The Antioch Sequoits lacrosse team defeated the Lakes Eagles 15-11. The team had won 12 straight games up to that point and sat at the top of the conference at 16-3. This win over Lakes has officially secured the Sequoits the conference title. Antioch will now be the first team ever to win the conference championship besides Grayslake North.
“It feels great, it is the start of something special,” junior Jonathan Gobeyn said.
Initially, the game started out poorly for the Sequoits, as they went down 0-1 in the first quarter. The Sequoits were quick to respond with a goal at the start of the first quarter. With the momentum of the game on their side, the Sequoits were able to hold the lead at halftime with a score of 5-4.
“The main key to success versus lakes was for our team to stay confident and play our game the same as we have been all season,” sophomore Evan Wickert said.
The Sequoits dominated the second half offensively, as they scored 10 goals. The game’s scorers were Wickert, juniors Ryan Swanson, Jake Pankau, Ryan Tolbert, Jack Holway and senior Caleb Nobling. Considering that the team was unable to score a single goal versus Lakes last season, it is clear that the offense has significantly stepped up this season.
“The difference from last year is now we have players coming who have experience,” Holway said. “My class and upcoming classes have played lacrosse together since they were young.”
Not only did this game secure the team the conference title, but it also secured them a first-round bye in the sectional playoffs. This game versus Lakes was the biggest game of the season for the team, and they refused to lose.
As the team moves into the playoffs, their goal is to make a deep run and put Antioch on the map as a new program in the state. Their first playoff game was played on Monday, May 22 at Grayslake North High School.
