SCARBOROUGH – Senior attack John Wheeler scored five goals, and two other Scarborough players scored two each as the Red Storm rolled over Kennebunk 11-3 to win the Western Class A boys’ lacrosse championship on Wednesday.
Scarborough will play Cheverus for the state title at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
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The Red Storm forced turnovers and spread the scoring, tactics that have been emblematic of their strengths this season, said Scarborough Coach Joe Hezlep.
The Red Storm are looking for their fifth state title in six years.
“We were clicking on all cylinders. They hit five pipes, so it could have been a closer game. But we kept the pressure on,” said Hezlep, in his sixth year as coach.
Red Storm senior starter Jurien Garrison, who is going for his third state title, said he and his teammates were keyed up for the game.
“I texted (goalie David Pearson) last night and said, ‘I’m nervous.’ He said I should be nervous, it’s a big game,” said Garrison, who had two assists.
Wheeler, the Red Storm’s senior leader with more than 50 goals this season, stepped up.
He opened the scoring 1:24 into the game and added an unassisted goal at the end of the first quarter to make it 3-0. The he assisted on the fourth goal, scored again in the third quarter, and had two unassisted goals in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
“We were winning ground balls, making hustle plays, and we played a full 48 minutes, which is what we wanted to do,” Wheeler said.
The Red Storm also got two goals from senior Dalton Finley, two from Christian Neelon, one from Cam Loiselle, a goal and an assist from Andrew Farrington, and an assist from Austin Doody.
Kennebunk had two goals from sophomore attacker Jacob Boothby, and an unassisted goal from goalie Ben Bath with 5:52 left in the fourth.
Junior attacker Patrick Rimmer and sophomore midfielder Patric Murphy added assists.
Kennebunk Coach Dan Seavey said his team came out flat and never showed energy. Seavey said he expected more from his team, which lost 5-4 to Scarborough on May 15.
“It was very sloppy. They came out hard, and we had a hard time setting up. We executed about 10 percent of the time,” said Seavey.
“I think we were equally matched in skills, but we didn’t show it. When we played South Portland we got behind 7-3, but then we won that game by two.”
Pearson made nine saves, and Bath had five for Kennebunk.
Deirdre Fleming can be reached at 791-6452 or at:
dfleming@pressherald.com
Twitter: FlemingPph
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