Lion Go To State

The varsity lacrosse team finished their season with a tremendous run at the Texas High School Lacrosse League State (THSLL) Championships in Round Rock. After defeating ESD in the semifinals, the Lions met The Woodlands High School in an action-packed Championship game, where they lost 6-10, earning second in state. 

 

“I am incredibly proud of the performance of our coaches, players, and support staff throughout the championship,” said David Dini, Eugene McDermott Headmaster. “Not only did our boys compete hard and play well, but more important they demonstrated good sportsmanship on and off the field. Congratulations to the Lions on an outstanding season.”

 

In the state semifinal, the Lions faced their local rival ESD. The Lions jumped out to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and then added to it with 2 more goals to start the 2nd quarter.  Early in the 4th, senior goalie John Gunnin made a big save (1 of 13 he made in the game) when the Lions were man-down and senior Sam Schroeder quickly gave the Lions a 2-goal cushion with his first goal of the game. Junior Parker Clark and senior Garrett Mize each scored a goal of their own to seal the deal and the Lions defeated ESD 11-7, earning a spot in the THSLL Championship Game against the #1 ranked team in the state, The Woodlands Highlanders.  

 

On Sunday, the Lions took the field against a team with only one loss on the season. The Woodlands struck early, netting 4 goals before the Lions got on the board with a goal by senior Reave White (assist to Mize) late in the 1st quarter.  The Lions defense stepped up in the 2nd quarter, but The Woodlands was dominating in time of possession and kept the pressure on, taking a 6-1 lead into halftime. In the 2nd half, the Lions showed a lot of grit. Despite outscoring The Woodlands 5-4 in the second half, the Lions ran out of time as the Highlanders wisely took time off the clock to secure their first ever State Championship, winning 10-6. The Lions played admirably and the whole roster and coaching staff made the St. Mark’s community proud with a deep run all the way to the THSLL Championship game. 

Several individual players were recognized for their outstanding performance, including:

 

Coach Hayward Lee was honored with the THSLL’s 2018 Coach Earl Bill Award for Lifetime Achievement, an award given to coaches who have made a significant impact on Texas lacrosse. In addition to coaching an outstanding team of athletes, Coach Lee always emphasized character and leadership, both on and off the field. 

 

“Hayward has been a major contributing factor in the structure of the THSLL and has helped elevate lacrosse in the State of Texas to national recognition,” Mark Sullivan said. “Hayward is one of the most demanding coaches I’ve seen, but in turn, he is the first to put his arm around a kid and tell him what a great job he’s doing, and how much he values him.”

 

The Athletic Department is excited to honor the hard work that our St. Mark’s Athletes have put forth both in their respective athletic endeavors at St. Mark’s and in the classroom. We will be honoring them at our annual St. Mark’s Student-Athlete Commitment Ceremony on Wednesday, May 16, at 3:15 p.m., in the Great Hall. These St. Mark’s Athletes are: John Gunnin (Lacrosse at Colgate University), Zach Landry (Baseball at Haverford College), Garrett Mize (Lacrosse at Washington & Lee University), Seun Omonije (Football at Yale University), Reece Rabin (Baseball at Princeton University), and Tucker Ribman (Wrestling at Harvard University).