May River lacrosse headed to state championship after OT thriller against AC Flora

May River boys lacrosse is headed to its first state championship game in dramatic fashion.

Ashton Stevenson’s goal with 2:16 left in overtime gave the Sharks a 10-9 come-from-behind win in the Class 4A lacrosse semifinals on Tuesday.

May River will play Oceanside Collegiate on Friday at Irmo High School. Oceanside defeated Bishop England to advance to the championship.

“The win was a huge moment for the program and the senior class,” May River coach Tom Dyer said. “After a down season last year, we made a commitment to work harder than before to get to this point. We started the season off slow and needed to do some reflection on how we could improve and it happened tonight at halftime.

“We looked at each other and made a commitment that all that hard work was not going to go to waste. We were going to fight and claw our way back into the game.”

May River was 6-11 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Sharks are 13-5 this year, which included a 15-9 loss to AC Flora on March 1.

In the rematch against Flora, May River was down 5-1 at the end of the first quarter and 6-2 at halftime.

But May River scored four goals in the first six minutes of the third quarter and Stevenson’s second goal of the game tied it at 6-6. Stevenson and Landon Kushner each had three goals to lead May River. Turner Johnson and Bryson Hart each had two.

AC Flora regained the advantage with a pair of goals to lead 8-6 with 3:46 left in the third quarter. May River answered with a Hart goal and then one by Johnson to tie it at 8-8 with 10:37 left.

Clayton Lockhart gave the Falcons a 9-8 lead with 5:48 left but Johnson tied it at 9-9 with 1:57 left. AC Flora had a chance to win it in the final seconds of regulation but couldn’t convert.

“Our Fellowship of Christian Athletes Rep Joe Battista talks to us every Monday and reminds us that in the midst of chaos, to remember Mark 4:39 ‘Peace, Be Still’ and focus on ourselves and block out all the noise,” Dyer said. “That was the message to the guys at the beginning of overtime and we got it done, calm through chaos.”

SCHSL Lacrosse Championships

At Irmo High School

May 2

Class 4A Girls: Oceanside Collegiate vs. Bishop England, 6 p.m.

Class 4A Boys: Oceanside Collegiate vs. May River, 25 minutes after girls game

May 3

Class 5A Division I Girls: Lexington vs. Spartanburg, 11 a.m.

Class 5A Division I Boys: Dorman vs. Wando, 25 minutes after girls game

Class 5A Division II Girls: Fort Mill vs. Lucy Beckham, 3:30 p.m.

Class 5A Division II Boys: Nation Ford vs. Lucy Beckham, 25 minutes after girls game