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The Lacrosse Capital of Western Pennsylvania: Inside the Mars Dynasty
In western Pennsylvania, dynasties are usually measured in football championships, wrestling banners, and packed Friday night stadiums. But in the suburbs north of Pittsburgh, a different kind of powerhouse has quietly turned Mars Area High School into one of the premier lacrosse programs in the state.
Actually, make that two powerhouses.
At this point, ‘successful program’ no longer fits.
Mars lacrosse has become a dynasty.
Ten straight championships in any sport is difficult.
Ten straight titles in a growing sport with expanding competition borders on absurd.
“It’s unbelievable,” Mars head coach Bob Marcoux said after the game. “It never, ever gets old. This was almost as much fun as the first one.”
The consistency is what separates Mars from a typical championship team. Players graduate. Stars move on. Opponents improve. Yet every spring, the blue-and-gold uniforms are still standing in late May with another WPIAL trophy.
Although Mars had a long section winning streak snapped during the regular season, they survived many other tests. They were ranked third in their section behind Hampton and Peters Township, who dropped down to class 2A from 3A.
“This has been a little bit of a different year for us,” Marcoux said. “We’ve had a lot more close games, we’re a little bit more battle tested. I think we are more comfortable in these kind of games.”
Former players visit the team and sit together in the stands to let current players not only know that they are supported, but how important it is to wear the Mars uniform.
In Mars, their powerhouse programs are built through strong youth feeder programs that cultivates a culture of understanding that the name on the front of the jersey is way more important than the name on the back.
Watch Mars play, and the identity becomes obvious almost immediately. The ball movement is crisp. The spacing is disciplined. The lacrosse IQ is high. The pace is relentless. Midfield transitions happen in waves. Defensively, they communicate like a college program.
Most importantly when they put on that uniform, they expect to win.
“When they put on that Mars uniform, they know the name on the front is more important than the one on the back,” assistant coach Kyle Savage explained.
That expectation has become part of the culture.
The girls program has followed a similar path, establishing itself as one of the elite programs in Pennsylvania under head coach Abby Latona. The Lady Planets won their fourth straight WPIAL class 2A title in dominant fashion, 19-5 over Quaker Valley.
Like the boys’ team, the girls roster has been loaded with elite talent, year after year, as high school ready players are added from the outstanding youth programs.
That strong feeder program may be the most impressive part of all.
High School dynasties are rarely built on one freshmen class or one transcendent player. They survive because younger athletes grow up idolizing and watching older teams win and immediately understand the standard waiting for them.
The Mars Youth Lacrosse programs have helped create a year-round lacrosse culture in the community, where players are introduced to the sport early and develop within a system that feeds directly into the high school programs.
What makes Mars especially impressive is the time of its rise.
“These boys know how to play the game right, they know the expectations,” explained Savage.
Yet Mars keeps separating itself.
The boys program is still the only lacrosse program in western Pennsylvania to win a state title.
Programs like South Fayette, Hampton, Chartiers Valley, Quaker Valley and Blackhawk have all had talented teams during this era. Many of these schools would be happy to celebrate one championship.
Mars expects championships annually.
That mentality has reshaped the perception of lacrosse in Butler County and across the region. The Fightin’ Planets are no longer viewed as a small suburban program having a nice run. They are now the benchmark.
Every dynasty eventually faces the same question: How long can it last?
At Mars, the answer continues to be longer than anyone expects.
A decade of WPIAL championships for the boys and four straight titles for the girls.
Because what exists in Mars is bigger than one season, one player, or one senior class. It is infrastructure. It is culture. It is belief passed down from one group of players to the next.
In the fourth quarter of the championship game, midfielder Grant Weaver, displayed this belief better than anyone after he scored his hat trick goal to give Mars an 8-6 lead over South Fayette by immediately running to the sideline to address the mass of former Mars champions, who were watching from the stands.
“Let’s Go!” Weaver yelled.
And until somebody consistently proves otherwise on the field, the road to a WPIAL class 2A championship still runs directly through Mars, Pennsylvania.
Boys WPIAL class 2A Championship
At 1:22 of the first quarter the championship game between Mars and South Fayette started off with a bang when junior Reed Fuller (#3) scored an unassisted top shelf goal. He scored the last goal of the game and his second goal at 11:08 of the fourth quarter to secure the Mars victory 9-6.
