By Laurie Maddox
WSL Special Correspondent

BOUNTIFUL, Utah – Senior middie Braden Lanham brought it all to Timpanogos’ state championship match-up with Spanish Fork on Saturday afternoon: 19 ground balls, nine face-off wins, one goal, one assist – and healthy respect for opposing goalie Taylor Rowley.

The Timberwolves (12-5) needed it all to dispatch Spanish Fork, 7-6, and win the Utah High School Lacrosse League Division II state championship in the second game of a championship day quadruple-header at Viewmont High School.

Attackman Winston Farley had three goals to lead all Timpanogos scoring, midfielder Jon Wagstaff added a goal, and attackman Stewart Handley provided two when it counted most, scoring both with under a minute left to preserve the Timberwolves’ victory.

Spanish Fork (12-3) was led by attackman Algernon Baxter with three goals. Midfielder Freddie Davis added two goals and an assist for the Warriors and attackman David Takasaki added a goal.

Lanham, a Division II First-Team All-State MVP, said the game’s outcome was uncertain even to him until the final 11 seconds, when he won the final face-off and shut down any attempt by Spanish Fork to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

“They’re fighters, really mentally tough. The toughest thing is their goalie,” Lanham said of Rowley and his 15 saves in the championship game.

The victory reversed the outcome of the only other meeting between the two teams, which Spanish Fork won, 8-6, in a regular-season game April 27.

“We knew it was going to be our two teams in the championship,” Lanham said. “If you compare both of us, we’re the better team because we have so many contributing players, and they have a few star players.”

Timpanogos head coach Mike Schow said he told his players at the final timeout to dig deeper than they ever had before, and the players complied.

“It just showed the tenacity and heart of these boys,” he said.