Cardinal Gibbons holds off Charlotte Catholic to win 4A boys lacrosse title, 12-10
When you’re scoring goals within the final four seconds of the first half and within the opening four seconds of the second, it might just be your night.
Cardinal Gibbons boys lacrosse by no means had uninterrupted success in its 12-10 win over Charlotte Catholic in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A title game on Friday at Durham County Memorial Stadium, but the Crusaders seemed to score when it mattered – and when you wouldn’t expect them to. And as the game reached its final stage, the Crusaders managed to shut down Charlotte Catholic when it seemed like it was its turn to keep scoring.
Because of that, Gibbons (21-5) is now a state champion for a sixth time, each title coming within the last nine seasons. Charlotte Catholic, which ended the season 22-3, was aiming for its second NCHSAA title and first since 2014.
“It’s a culmination of a wonderful, wonderful year,” Gibbons head coach Gordon Galloway said. “This team has done so much for me. I’m just so grateful and rewarded to have these guys.”
Gibbons senior attacker Ayden Turner finished with a team-high four goals, including the one with seconds remaining before halftime to give Gibbons an 8-4 lead. The performance gave Turner 21 postseason goals spread across five games.
Crusader junior goalie Chris Schwartz earned most valuable player honors, playing a big role in holding Charlotte Catholic scoreless in the final 6:25 as Gibbons protected a two-goal lead.
“I think we just had to plan well,” said Schwartz, who also set up an early Gibbons goal with an accurate downfield pass from his own end. “We had a couple of flukes here and there, but that happens.”
Out of halftime, Gibbons senior faceoff man Brady Greco won the opening draw and made a beeline for the net, scoring in four seconds. That set the tone for the majority of the third quarter, as the Crusaders’ lead eventually grew as large as six.
Charlotte Catholic trailed from two and a half minutes into the game onward, but the Cougars were competitive throughout and put pressure on Gibbons late in the second half.
The duo of junior attackers Colin Mendicino and Jack Ransom were constant sources of offense for Charlotte Catholic. A prolific seven-second stretch midway through the fourth quarter featured two goals from Ransom, who quickly put his team within two scores at 12-10.
But the Gibbons defense and Schwartz held strong from that point on, as there was no more scoring.