South Fayette Lions came up short again.
“Remember the guys that came before you, they’re the wind beneath your wings, right, so just go fly,” Savage said.
South Fayette answered at 3:13 when Bryce Watkins (#4) made a wonderful pass to teammate Drew Welhorsky (#2) at the top of the crease to tie the game at 1-1.
At 4:40, Jack Makar (#3) assisted Nathaniel Keller (#23) to give the Lions a 2-1 lead.
Mars didn’t blink.
After senior Josh Wilburn (#15) won the faceoff, it took just 13 seconds for senior Grant Weaver (#9) to find himself alone in front of the net to tie the game 2-2.
Curling out from behind the net near the right post, Welhorsky scored at 9:35 to take back the lead for the Lions 3-2.
Just over two minutes into the second quarter at the 2:08 mark, Long put the Fightin’ Planets in front 4-3. He beat the goalie high and away.
Mars senior goalie David Renner (#1) made multiple saves including back-to-back on the doorstep at 7:05 to make Connor Long’s goal the only score of the quarter. Giving Mars a 4-3 halftime lead.
After the Lions flurry, Marcoux took a well-placed timeout to settle his defense after a turnover almost resulted in a goal against.
Although Wilburn, uncharacteristically lost the third quarter opening faceoff, Mars defense held and in transition Fuller found Weaver for his second goal of the game at 1:14 to make the score 5-3 Mars.
It was Mars’ third straight goal.
They scored their fourth goal in a row and looked to run away with the game when Ike McMichael (#4) took an assist from the goal line from Connor Long to bounce it in at 5:31 to make the score 6-3.
South Fayette called a crucial time out at 2:26 left in the third to regroup.
It proved to work, when junior Max Joseph (#17) buried a cross-crease pass from Keller at 9:29.
The Fightin’ Planets scored again at 11:25 when Connor Long completed his hat trick by beating the goalie with high heat to make the score 7-4.
However, a costly turnover on defense gave the Lions the momentum back with only seven seconds left when Daniel Speca (#11) took a nice feed from Joseph to end the third quarter at 7-5 Mars.
Using that built up momentum the Lions clawed back at 4:04 of the fourth quarter when Makar scored an unassisted goal to pull them within one goal 7-6.
However, just as he has done all season, Josh Wilburn won a critical faceoff for Mars that resulted in Weaver’s hat trick to put the Fightin’ Planets up by 2, 8-6.
Weaver promptly ran to the sidelines to address the former Mars players with a loud “Let’s Go!”
“Grant stepped up big today carrying the mail. He rose to the challenge,” explained Savage.
“He is really the straw that stirs our drink. He’s a two-way midfielder who helps us on defense and is a playmaker on offense,” explained Marcoux.
“Grant has come up big for us all season. He is a playmaker.” Coach Savage said. “He was big for us in last year’s championship game as well.”
Weaver has amassed seven goals in back-to-back WPIAL championship games.
“I’m honored to be a part of this team. I mean, we officially established Mars as a legacy, which is amazing, amazing,” Weaver explained to me with a huge smile. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”
With the Lions pushing, Renner, D-Ren, as he is called by his teammates and coaches, made two big saves, one was a kick save at 2:58 to hold the line for Mars.
After an obvious in the crease call against South Fayette, Mars possessed the ball for over a minute and a half before Fuller scored his second of the day, completing his bookend of scoring to give Mars the 9-6 victory, securing the Fightin’ Planets 10th consecutive championship.
“All of the past players have come back to offer encouragement and unity,” Marcoux said. “They come back to stress the culture. We’ve had a bunch of former players visit this week who said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a tradition to uphold,’ and I think that made a difference.”
Senior goalie David Renner made a ton of key saves to secure the win in net for Mars.
“D-Ren played huge for us today. He came to the coaches last week and said he wanted to be the starting goalie for us in the WPIAL championship game,” Savage said. “We want guys that the moment isn’t too big for them. Guys that want it.”
“Renner is our senior and he’s paid his dues,” Marcoux said. “He’s really waited for chance, and he upheld the Mars tradition of a goalie coming up big in the finals.”
