short of state final

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (21-1, seventh seed) has seen enough of the South Shore after two long bus rides in a space of just three days to play in a couple of Division 2 state tournament games. They know pretty much every mile marker on Route 3, 6 and 18, while spending the rest of the time on I-95 South and I-93 North.

For the record, these Magicians logged over 360 round-trip miles, first coming back home victorious from the Cape after taking down host Nauset Regional (17-4, second seed), 13-9, to secure the Division 2 Final Four trophy and banner on June 12.

After a very brief celebration, it was time to get back to work in order to get ready for the third-seeded Duxbury Dragons (20-3) in a state semifinal game at Weymouth just two nights later.

Throughout the past three months, these Magicians have experienced a lot, but nothing could compare to what had happened in that state semifinal game at Weymouth. The game started fast and furious, with the Dragons jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead.

Carter Laramie then trimmed the deficit in half, assisted by Connor Cronin.

But then, tournament officials ordered everybody to seek shelter because lightning was in the area. The game was stopped with 5:43 left in the first quarter.

Heavy rains soon followed, and for the next two hours fans sat in their cars while the players hung out in Weymouth High School.

“We were sent to the wrestling room, and every 30 minutes we’d get up to check out the conditions, only to sit back down again,” said coach John Wilkens afterwards. “We didn’t want to come out flat once the game resumed, and true to form we came out flying.”

It was still very much a game after one quarter with Duxbury ahead by just two, 3-1. The Magicians then controlled play for the first four minutes of the second quarter before Laramie shot it home again from the slot.

Peabody’s Cam Connolly. Marblehead’s Bodie Bartram and Riley Schmitt made the NEC Dunn Division all-star team. Their Dunn teammates were Noah Staffier — also the NEC’s Player of the Year — and his Beverly teammates Devin Koloski and Ian Visnick; Masco’s Logan Keune, Gabe Fales and Paul Donnelly; Tyler O’Neill and Mike Moroney of Danvers; and Giacomo Martell of Gloucester. Salem’s Julian Ortiz, Riley Fenerty and Jon Wasserman; Swampscott’s Nick Berube and

Jason Bouffard; Winthrop’s Peter Silverman and Zach Bogusz; Peabody’s Noah Crocker and Jariel Tolentino; and Saugus’ Cam Soroko were the NEC’s Lynch Division all-stars.

The Magicians quartet of Keough, Maude, Schmitt and Bodie Bartram went on to lead their Marblehead teammates to the Round of 16 after beating Somerville in the preliminary round, 13-11, before upsetting host Hopkinton, 8-4, in the Round of 32. They then lost a close contest to Westfield in the

Sweet 16, 4-1, who followed up that win by getting shut out by Whitman-Hanson, 5-0, in the Elite 8.