Prep Lacrosse: East Coweta sticks with it, win 14-13
By DOUG GORMAN
dgorman@newnan.com
Coaches like to remind their team that the game is never over until the clock counts down to all zeros.
Somewhere along the way, the East Coweta boys lacrosse team has been listening to head coach Ryan Post.
Bronson Smith put the exclamation point on the stunning comeback with his game-winner with less than 45 seconds to play. It was Smith’s 51 goal of the season.
“They were sort of denying me the ball the whole game,” Smith said. “I really didn’t have too many touches until right there at the end.”
Smith and his teammates made history with Tuesday afternoon’s dramatic win as it was the first time the Indians have ever won a playoff game —be it also during East Coweta’s postseason debut at Garland Shoemake Stadium.
“We just keep working,” said Post after the game. “You can score quickly in this sport, that’s why they call it the fast sport on turf.”
(To view or purchase photos from this game, please visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture and click on Sports / Lacrosse for the photo gallery.)
Each team took turns swapping the momentum.
Smith got his day started with the Indians’ first goal of the day to tie the game at 1-1.
After Grayson added two goals for a 3-1 lead, Conner McMeen and Tyler Sandusky scored to tie the game at 3-all
Then with 4:03 left in the first period, Colin Duncan gave the Indians there first lead of the game when he made 4-3 after taking a pass from Caleb Dailey.
East Coweta tried to put the game away with goals from Bryce Durden and Duncan, but Ben Mertz and Garrett Gorski cut the lead to 6-5 at the half with some quick offense.
Gorski’s play in the third quarter temporarily seized the lead for Grayson after he scored three goals in the last four minutes of the third quarter and added two more early in the final period.
His goal at the 4:30 mark of the third period gave Grayson their first lead since the first quarter.
When he scored at the beginning of the fourth quarter, his team lead 12-8.
East Coweta cooled Gorski off when Sandusky took McMeen’s pass and fired it into the back of the net.
Smith’s second goal of the game cut Grayson’s lead to 13-10.
With 4:27 left in the game, Lee Steed put the Indians within striking distance when he scored to cut the lead to 13-11.
For Post, the comeback serves as a statement for how the game as improved in this part of the state.
“We sort of made a statement with this game,” he said. “Nobody thinks about lacrosse being played at a high level (in this area), but this was a big win.
Tyler Sandusky, Matt Duncan, Bryce Durden and Lee Steed each had two goals for the Indians.
