Shady Side Academy had an all-star boys lacrosse team standing on the sidelines during its 15-4 win against McDowell Tuesday in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs.
Which was exactly how the Bulldogs coaching staff drew it up.
“We played a lot of guys and that was our goal if we got the opportunity,” Shady Side Academy coach Cam Thompson said. “I think that, at the end of the day, everybody understands their role and the importance of their role. That’s why we make sure they know we need all 27 of them.”
Shady Side academy jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter against McDowell and pulled several of its top players, including attacker J.P. Henry, who scored the game-winning goal against Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL final, attackers Thompson Lau and Ethan Salvia and defender Andrew Krakora.
Getting those players rested up and giving younger players opportunities is how you build a program. It’s also how you keep your top assets rested during a busy week before playing District 1 champion Radnor at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Chambersburg High School in the PIAA quarterfinals.
Shady Side Academy is in the middle of finals week and will hold its commencement ceremonies on Friday.
“There are a lot of distractions this time of the year, but as we say in our huddles, nobody cares,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to turn around and play a really good team and that’s why we play against some of the best teams in Pennsylvania.”
Shady Side Academy opened the season with an overtime victory against Penn Charter and took on powerhouses like Hill Academy, Hudson, Upper Canada College and Western Reserve Academy in order to prepare itself for teams like Radnor.
“We played really well against some of those teams and not too well against some of those teams,” Thompson said. “But I think these kids are prepared for the task at hand and know what it takes. The coaching staff and I have already dug into our next opponent and we know what we’re going to have to do to play a really good game.”
Class 3A girls
Shady Side Academy’s girls have been here before.
Last year, in fact ... and in 2019.
Each of the past two times the Bulldogs won their first-round state playoff game, they got blown out in the second round by Manheim Central.
But there is a big difference between this year and the previous two times Shady Side Academy rolled into the quarterfinals. This time Manheim Central won’t be waiting.
The Blue Streaks won the District 3 title this year. Instead, the Bulldogs will get a different District 3 third-place finisher in Wilson, which sneaked past District 1 runner-up Springfield-Delco, 12-11, in the first round at 4 p.m. Saturday at Chambersburg High School.
To win, the Bulldogs will have to play as well on the back end as it did in its 8-5 win against District 3 fourth-place finisher Hempfield. Senior Sydney Demchak, Autumn Casey and Sydney Birchard have led a defensive charge that controlled its opponents’ attacks and helped the Bulldogs get to this point
“Our defense came up and created a lot of turnovers, which is our strength,” Shady Side Academy coach Katy Philips said. “Syd Demchak has just been unbelievable for us.”
Class 2A boys
Mars already has a couple of wins against District 3 teams this season and will need another if it is going to earn a spot in the state semifinals for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Mars knocked off third-place finisher Trinity, 20-6, on April 2 and rolled over No. 4 Cocalico, 18-2, in Tuesday’s opening round. This time, the Planets will get District 3 champion Susquehannock, which defeated South Fayette, 20-4, in its state tournament opener. Game time is noon Saturday at State College High School.
Quaker Valley earned its first-ever state playoff victory when it defeated District 10 champion Cathedral Prep. The Quakers will get a bigger challenge in the quarterfinals when they take on District 1 runner-up Penncrest, which won the 2014 state title, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Bishop McDevitt High School.
Class 2A girls
Chartiers Valley senior Josie Jones scored her 99th and 100th career goals in the team’s 17-4 win against Conneaut and will need all the offense it can muster when it faces District 1 runner-up Strath Haven in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. at Cumberland Valley High School.
Freshman Juliana Betts has scored 18 goals in her past three games, including a hat trick against Conneaut. Junior Tatiana Adzima is also coming off a hat trick in the quarterfinals.
No WPIAL girls team has ever made it into the Class 2A semifinals.
First Published: June 2, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
