by Dylan Sondike ‘24

In the 4A state semifinals tournament, Sherwood traveled to Crofton High School to face the number 1 seeded Broadneck Bruins. After scoring the first goal of the game, The Warriors struggled in the draw and found themselves down 12-2 after the first quarter. The Warriors managed to score the same number of goals as the Bruins in quarter 2 but struggled to produce much offense in the second half, leading to a 17-7 loss. Broadneck continued on to win in the championship game by a score of 17-4 against B-CC.

“In the game against Broadneck, I think we really held our own and performed to our best ability,” said senior Brooke Walsh. “A lot of the younger girls had to step up and compete against a team that’s been in states back to back. We all learned a lot and believed it was a good way to end our season.”

While the Warriors may have come up short of reaching the state championship game, they once again reached the state semis for the second consecutive year and had a strong and productive season with a 13-4 record led by their senior leadership. The Warriors’ depth and overall talent helped them focus on their strengths such as speed and limiting the opponents from scoring. During the season, the Warriors outscored opponents 243-111. Appearing in back-to-back state semifinals in the past two years has shown their continued dominance in Montgomery County and against other strong teams in the state.

Senior Greer Cohen explained that many things led to the success of the team this year. “I believe the biggest strengths of the team were individuals and their skills being put together to create a team full of skilled people,” said Greer. “The ability to combine individual skills to a team whole created an unstoppable defense and offense in most cases. We were balanced throughout the field, never lacking skill in any position.”

The Warriors had some exciting and nail-biting wins that helped improve their record in the regular season and continue in the playoffs. In the state quarterfinals against Old Mill, the Warriors were tied going into overtime 10-10. Freshman Avery Graham scored the game-winning goal for the Warriors and the celebration began. The Warriors’ determination late in games was significant in their success throughout the season.

Sherwood is not the only Montgomery County team who has struggled to become state champions in recent years. Teams like Whitman, Churchill, and Walter Johnson, among others, have all reached the semi-finals but often failed to go any farther. Since 1990, no Montgomery County girls lacrosse team has been crowned state champion and only have a combined two finals appearances.

Teams in Howard, Frederick, and especially Anne Arundel county have succeeded in recent years to win many state championships. Annapolis, Severna Park, and recently Broadneck have particularly flourished in girls lacrosse, and these three teams have often been the reason that Montgomery County teams have not won a state title. However, the Sherwood girls lacrosse team has shown for a number of seasons that they will not shy away from the challenge or give up on the ultimate goal of a state championship.