“Three years ago, I was the third string goalie. I waited, learned and worked hard. I had a lot of help and support from Johnny and Luke,” senior goalie David Renner explained. “I got my chance to contribute today.”
Since losing to Hampton in 2015, Mars has won 30 consecutive WPIAL playoff games.
They have beat the South Fayette Lions all eight times that the teams have played each other. The Lions have lost four consecutive years in a row to the Fightin’ Planets in the WPIAL class 2A championship game.
Mars gets ready to make a run at states.
“We’ve said all along that our goal was to be healthy and playing our best lacrosse at the end of the year,” Marcoux said. “In year’s past, we’ve come into the state playoffs a little beat up. This year we are battled tested and ready.”
In 2022, Mars defeated Marple Newtown to win the only state title from a WPIAL boys or girls lacrosse team in history.
“We are excited to come on Rodney’s Rundown to discuss Mars culture and the run that we made to capture the state title,” 2022 alum Austin Cote said.
Girls Lacrosse WPIAL class 2A Championship
The ‘As One’ culture resonates with the Lady Planets and their leadership.
That is the theme of this year’s Mars Girls Lacrosse season.
“Playing our game is all that matters to us,” head coach Abby Latona explained. “We play our game and we can win.”
The Lady Planets break every huddle at practice and in games with the same message: “As One.”
The Mars Lady Planets are no stranger to playing in the WPIAL championship game. Their senior captains, Anna and Tess McGrath and Lydia Tomkovicz have not only played in it all four years of their high school careers but now have won it all four years as well.
The top-seeded Lady Planets soundly beat No. 3 Quaker Valley 19-5 to take home their fourth WPIAL class 2A title in a row.
Mars controlled the game from the opening draw and never looked back.
The first quarter was all Mars. Junior Katie Blake made the first two goals of the game look easy by using her quick first step to evade defenders and give the Lady Planets a 2-0 lead that they never looked back from.
“Our game plan was simple, we wanted to start out electric with good momentum, keep the ball, the team did just exactly that,” Latona said.
With 13 seconds left in the first quarter, junior Katie Blake (#6) scored her hat trick goal on her way to a team high five goals to give the Lady Planets a 7-0 advantage. She was assisted on the hat trick by fellow junior Jenna Smith (#12), who sings a beautiful, pre-recorded rendition of our National Anthem before every home game.
The first quarter decided the game for Mars.
“Katie had an incredible game,” Latona explained. “I think one of the things that makes us so hard to scout is that every single one of our attackers and middies is a threat who can score and shoot. We want to keep it that way.”
Blake finished with a game-high five goals, all of which came in the first half.
Junior Lucy Balasz (#5) added four goals to the scoreboard, including one in the first quarter when the game was still somewhat close.
The mercy rule was instituted when Mars took a 11-1 advantage into halftime.
Even with a huge ten-point advantage, head coach Latona didn’t lack any intensity, positivity or team focus.
“I told the team to just continue to play our game. Keep our focus and our energy high,” Latona said.
“I think coach’s intensity is kind of like us and obviously drives us,” senior captain Anna McGrath explained. “We have high intensity; she brings us up and we play harder.”
“I love playing for my teammates and my coaches,” added senior captain Tess McGrath.
Mars junior goalie Julia Lego made a huge doorstep save preserving the shutout until Quaker Valley senior Lucy Roig (#14) got them on the scoreboard at the 4:52 mark of the second quarter.
“I got to coach her all the way through. I have never seen someone with so much heart and grit.” Quaker Valley head coach Kristin Hric said of her senior. “She is an absolute competitor.”
That proved to be the only goal that she would score in the championship game as the tough Mars defense kept her at bay.
“I think our game plan for any team that we play is to really home in on their best players and try to keep them to minimal shooting opportunities,” Latona said. “My defense plays team D, and that means that they can take out any one player.”
“We knew going in who their scorers were. There were some certain numbers that we were looking out for,” explained sophomore defender Niki Lefcakis (#14). “We communicate well defensively, make switches and double certain players when needed.”
Sophomore Katherine Miller (#22) led Quakers with two goals, both coming in the second half when the game was well in hand for Mars.
