The boys’ lacrosse team (14–3) fell to the Urbana Hawks (14–2) 12–7 on Friday evening, failing to reach what would have been Whitman’s first state final. 

The first half didn’t bode well for the Vikes, as Urbana quickly got out front. The Whitman offense was doing as best it could to get shots on target, but the strong Hawks defense had no weaknesses. The Vikings’ defense was constantly on their toes as Urbana had the bulk of possession in the first half, which ended 7–2.

At halftime, the Whitman players still had hope and did their best to pursue a comeback. At the start of the third quarter, the energy on the Vikings’ sideline was noticeably higher, cheering on their team. This motivation translated to the play, as senior Cole Werkman and junior Sean Sanders each scored a goal to start the quarter, cutting Urbana’s lead to three.

Sophomore Jordan Yoon, a player who was pulled up to varsity for the playoffs, was on the sidelines for the game. He shares his perspective on what got the team going at the start of the second half. 

“The sidelines were a huge factor to the game, but you can’t forget about our coaches,” Yoon said. “I believe we have the best coaching trio in the nation, and I would go play my heart out for them any day.”

Unfortunately, this sudden surge from the Vikings’ offense was not enough to make up for their first-half deficit. The offense managed to score three more goals in the half, but Whitman’s defense continuously struggled to keep the fierce Urbana attack at bay. 

Sanders, Werkman and senior Drew Delano each scored multiple goals for Whitman in the match, with Werkman and Delano both notching their last goals in high school. Congratulations to them and the rest of the seniors on amazing varsity careers and playing their hearts out in these playoff games. Next year, juniors and sophomores will look to take bigger roles and potentially lead the team back to the state semifinals.