Hereford boys lacrosse returns to 2A state title game with 11-9 win over Huntingtown

BURTONSVILLE— Hereford boys lacrosse is no stranger to playing in big games. The 13-time state champion Bulls leaned on that experience in the late stages of Friday afternoon’s Class 2A state semifinal.

Top-seed Huntingtown put together a late three-goal surge to get within two. However, seniors Cole Wallner and JP Revitte stepped up late, proving to be the difference in the 11-9 win.

The No. 5 seeded Bulls are headed back to the 2A state championship game for a second straight season and the third time in the past four years. They’ll face either No. 3 Glenelg or No. 7 Kent Island at Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium next week.

“Last year was the first time we’d been there in a few years,” Hereford coach Kyle Leppert said. “There’s a newness that can be sort of uncomfortable, so for these guys to get a chance at that game with a lot of them having some familiarity and comfort now, I think is huge.”

With the Hurricanes holding all the momentum, Wallner stepped to the faceoff circle. The senior won a contested ground ball and charged right down the middle for a critical goal. Revitte added a game-high fourth goal 45 seconds later, helping stabilize the Bulls.

“Every faceoff was an uphill battle, [Huntingtown midfielder] Tyler Hayden is very talented,” Wallner said. “I go into every faceoff with the mentality that I’m going to win this ball and I’m going to control it to the best of my ability. Going down the field, I saw things open up for me and just decided to take it. The mentality of, ‘This is my goal, this is my ball.’ The go-get it attitude that I take on every faceoff helps a lot.”

Hereford (14-3) controlled possession in the opening quarter. Despite that, the Bulls faced a one-goal deficit. Hereford methodically worked the ball around, but Hurricanes goalie Liam Clark blanked the Bulls with four first-quarter saves. Huntingtown (17-2) pushed its lead to two early in the second, but Hereford came roaring back.

Senior midfielder Jay Goetz scored the Bulls’ first goal on a rocket top-shelf shot. That first goal allowed the Bulls to relax and reset, as they closed the first half with two more goals and a 3-2 halftime lead.

Hereford sustained that momentum into the second half as senior midfielder Jordan Bush scored a late backhanded goal, pushing the Bulls’ advantage to three entering the fourth.

The teams exchanged two goals each early in the fourth with the Bulls remaining ahead by three. One of Hereford’s two early goals was created off a quick restart, a key theme in the final period. Revitte also scored later in the fourth off a quick restart after Huntingtown was called offsides.

“The phrase we use sometimes, win the whistle, being ready on any kind of turnover or change in direction,” Leppert said. “We got some guys that are very sharp about naturally getting into space and playing with what they see and making the most of it.”

Revitte, one of the Bulls’ veteran leaders, saved his best for the fourth quarter. The attacker shook off Hurricanes defenders with precision dodging and quick footwork, building separation when Hereford needed it most.

Now, Revitte and the Bulls’ nine-member senior class return to a familiar stage. Winning the state title in 2021 and losing in the state championship last year, Revitte and the Bulls learned valuable lessons. Those learning experiences will be on the forefront of their minds as they take the field next week.

“Getting to these playoffs and finals is a standard that we have,” Revitte said. “We won the state championship our freshman year and ever since it’s been an uphill climb to get there. Now, just being there, we’ve got a real new group of guys and it’s going to be another fight. I know a lot of guys really want this one.

“The environment is a huge role. It will get in your head a little bit. To be able to go back there a second time, we’ve got some guys who know how to handle themselves in that environment. It’s the last game, so everybody you face, 1-on-1 or 6-on-6, is going to be at their best. Nobody is bad at these state championships, so you’ve got to be prepared to want it more than the other guy. We want to win it.”

Hereford — 0-3-3-5 — 11

Huntingtown — 1-1-1-6 — 9

Goals: He — JP Revitte 4, Brady Manankil 2, Cole Wallner, Jay Goetz, Jordan Bush, Brenden Kittner, Finn McGee; Hu — Brady Swann 4, Jackson Taylor 2, Landon Cawley 2, Johnny Hollinshead 1. Assists: He — Manankil, Kittner, Jordan Bush, Goetz; Hu — Cawley 4, Taylor 1. Saves: He — Jack Williams 5, Caleb Bush 1; Hu — Liam Clark 10.