Marysville defenseman Alex McNamara (left) guards Jonathan Alder’s face-off specialist Mason Curtis (right) during the first half of action.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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Jonathan Alder’s boys lacrosse team edged Marysville 9-7 in a battle of local rivals.
“I am actually proud of the boys,” MHS head coach Chris Alessi said. “I know we definitely closed the gap… it was a big game for us.”
“We did a good job of staying in it and working, working and working,” JA head coach Rob Davis said.
The Monarchs are in the midst of a five-game skid following the matchup against the Division II Pioneers. On the flip side, Alder earned its fourth consecutive win following the comeback victory.
While the Pioneers were able to grow a slight lead, the Monarchs stayed consistent.
They were also able to take advantage of the visitors’ mistakes midway through the third quarter.
Marysville’s Julian Kennedy struck first to put the home team ahead at the 6:05 mark of the opening period.
Moments later, after securing the faceoff, JA’s Mason Curtis sifted his way near the Marysville’s cage before tying the contest at 1-1.
Wyatt Clemons gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter.
At the start of the second period, JA defenseman Alex Boggs connected with Marysville’s cage to bump the Pioneers to a 3-1 lead.
However, two back-to-back goals from Marysville’s Hunter Sheldon and Ben Durey tied the matchup at 3-3 with less than six minutes left in the half.
While a goal from JA’s Kaiden Snyder put the Pioneers back in the lead, Marysville’s Jamey Best responded with 30 seconds left tying the matchup yet again at 4-4.
“We made quite a few mistakes, especially in that first half,” Davis said.
Coming out of the halftime break, MHS found a lot of success against JA’s defense.
Sheldon notched his second goal at the start of the third quarter, giving Marysville a 5-4 lead.
Best followed with a goal at the 8:53 mark for Monarchs’ 6-4 edge.
After the senior scored, the Pioneers opted for a timeout to talk things over.
“The message was the game plan was working,” Alessi said. “I was happy with where we were.”
Marysville remained aggressive on the offensive end of the turf as Ben Alessi boosted the lead to 7-4 with less than six minutes left in the third quarter.
However, that was the last time Marysville saw the back of JA’s cage.
The Pioneers tied the matchup for a third time after goals from Jack Kennedy and Maddox Kingry.
Assists came from Clemons and Kingry near the end of the third period.
JA collected two more scores from Kingry and Kennedy before ultimately claiming the victory.
“It was a close game and it could’ve gone either way,” Alessi said. “I am just proud of the boys and the work they put in.”
The Pioneers are now 12-4 after beating the Monarchs and following with a 13-7 verdict the next day over Hilliard Bradley.
“Jonathan Alder is a really good team and I have a lot of respect for the program and the coach,” Alessi said.
Both coaches complimented one another’s programs as the lacrosse scene in both communities continues sto gain traction.
“We both are growing and have youth programs now,” Alessi said. “It is nice to have a junior varsity game which is a testament to the numbers that are growing.
“It is nice to have the cross-town rivalry and we look forward to it.”
“Since the beginning of our program, we’ve always played Marysville and I like it,” Davis said.
The Monarchs fell to 5-10 overall after the loss.
Marysville will be on the road Thursday taking on Gahanna Lincoln at 7 p.m.
Jonathan Alder will conclude its regular season at home Wednesday against Westerville North, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Collin Tanner Tribute
Prior to the start of the game, players and fans alike paid tribute to a former Monarch lacrosse player who died after a five-year battle with Osteosarcoma. In recent years, players of the home team don jerseys with Tanner’s initials on the right shoulder to honor the former teammate.
“We were playing for Collin and the Tanner family today, so that meant a lot to us,” Alessi noted.
Tanner’s family was in attendance to pass down this year’s warrior awards. The 2024 recipients included Elijah Hanselman (middle school), Tyson Barker (junior varsity) and Logan Fitch (varsity).
“We’re honored and it’s a privilege to represent the Tanner family that way,” Alessi said. “We want to represent it the right way and make it about the family and what Collin represented.
“It is just an honor to be put into a position to pay tribute to a good person and a good family.” said the coach. “The community embraces it.”