The other two Quaker goals were scored by Elizabeth York (#6) and Anna Campbell (#20).
“We try not to underestimate anything from anyone. They’re a great team. I really applaud their upperclassmen for leading them back to this game. They haven’t been here since 2018,” Latona said. “We knew if we won the draw, we would win the game.”
The Lady Planets added another championship trophy to one of the most successful runs in WPIAL girls’ lacrosse history. It was their fifth title in six years.
Only the Mars boy’s lacrosse program can surpass the girl’s recent success.
“We’re paving our own way, but we’re proud of them, too,” Latona said with a smile.
Mars Varsity Girls Lacrosse Captains
After the game, I spoke to the Lady Planets three senior captains, Anna McGrath, Tess McGrath, and Lydia Tomkovicz together. We discussed culture, leadership, team unity, positivity and hard work.
Their team chemistry is evident.
“Our ‘As one’ mentality is in everything that they do,” explained captain Lydia Tomkovicz.
“We play with grit, positivity and respect,” captain Anna McGrath said.
“The chemistry on this team is special. These past four years have been the best of my life,” Tomkovicz told me with her patented huge smile. “I’ve had some of my best high school memories with these girls.”
“Our culture is very unique because we all care so much about each other,” added junior Lucy Balazs. “On the field and off the field, we are all friends.”
“Coach’s style really helps us to thrive,” captain Tess McGrath said.
“We need to keep our foot on the gas,” Anna McGrath said.
I walked the track with banged up junior captain Hailey Long. She had three packs of ice on her body. As we chatted, I saw the intensity in her eyes and the fact that she knows that this WPIAL championship is only the first step.
“I wasn’t missing this game for anything,” Long said showing me her bruised finger and gives me a fist bump. “We work too hard and want to go farther than any other Mars girl’s lacrosse team has gone.”
I told her that an old high school football coach of mine said, “pain was just fear leaving the body and we can play with fear.”
Hailey smiled broadly at me and said, “I agree with that.” Before we had to dodge balls that were whipping at us from the boys warming up.
“I love playing against good competition. It makes us better,” captain Hailey Long explained.
Huge individual milestones were hit this week as well. 2x senior captain Tess McGrath hit 250 points in the Lady Planets semi final game against South Fayette with an assist from her sister Anna McGrath.
“We aren’t going to get too high with this win,” explained Anna McGrath. “We have another goal in mind.”
Not to be outdone, 2x senior captain Anna McGrath hit two different milestones during the playoff week with 250 points and 200 career draw controls.
After the win against Quaker Valley, junior Katie Blake hit 150 career goals with over 70 goals coming in this season.
Mars Track and Field
Senior Colton Rearick punched his ticket to the PIAA State Championships with an incredible fourth-place finish in the 1600-meter run at the 2026 WPIAL Track and Field Individual Championship.
Mars Mascot
The National Champion Mars Fightin’ Planet mascot and some of Mars finest cheer leaders were honored to appear on a TV segment with KDKA Pittsburgh CBS News!
Since the Mars Fightin’ Planet was named the Nation’s Best High School Mascot, the Mars Cheer Boosters have been overwhelmed by the incredible community support and excitement from those wanting to meet the Planet.
With this exciting opportunity also comes a big announcement… you can now request the Mascot to visit your event or organization too!
Submit your request at this link: https://forms.gle/76tCXzufkyT5TckM6
Fightin’ Planet Mascot Opportunity
The Mars Area High School Cheer Program is seeking energetic and enthusiastic high school students to become the Fightin’ Planet Mascot!
Mascot performers need a combination of physical, interpersonal, and performance skills to successfully bring school spirit and entertainment to events and activities.
Job Summary
As the Fightin’ Planet Mascot, you will help bring the character and spirit of our school to life by portraying our beloved mascot. This role is vital in creating a memorable and entertaining experience for fans, engaging with audiences of all ages, and enhancing school spirit at events, games, and promotional activities.
Eligibility
Students must be entering 9th–12th grade at Mars Area High School to be considered.
Interested?
Please complete this interest form: https://forms.gle/w3UmHWMxyr1p14vV8
For questions, contact: marscheerboosters@gmail.com
