PREP ROUNDUP: Cardinal Mooney downs Falcons again in boys lacrosse

SARASOTA — Since learning of his first round opponent in the regional tournament, Derek Wagner had some sleepless nights.

Since it was the same foe the Cardinal Mooney’s boys lacrosse team faced in the district final, Wagner knew how difficult it is to defeat a team twice in a span of a week.

The Cougars coach now can rest easy.

Cardinal Mooney dominated from start to finish in a 21-3 victory over Saint Stephen’s in the Class 1A-Region 3 quarterfinal Wednesday night at John Heath Field at Austin Smithers Stadium.

“Especially when you beat a team pretty handily the first time, you’re always afraid, especially when it is a win-or-go-home kind of thing,” Wagner said. “I was glad to see the boys came out and kept pressing and kept pushing and played good defense.”

Coming off an 18-7 victory over the Falcons in the district final, Cardinal Mooney came out firing from the start.

Freshman Carston Shepherd got things going offensively with the first two goals of the contest, the first off a Sean Laureano assist. Sophomore James Frankauski made it 3-0 after the first quarter by converting a pass from Patrik McGrath.

Sixth-seeded Saint Stephen’s (11-4) got on the board to open the second quarter on a goal by senior Mason Dillingham on a feed from junior Matt Vera.

The Cougars responded with seven straight goals, six to close the first half and one to open the second half. Up 13-3 late in the third quarter, Cardinal Mooney tallied the final eight goals of the contest, getting a running clock less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

“We improved on the offensive side and on the defensive side,” Wagner said. “That was good to see.”

McGrath, a senior, led the way with seven goals and five assists. Sophomore Gio Zanoni added three goals and four helpers. Laureano finished with four goals and two assists.

“Hopefully we can carry on that momentum tomorrow to practice and the next day,” Wagner said.

The third-seeded Cougars (11-6) will travel to second-seeded Community School of Naples, a winner over Bishop Verot, at 7 p.m. April 27 in the regional semifinals.

Saint Stephen’s takeaways

• The Falcons spent the week trying to switch things up from their performance in the district final. They tried to set picks, move the ball and use a lot more motion. “We worked real hard all week and practiced on a new plan, but it’s harder to commit when you’re in here,” Saint Stephen’s coach Christopher Collins said. “It worked for a while, but I’m really proud of the boys.”

• Dillingham had two of the Falcons’ three goals. Eighth-grader Joey Droge scored the other goal. Junior Justin Millican notched two assists.

• Of the 27 players on the Falcons’ roster, one – Luke Bisio – is a senior. So the foundation is there. “We’re all coming back,” said Collins, who had five eighth-graders on his squad. “We’re a really young team, too. It’s a positive thing for us. We get a little size and we’ll be there.”

Cardinal Mooney takeaways

• The Cougars did not change their approach from the district final to Wednesday. “We had a decent game on Thursday, but it wasn’t our best game,” Wagner said of the district final. “We could play better both offensively and defensively. That was a challenge to these boys during the past few days to get better and put it out on the field. Glad to see they listened to us in practice. That is a victory in itself. So it’s double victory.”

• Sophomore goalie Jacob Brown came up with five saves. Senior faceoff specialist Max Beach won 12 draws.

• The Cougars defeated Community School of Naples on the road 9-8 on March 22. Had seventh-seeded Bishop Verot won, the Cougars would have been at home for the regional semis. “We’ve got to be ready to go,” Wagner said. “We’re confident in the position we are in. If we play our game, we can be competitive. We’re looking forward to it."

BASEBALL

Sarasota 11, Manatee 1

AT: GT Bray Park

TOP PLAYERS: S, Mario Trivella (2-4, 2 RBI, run), Luke Jackson (2-3, 2B, 3 runs, 2 RBI), Bernard Barnes Jr. (4-4, 2B, 2 runs, 4 RBI)

PITCHING: S, Bradley Ramsden (4 IP, hit, walk, 3 Ks), Tanner Crump (IP, hit, run, 0 earned, walk, K), Conner Stewart (1 IP)

RECORD: Sarasota (14-6)

NEXT: Sarasota at Palm Harbor, 11 a.m. Saturday

SOFTBALL

North Port 2, Riverview 1, 8 inn.

AT: North Port

TOP PLAYERS: NP, Jewelie Vanderkous (2-4, 2B, HR, run, 2 RBI), Cailinne Kelly (2-4) 2 (1-3, 2B); R, Michelle DiPuma (2-4, 2B, run), Stephi Thompson (2-3, RBI), Sierra Lipton (2-3)

PITCHING: NP, Jewelie Vanderkous (8 IP, 8 hits, run, 3 walks, 13 Ks); R, Ava Johnston (7.2 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 9 Ks)

Venice 1, Palmetto 0

AT: Palmetto

TOP PLAYERS: V, Macaela Hartman (2-3 2B), Kenna Tippman (1-3, HR, run, RBI), Kaylin Smith (2-3, 2B); P, Hailey Folz (2-3)

PITCHING: V, Layne Preece (7 IP, 5 hits, 9 Ks); P, Desiree Aitken (7 IP, 5 hits, run, walk, 14 Ks)

OF NOTE: Kenna Tippman hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Sarasota 2, Braden River 0

AT: Braden River

TOP PLAYER: Brooke Bendle (1-2, run)

PITCHING: Brooke Bendle (7 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 8 Ks)

Parrish Community 7, Palmetto 1

TOP PLAYERS: PC, Carsen Kull (2-3, 2B), Grace Woodring (1-4, HR)

PITCHING: PC, Ella Torres (2.2 IP, hit, 5 Ks), Isa Vega (3.1 IP, 2 hits, 9 Ks)

TENNIS

Regional Finals

3 p.m. Thursday, unless noted

Class 4A boys

Venice at Gulf Coast

Class 4A girls

Gulf Coast at Venice

Class 2A boys

Lemon Bay vs. Bishop Verot, Three Oaks Park, Fort Myers, 11 a.m.

Class 2A girls

Lemon Bay vs. Bishop Verot, Three Oaks Park, Fort Myers, 11 a.m.

Class 1A boys

Saint Stephen’s at Community School of Naples

Class 1A girls

Saint Stephen’s at Community School of Naples

Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: PREP ROUNDUP: Cardinal Mooney downs Falcons again in boys lacrosse