Sacred Heart Prep’s Genna Gibbons, right, wins a midfield draw and goes on the attack during the Gators’ 13-1 win over Mitty in the CCS championship game.
When Genna Gibbons, Lauren Hagerty and Kalista Hurel entered Sacred Heart Prep as first-year high school students four years ago, the best they could hope for the Gators’ lacrosse team was a West Bay Athletic League title.
The trio end their high school careers with a Central Coast Section championship as the top-seeded Gators overwhelmed No. 3 Mitty 13-1 in Atherton Thursday evening.
The Gators (13-3) join the SHP boys as the first-ever CCS lacrosse champions and became the fifth team in the school’s athletic program to win a section crown this year.
“It feels awesome. I was hoping [a CCS tournament would be added]. Lacrosse has grown so much,” Gibbons said. “We wouldn’t have done it without the team. I’ve never had a team with such a passion (for the game).”
Such passion and such talent. Gibbons, once again, dominated on the center draw as the Gators controlled 14 of the 15 draws in the game, with Gibbons coming up with at least 10 face-off wins herself. She also added a goal and a pair of assists.
“Genna controlled every single draw and you can’t beat a team without getting the ball at midfield,” said SHP head coach Wendy Kridel.
Gibbbons was one of five Gators to find the back of the net. Ellie Noto led the way with five goals and an assist; Ava Shenk scored three times; Hagerty had two goals and an assist; Kat Showalter scored once, while Hurel and Emily Leschin each had an assist in the victory.
Ava Shenk, who scored three times,attacks the goal in the second half of the CCS championship game.
Nathan Mollat/Daily Journal
“[Having options] makes a world of difference,” Gibbons said. “The skill between us allows us to play more naturally. We’re able to rely on each other.”
The SHP defense was as suffocating as the offense was potent. The Gators allowed only a handful of Mitty forays into the offense zone, most of which ended in a Monarchs turnover. They didn’t manage even one shot on goal in the first half and scored their only goal on their only shot of the game — a Harper Polhemus foul shot conversion with about 16 minutes left to play.
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“We did a good job of turning them over (in the offensive end),” Kridel said. “I loved that.”
As they did in their 16-6 win over Los Gatos in the semifinals Tuesday, the Gators jumped out to quick lead and then pulled away. The Gators came up empty on their first offensive possession, but it was a defensive play that turned into instant offense as Hagerty intercepted a goalie pass and deposited it in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead less than 30 seconds into the match.
It was 2-0 about a minute later as Kat Showalter took a pass from Gibbons at the top of the lane, sliced down the middle and buried her shot. After another minute, SHP led 3-0 as Gibbons, stationed behind the Mitty goal, found Noto in the middle of the lane, and she put it away for the three-goal lead.
Ava Shenk scored back-to-back goals for a 5-0 SHP lead, the first coming on an attack from the wing and the second working to the front of the net and beating the goalie.
Noto then finished the half with a flourish, scoring three times, sandwiched around a Gibbons goal off a foul shot, to lead 10-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Kridel was more worried about her team running their offensive sets crisply, looking for precise offense as the Gators tried to burn the clock.
“I’m still trying to get them to do things super well,” Kridel said. “I’m still trying to make [the team] better.”
Noto opened the scoring in the second half for the Gators and Shenk ran the score to 12-0 before Mitty finally got on the scoreboard. Hagerty then rounded out the scoring, taking a pass from Noto and bolting down the lane and scoring.
“[Winning the first CCS title] is kind of cool. … This was fun because our boys won (the CCS lacrosse championship) too,” Kridel said. “That was a lot of our motivation. There is only one chance to be first.”
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