The Upper Dublin boys’ lacrosse team is having an impact on its community during its run to Thursday’s District One title game against top-seeded Avon Grove. Photos provided courtesy of Lene White.
They will walk away from their squad’s history-making season with more memories than they can count. Near the top of the list will be the impact their lacrosse team has had on the Upper Dublin community.
On Monday night, the players were guests of honor at the end of season picnic for the Crooked Cross Lacrosse Club.
“They set up a line of kids, and we walked down through them,” coach Dave Sowers said. “All the high school kids were giving these little first through fourth graders high fives, and we all met in the middle of the field.
“That’s what is really neat to see how it’s really pulling the whole community together and basically saying, ‘You know what – there’s something good at Upper Dublin that you don’t need to go to a private school.’ We have a great education and we have great sports teams.”
For senior Evan Scott, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that he was one of those wide-eyed youngsters.
“That was wonderful - I remember being in their same exact shoes not that long ago, it seems like,” Scott said. “Just to be able to inspire a lot of kids and be able to reach out to them and give them somebody to look up to just means a lot to me and definitely to the rest of the team.”
Upper Dublin’s magical run to Thursday’s district title game – and the state tournament next week – is a storybook ending to a school year that began with the football team capturing the program’s first ever district crown.
“It really is something special,” Scott said. “It’s even more incredible that a lot of the guys on the lacrosse team were also guys that were on the football team in the fall.
“Just that camaraderie we have – a lot of the same guys doing the same thing and just working hard together is something really special, and I’m really glad to be a part of it.”
“It’s awesome,” junior Ben Abel added. “I wasn’t a part of the football team that a bunch of the guys were on, but as a fan, it was even awesome to watch them go on the run, so for me to actually be a part of it – it’s the best feeling. It’s indescribable.”
The Flying Cardinals entered the season favored to vie for district and state titles, and just two goals separated Upper Dublin from a perfect regular season.
“I think we’re absolutely a better team because we’ve been through adversity,” senior Nick Vernacchio said. “Those two games particularly just showed the character of our team. You look at those games – we got down early. Specifically, against Springfield-Delco, we go down 5-0, but we just don’t give up. It’s not in our DNA, that’s not who we are. We just keep fighting.
“Those games definitely built our character, and I think we’re better because of those games. They showed us the things we needed to correct and the things we needed to get better. Personally, for me, it lit a little fire in my belly. It made me want to go out and get those teams that much more.”
A rare set of circumstances has afforded the Cardinals an opportunity to avenge both of their regular season losses. UD’s 9-2 district semifinal win over Springfield-Delco avenged a one-goal loss in the regular season finale.
On Thursday, the Cardinals will face an Avon Grove squad that edged UD 6-5 on April 30.
“It’s very rare that you get to play the teams you lost to in the regular season in the postseason,” Vernacchio said. “I just think if we win it’s going to be that much more special.”
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” coach Sowers said. “Obviously, they’re the number one team in the district because they’re that good.”
Upper Dublin will face Avon Grove in the title game at West Chester Henderson on Thursday at 4 p.m.
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