The boys rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Upper Dublin 10-8 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park, advancing to Tuesday’s semifinal against Lampeter-Strasburg. The girls fell to West Chester Rustin 13-6 in the state quarterfinals.
Boys Rally Past Upper Dublin
Mars trailed 3-2 at halftime before taking control with a five-goal third quarter.
Junior Reed Fuller sparked the comeback with a determined goal through multiple defenders that cut the deficit to 5-3 and ignited a five-goal third-quarter surge for the Planets.
“Not only did he talk the talk at halftime to the team, but he walked the walk,” head coach Bob Marcoux said. “That goal was a huge momentum changer for us. He wasn’t going to be denied.”
Freshman Nate Caldwell finished with two goals and an assist, while senior Grant Weaver contributed two goals and four assists. Senior Connor Long added two goals, while senior Josh Wilburn dominated at the faceoff circle, winning 17 of 22 draws and repeatedly giving the Planets extra possessions during their second-half comeback.
“He’s a machine and one of the hardest workers on our team,” assistant coach Stephen Latona said. “He just continues to get us the ball back repeatedly.”
“We had a battle today, but we fought through it,” assistant coach Matt Grus said after the victory.
Upper Dublin cut the Mars lead to one goal late in the fourth quarter, but Weaver scored with 55.7 seconds remaining to seal the victory. Senior goalie David Renner made several key saves throughout the contest as Mars improved its postseason record and moved one step closer to another state championship appearance.
Girls Season Ends Against Rustin – One Team Until the End
The Mars girls saw their season conclude with a 13-6 loss to West Chester Rustin in the Class 2A quarterfinals. Rustin controlled much of the game through team speed and success on draw controls.
“Their team speed was a big part of this game,” Mars coach Abby Latona said. “We played hard and I’m very proud of my team.”
The Lady Planets continued to compete until the final whistle, closing the season with another WPIAL championship and a state quarterfinal appearance.
Mars finished the season as WPIAL Class 2A champions and one of the final eight teams remaining in the state tournament.
Looking Ahead
Mars boys lacrosse will face Lampeter-Strasburg in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals Tuesday with a berth in the state championship game on the line. Lampeter-Strasburg advanced by defeating both Hampton and South Fayette in the state playoffs.
