Second-Half Comeback Secures Region Title and State Tournament Berth for Meridian
On Monday, June 1, the Meridian Mustangs boys lacrosse team erased a halftime deficit to defeat the Western Albemarle Warriors 10-9 and capture their second consecutive regional championship.
Senior standouts Jack Moore and Colin Williams each scored four goals in the victory. Williams, who was recently named District Player of the Year, played a key role in helping the Mustangs overcome a two-goal halftime deficit and secure another region crown.
“It’s a tremendous accomplishment for Colin. I know that he’d credit his teammates and the cast we have around him,” head coach William Stewart said of his star player.
Williams Sparks Early Offense as Teams Trade Momentum
The championship contest was tightly contested from the opening faceoff, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the first half.
Meridian struck first behind Williams, who slipped two early shots past the Warriors goalkeeper to give the Mustangs a 2-0 advantage just three minutes into the game. Western Albemarle answered with three consecutive goals to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, junior Lucas Bachman found the back of the net to even the score at 3-3. However, the Warriors responded by building a two-goal cushion and carried a 7-5 lead into halftime.
Third-Quarter Surge Turns the Tide
Despite trailing at the break, Stewart remained confident in his team’s ability to rally.
“I told [my team] it’s been a while since we’ve been down at half, but that I had the utmost confidence in them, and that we were in a fine place despite being down,” Stewart said. “I knew that we might have a blast of cold water, facing such a quality team after a long stretch of winning games by a big margin. I told them to keep shooting, clean up the turnovers, and we can pull this out.”
The Mustangs responded immediately after halftime.
A 7-5 Western Albemarle lead quickly became an 8-7 Meridian advantage as the Mustangs scored three unanswered goals in a six-minute stretch during the third quarter.
“We went on a hell of a run in the third quarter and held on for dear life in the fourth,” Stewart said.
Mustangs Hold Off Warriors to Repeat as Regional Champions
Meridian continued to press its advantage early in the fourth quarter, extending its lead to 9-7. Western Albemarle answered with a goal of its own, but the Mustangs restored their two-goal cushion with another score to make it 10-8.
As time wound down, tensions rose both on the field and along the sidelines. The Warriors managed one final goal, but it was not enough to force overtime, allowing Meridian to secure the 10-9 victory and celebrate another regional championship.
The win marked the second time this season the Mustangs defeated Western Albemarle. Earlier in the year, Meridian escaped with an 8-7 overtime victory over the Warriors.
Meridian Turns Attention to State Tournament
While the regional championship is another milestone for the program, the Mustangs have little time to celebrate.
Meridian already secured its place in the state tournament by defeating Goochland to advance to the regional final. Now, the team shifts its focus toward pursuing a state championship.
Stewart emphasized that his team cannot afford another slow start against the elite competition awaiting them.
“I have to remind them of the first half of this game, when we were down and weren’t playing our best,” Stewart said. “We can’t allow that to happen, because in a states tournament we can’t have a down half and expect to win.”
With back-to-back regional titles secured, the Mustangs will look to carry their momentum into the state tournament and continue their pursuit of a championship season.
