‘It’s going to take our all.’ Sayre to defend girls’ lacrosse title; boys’ tourney begins.
Sayre and Lexington Catholic will battle for the Commonwealth Lacrosse League Girls’ State Championship on Saturday as the boys’ and girls’ high school lacrosse seasons reach trophy time.
While the girls’ season comes to an end with all-star and title games Saturday at Transylvania University’s Pat Deacon Stadium, the CLL boys’ tournament is just underway and has round-of-16 games this weekend at various sites.
Sayre’s girls’ lacrosse team aims for its second straight CLL title but has to face a Lexington Catholic team it only narrowly edged 13-12 on Monday in the East Region finals.
“It’s going to take our all — every little bit,” Sayre Coach Anna Cook said of attempting to repeat.
This year’s girls’ CLL tournament included a double-elimination provision that allowed Lexington Catholic to remain alive after losing to Sayre on Monday.
The Knights traveled to West Region champion Bowling Green for Wednesday’s semifinals and beat the Purples 5-3 to earn their spot in the championship. Sayre defeated West Region runner-up Frederick Douglass 19-4 in the other semifinal.
In Monday’s region championship between the Knights and the Spartans, Sayre jumped to a 3-0 lead early in the first half, but LexCath did not give in.
The Knights never let Sayre get more than three goals ahead and when Lily Hester scored her fifth goal to tie the game 10-10 with 18:24 to play in the game it looked like LexCath had enough momentum to win.
But Sayre answered with three goals over the next four minutes to resume control capped by Sophia Richardson’s quick flip from an Izzy Brogden assist to put the Spartans up 13-10 with 14:09 left. Brogden and Avery Luren led Sayre with three goals each.
“Facing adversity in each game just makes us better for the next game,” said Richardson, one of the team’s three seniors. “We continue to push hard and push each other.”
Sayre goalie Mackenzie Johnson saved a potential tying goal in the closing moments to preserve the victory.
“We lost seven seniors last year, so it’s been really cool to see all of the new players growing,” said Brogden, another senior. “I’m really proud of all of them.”
KHSAA sanctioning soon?
On Wednesday, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Board of Control signaled it would be ready to sanction boys’ and girls’ lacrosse championships in the 2024-25 school year “following confirmation of school commitment(s) to participate.”
Last fall, the KHSAA lowered its sanctioning threshold from 50 schools to 42.
It remains unclear whether boys’ lacrosse would be able to meet that minimum although more than 42 schools have expressed interest in the sport over the years. The website Laxnumbers.com currently lists 40 boys’ teams.
On the girls’ side, Laxnumbers.com shows 36 teams, but Title IX provisions mean the KHSAA does not need 42 girls teams to move forward. As an example of a Title IX waiver of KHSAA rules, there are only 19 teams in the girls-only sport of field hockey.
When KHSAA sanctioning does come, it probably means the end of the current split that exists in both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse. While all of the state’s teams may play each other, there are separate state championships for teams in the Louisville area (the Kentucky Scholastic Lacrosse League) and the rest of the state (the Commonwealth Lacrosse League).
The CLL boys’ tournament
The CLL boys’ tournament features a number of top-rated teams, including defending champion Lexington Catholic, ranked No. 4 behind the KSLL’s Trinity, St. Xavier and South Oldham.
The CLL also includes No. 7 Walton-Verona, No. 9 Woodford County, No. 10 Frederick Douglass, No. 12 Sayre, No. 14 Henry Clay and No. 15 Covington Catholic.
As one of the tournament’s top seeds, LexCath earned a bye to its playoff game against Paul Laurence Dunbar on Saturday. Frederick Douglass, Henry Clay, Lafayette Lexington Christian and Sayre are the other Lexington teams still alive in the boys’ tournament.
The boys’ tournament culminates with a CLL all-star game and championship on May 20 at Lexington Catholic.
Girls’ lacrosse
Commonwealth Lacrosse League championship
Saturday at Transylvania’s Pat Deacon Stadium
1 p.m.: CLL All-Star Game
2:30 p.m.: Lexington Catholic vs. Sayre
Boys’ lacrosse
Commonwealth Lacrosse League Tournament
Friday
7 p.m.: Frederick Douglass at Dixie Heights
6:30 p.m.: Cooper at Walton-Verona
7 p.m.: Ryle at Henry Clay
TBA: Hardin County at South Warren
7 p.m.: Lafayette at Woodford County
6 p.m.: Lexington Christian at Bowling Green
Saturday
Noon: Covington Catholic at Sayre
7 p.m.: Paul Laurence Dunbar at Lexington Catholic
Tuesday
Quarterfinals at higher seeds
Thursday
Semifinals at higher seeds
Saturday, May 20
At Lexington Catholic
5 p.m.: CLL All-Star Game
7 p.m.: Championship
