepped out of the box, resulting in a turnover (technical foul, not a penalty as written above)
“The Falcon fans were on the officials to call timing fouls for not attempting a shot on goal. They would clock the time and then scream it out to the officials pleading for a penalty”
Additionally the Falcon fans were simply looking for consistency amoung the officials throughout the game. The initial Stall call against Churchill was put on during a 1st quarter possession that lasted about a minute and a half. Churchill was not making moves to the goal or shooting the ball. They continued to play the same way throughout the rest of the game and yet never received another stall warning.
I get that it was Churchill’s “game plan” to slow the ball down. But if the officials were consistant and used the same criteria they used to call the inital stall warning in the first quarter, then they would most certainly have had another stall to call on Churchill in 2nd/3rd and 4th quarters.
Thanks for the article.
Kevin, I have learned over the years to leave the officials to what they do best. Through the camera lens I have seen many calls that could have gone a different way and in lacrosse I am way too busy to watch the clock and the game. I too do hear the calls from the stands behind me. For instance in this game, I perceived that the off field commentary did not help Severna Park. In the end it really did not matter because the Falcon boys were strong enough to overcome many distractions and the coaches had them focused to win after halftime. It was a championship worthy game and great 4th quarter.
Just one more thought – I thought there were two stall calls – the first one in the first quarter lead to a Churchill goal by Moshyedi at the Mustang end of the stadium and then the second was as you described at the scoreboard end of the stadium. No need to answer – it makes no difference to the ultimate outcome.
So hey Kevin, it’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and “your welcome” on the article. Just now looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
How about them TERPS – winning both Men’s and Women’s lacrosse stacked with many in state players on both rosters.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in years, Severna Park was dominant this whole year and I’ll be quick to point out the fact that they have 10 D1 commits and 8 of which are in that senior class. This class is also on a 37 game winning streak and a championship last year which you mentioned. So how can you blame the lacrosse Gods, that’s funny. The SP kids know what it’s like to grind these games out. Their skill and talent helped them pull that win out, not luck. A team this good doesn’t get lucky, they have some damn good talent that helps them win games.
Ah Wilson, c’,mon man, I am only human. Yeah, I mis-characterized the turning point of the game. It’s so great that the Falcon’s were stacked this year with many quality players and hopefully their understudies’ are ready to step in to continue that outstanding Falcon lacrosse tradition. Up till the last 3.1 seconds that 37th wasn’t secured, but SP came through with Thomas’s Glory Day’s moment to win it.
Are there lacrosse gods?
So the sport was born in the Iroquois nation – you go figure. The French Catholic missionaries named the Iroquois sticks after a bishops scepter, thus the name Lacrosse. To the Iroquois Nation the game was also a mechanism for socialization and settling arguments. It promoted stability in the community by appealing to tradition. Every tribe had its own mythology about the first ball game that was played by the gods of creation. Many who played the game were buried with their sticks.
Community. Tradition. Stability. Fellowship. Mythology. Tribe. Substitute – Severna Park. Potomac. Schools with Tradition. A game fairly played. Respect. Hand shakes at the end of the game.
So Wilson, I will let you decide on the mythology gods part. Lest you doubt how the game was honored you might just put a spell on future success.
It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
How about them TERPS – winning both Men’s and Women’s lacrosse stacked with many in state players on both rosters.
Blogger Note: On todays NCAA Champions 2017 UMD D1 men’s lacrosse roster you will find student athletes from these Maryland High Schools – Boy’s Latin, Bullis Prep, Calvert Hall, Churchill, Howard, Hereford, Georgetown Prep, Gonzaga (DC), South River, Severn, St. Pauls, Stephen Decatur.
All the players and parents and supporters of Maryland Lacrosse are proud but perhaps no father/son duo may be as proud in this their tradition as Louis Dubick of Churchill, Class of 2015 This All-Met and state recorder holder and his father share playing for Maryland – in a NCAA final four. Louis will have a ring that his dad never had when he played in his final four in 1983.
I realize that you are very supportive of Churchill as you should be. Both teams challenged each other and Churchill did their homework. Here are some stats that you did not mention. Severna Park got 2 out of 13 FaceOffs and Churchill had a few more ground balls and several
Man Up advantages. Even with those Stats Severna Park overcame the adversity and won. So, despite Churchills possessions, Severna Park won because at the end of the day on that night they were the better team. It doesn’t matter if it was in the last few seconds or not. It only takes one goal to win.
Well said Lelya, stats at the end of the game are one thing – it’s the score on the board that matters most. It was a very clean game with little interruptions by the officials and thus they let the teams play. I did not pick up the stat sheet after the game so you must be right on with those stats. Had Churchill won the other stat in my estimation that might have stuck out in their favor was TOP. As for being supportive of Churchill – on that night – that was my role it could have been any Montgomery County team and I would have been just as supportive.
It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across all of it. Thanks again for your comments and looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.
How about them TERPS – winning both Men’s and Women’s lacrosse stacked with many in state players on both rosters.
Phil,
I know it is almost a week since the game between Churchill & Severna Park. I enjoyed your article. I am of the opinion that Lacrosse is about to boom all over the state of Maryland.
Montgomery County Lacrosse is definitely already on the map. With a large number of kids playing college at all levels.
About the Championship Game:
There was a few minutes in the 1st quarter that greatly impacted the game. The referees actually made an error on a critical “Quick Re-Start”
Severna Park attackman was called for a crease violation behind the net. Before the ref blew his whistle to end the play, the attackman had already passed the ball above the crease to a midfielder. The midfielder dropped the ball at his feet. A Churchill long Pole picked up the ball ran about 10 yards when the ref blew his whistle to restart play. The Churchill defender was given a fast break, running start, which resulted in Goal and a penalty. Penalty was late hit, so no face-off……2-0 for Churchill.
The Referee crew made a major error. Churchill should have been awarded the ball at the point of the infraction…….near the crease. Not 15 Yards above the crease. Also in NFHS games. No running restarts allowed. So the player picked up the ball and was already running above the defensive restraining line when the whistle was blown for restart. The lead official didn’t even know what the call was….nor did the majority of players for both teams..
This allowed Churchill to go for very, very long possessions, thus taking SP out of their fast tempo game. Smart coaching by Churchill coaching staff……
Great faceoff play and excellent goaltending did the rest…….
Both teams offenses, probably had their worst day. Both teams took too many high to high shots. Players on both teams were quilty of turnovers…..turnovers and more turovers.
Severna Park was able to capitalize on several of those turnovers at critical times
Rudy, wow – this is a great recall and observation on the game. I do remember the crease violation since I was shooting on that end of the field. I have not paged back through the 1700 plus images to see if I had the capture but I was clicking away at that moment. Honestly, I was confused as to the whistle and then the placement of the ball. Thanks for the clarity for all readers and me. That was a mojo moment for Churchill and as you pointed out it lead to a score and a very long series of possessions. Both teams had their fair share of turnovers and high shots on goal as emotions ran high and as you pointed out SP was able to capitalize at the right time.
Perhaps it will be one of those games that grow in lore over time so with commentary like yours it helps to keep the game in perspective and facts straight and realistic.
See my earlier comments that I made to Kevin about the officials. MPSSAA has a method of choosing championship officials – and honestly they all try to do the best that they can. All that I can hope for is that they don’t get between my camera and field image action – so I move.
It’s a great state with great schoolboy lacrosse across ALL of it. Thanks again for your comments and looking forward to when both teams play as well in the future.