A primary emphasis of the Madison Warhawks each season is to maximize their potential by season’s end, hoping that effort parlays into playing in another state- championship game.
The strategy continues to work well for the boys lacrosse team.
With a 12-8 victory over the host Robinson Rams on June 6 in a semifinal match of the Virginia High School League Class 6 state tournament, the defending champion Warhawks (19-2) will play for the 2023 state title on June 10.
Madison is in the state final for the third time in five seasons – or third time in four, since the 2020 campaign was canceled because of the pandemic. The Warhawks also won the state in 2019.
This year’s championship match will be at 10 a.m. at Freedom South Riding High School in Loudoun County against either Battlefield or Cosby. Madison will enter the contest with a 12-game winning streak this season and a 10-0 postseason victory string over two seasons.
In what was a rough semifinal match against Robinson, the score was tied at 7 entering the fourth quarter. With Adamek Dembicki winning the first three faceoffs of the final period, the Warhawks scored three quick goals to build a 10-7 lead and take control of the match, then added two more goals in the final 94 seconds.
“It was a very physical game and our players were tired, bruised and bleeding,” Madison coach Aaron Solomon said. “That team [Robinson] was very good, they kept coming back and they made us earn everything we got. We got on a couple of good runs and made some plays.”
Madison also defeated Robinson, 9-7, in an early regular-season match.
“We knew it would be tough against them again,” Solomon said.
Madison sophomore goalie Jackson Oskuie made a number of those plays with eight saves. Others leading the Madison defense were Ethan Hodge, Oliver Hau, Toby Kuhns, Henry Maiden, James Farrow and Aahan Jandir.
Madison built a 2-0 lead, then fell behind 3-2 by the end of the first quarter. The match was tied at 4 at halftime and at 7 after three periods of the seesaw match.
Jakob Green was Madison’s leading goal scorer with three. Carter Casto, Levi Wentz, Mark Rubley and Duc-Jaden Do netted two each and Hodge won. Casto, Rubley and Duncan Craddock had assists.
NOTE: If Madison wins the state championship, the Warhawks will add that title to 6D North Region and Concorde District postseason tournament crowns previously won this season.
