AZ BOYS: Chaparral Wins 6th Arizona State Championship

By Dave Henning
WSL Special Correspondent

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Senior attackman Andre Haglund finished with a game-high five points on three goals and two assists to lead host Chaparral to a 10-7 victory over two-time defending state champion Brophy Prep in the Arizona Youth Lacrosse League Division I state championship game Saturday night.

Senior middie Payson Clark added three points on two goals and an assist, and senior middie Eric Lakin scored twice to help the Firebirds (15-1) avenge their only loss of the season en route to their sixth state title. Chaparral also won titles in 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002 and 1999, although the Firebirds lost to the Broncos in the last two state championship games.

“Our guys did an outstanding job of executing the game plan and playing to their potential,” Chaparral head coach John Silkey said. “We came out a little more relaxed than last time and with a lot more confidence.”

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Chaparral entered the year as the heavy favorite to win the state title, but the Firebirds’ inevitable march appeared to be derailed when they lost 7-5 to Brophy on April 22. But on Saturday, Chaparral proved to be the team everyone anticipated at the start of the season.

“We put it together. I’m so happy,” Haglund said. “Everybody contributed, and we took it home.”

Senior attackman Carter Williams, junior attackman Jeff Petznick and junior middie Kyle Mason all scored once to round out the offense for Chaparral, which won its final four games.

Defensively, Ian Gray, Ian Connell, Ryan Colby and Jake Bolwar stripped Brophy ball carriers and triggered Chaparral’s transition game.

In a losing effort, junior attackman Adam Fishman scored a game-high four goals, and senior middie Trevor Howard added three points on two goals and an assist for Brophy Prep (14-5), which had its 10-game winning streak snapped.

This was the fourth straight season Chaparral and Brophy Prep have met in the state-title game, with both teams having won twice.

The Firebirds’ defense controlled Brophy’s offense throughout, holding it to four goals until late in the fourth quarter. And when Brophy did score, Chaparral’s offense immediately responded.

Chaparral controlled possession in the first quarter but only managed to build a 2-0 lead. Brophy had a great opportunity at the start of the second quarter when the Firebirds were hit with a three-minute, non-releasable, illegal-stick penalty. However, instead of the Broncos drawing closer, they turned the ball over immediately, leading to a man-down goal for Chaparral.

Haglund did the damage, scoring after he split a double-team to put the Firebirds ahead, 3-0, just 20 seconds into the penalty.

Johns Hopkins-bound standout senior goalie Pierce Bassett kept Brophy within reach with some tremendous saves, and the Broncos’ offense responded, scoring twice to close to 3-2 with 7:02 remaining in the second quarter. However, Lakin took the ensuing face-off straight to the cage and scored six seconds later to give Chaparral momentum back.

Chaparral extended its lead to 5-2 in the second quarter, 8-4 in the third quarter and 10-5 in the fourth before Brophy pulled two back in the final two minutes.

“All season, we've been trying to push in transition but still show good patience with our shots,” Silkey said. “Tonight, we were able to do that.”