The Lions lacrosse team was named the 4A SPC Champions after the Kinkaid Falcons agreed to forfeit the game due to lightning delays preventing the championship from being finished. While the game was scheduled for 2:30 p.m., the teams had to wait over an hour and a half to start because of lightning storms in the Houston area. The Lions were up 10-3 at the half before a second delay forced the two sides back into their locker rooms, and with no apparent break in the storms, the programs agreed that the Falcons would forfeit the rest of the game. The Lions previously defeated the Falcons 8-3 at home during the regular season.
After the delayed start, the Lions struck first to open the game when freshman Warren Wier beat the Falcons’ keeper off a feed from Weston Chance. With wet and slippery surfaces making the ball hard to handle, the Lions gave up turnovers on consecutive possessions, including a one-on-one fastbreak chance for the Falcons. However, Lions goalie Graham Smith stood strong in the net with three straight saves. The Falcons called a timeout with offensive possession, and scored to even the game with eight minutes left in the first period. The Lions soon retook the lead when Mac Saye was left open in front of the net and capitalized with a laser off the far post. The Falcons responded again, but a patient Lions’ offense used the entire shot clock until Chance fired a long shot past the goalie with three minutes left in the first. Once more, the Falcons tied the game at three with just a few seconds left in the quarter, but Lions’ face-off man Gabe Masino won possession and took the ball all the way to the goal for a buzzer-beater as the Lions took a 4-3 lead to end the first period.
After a back-and-forth start, the Lions’ offense took total control of the game in the second period using a patient approach to create holes in the Falcons’ defense. Saye found Charlie Aisner on a skip pass for an easy shot, then followed his assist up with a low-to-high snipe. Aisner then scored his second goal of the night on a deep jump shot. With the Lions consistently winning possession off the face-off, the Falcons defense began to wear down after giving up four straight goals. The Falcons finally got an opportunity to reset when the Lions committed a two-minute penalty, but a good poke check by Rocco Renda gave the Lions another possession while on the penalty. An out-of-bounds play led to another goal for Saye, and he and Aisner continued to show strong chemistry as Aisner drew the Falcon defenders towards him then found Saye wide open in front of the crease. Wyatt Hansion would cap the half by sneaking one past the Falcons goalie as the Lions increased the lead to seven to end the half. Saye led the Lions’ attack with four goals, followed by two from Aisner and one each by Wier, Chance, Masino and Hanson.
The Lions won the draw to open the second half, but lightning alarms soon sounded as teams and spectators were forced to take cover. After a discussion between the coaching staffs and administrations, the Falcons, who were playing at their home field, agreed to forfeit the rest of the game. The Lions, now 12-4 on the season, claimed their first SPC championship since 2013. With two more regular season games left, the team will carry that momentum into the state playoffs in May.
