By Jimmy Thomas
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
Check below the story for highlights from Thursdays game.
On a night where two of the best boys’ lacrosse teams in the Northern Region were set to square off, the game was instead overshadowed by a heartfelt pre-game ceremony on Senior Night.
On October 28, 2006 Oakton student-athlete Chris Kearns, a member of the Cougars’ lacrosse team, was tragically killed in a car accident. Thursday night the Oakton seniors invited Kearns’ parents, Rick and Sherry Kearns, to join them in remembering their son as their 11th senior.
Many of the visiting Charger players and parents who knew Kearns from youth leagues and club teams also participated in the commemoration by sewing the number 32 — Kearns’ lacrosse number — on the shoulder of their son’s jerseys.
“It was all the kids’ idea,” Chantilly Coach Kevin Broderick said. “And I think that’s a testament to what kind of kids they are and what kind of parents they have that they wanted to pay what I think is the ultimate compliment to the Kearns’ family.”
When the game started, however, the on-field rivalry continued.
It had been nine years and 15 games since the last time Chantilly defeated Oakton, a stretch that included the Cougars outscoring the Chargers by a whopping 246-83 margin. But the two teams entered Thursday night’s game with identical 5-0 records in the Concorde District and a No. 1 seed and first-round bye in next week’s district tournament on the line.
And end the end the Chargers broke the streak, defeating the host Cougars, 9-3.
Oakton got on the board first when junior James Wheatley scored just over two minutes in, but the Cougars were only able to score two more times as Charger junior goalkeeper Derek Kegerreis played lights out all night to lead his team to victory.
“We didn’t play as good on defense as we are capable of,” Broderick said. “But our goalie played outstanding and really saved us a number of times. Its a big win for the kids.”
Chantilly senior Joe Fratter scored the first goal of the game for the Chargers and went on to complete the hat-trick while senior teammate Tyler Ott earned a hat-trick of a different sort by totaling three assists. Chantilly also got two goals a piece from seniors Jake Nolan and Corey Aferiat.
The Chargers will attempt to complete an undefeated regular-season Friday when it hosts South county for their own Senior Night celebration while the Cougars travel to Madison on Saturday.
The Concorde District tournament is scheduled to start May 1.
1 2 3 4 — F
Chantilly 3 2 1 3 –9
Oakton 2 0 0 1 –3
Email: jthomas@digitalsports.com
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