Last Tuesday was a special night for the Gulf Breeze boy’s lacrosse team.
Dolphin Jasper Bowles pushes back pressure from Pensacola High’s Nehemiah Jones. (Photo by Mat Pellegrino | South Santa Rosa News)
The stands at Dolphin stadium weren’t packed just because of the game. Dozens came out to watch 10 Dolphin seniors walk across midfield during the half, ultimately paying respect to their service on the lacrosse team over the years.
The crowd’s adrenaline that night was undeniably higher than what is usually experienced at most Dolphin lacrosse games. And that adrenaline and cheering pushed the Dolphins to a 19-7 victory over the Pensacola High School Tigers.
The Dolphins started off with a back and forth scoring frenzy with the Tigers through the entire first quarter.
Only 25 seconds into the first quarter, senior TJ Durst put the first goal on the board for the Dolphins. That goal was followed by a close up goal by a Tiger. But the Dolphins weren’t giving up without a fight.
Jordan Pliska performed an over-the-shoulder shot, which made its way into the Tiger’s goal with 8 minutes and 30 second left in the first.
Durst followed that momentum up with a goal nearly 20 seconds later making the score 3-1.
Pensacola’s Mizra Sohail fired a left handed shot underneath the Dolphin goalie’s legs bringing the Tigers closer to the Dolphins and ultimately ending the half with the Dolphins up 3-2.
In the second, the Dolphins were convinced they were going to widen the lead, which they ultimately did when they ended the half up 5 over the Tigers.
The first goal of the second came from Noah Hass, who slipped by Tiger defense to score less than two minutes into the second.
Hass returned to the goal 10 seconds later and put another point on the board for the Dolphins with a short shot past Tiger goalie Jones Nehemiah’s legs.
Pensacola High fought back the rest of the quarter until there was one minute left on the clock. The Dolphins had the opportunity to get at least one more goal on the board, but instead opted for 3 goals starting with a goal from Durst with less than 38 seconds left in the quarter.
That shot was quickly followed up by a goal from Jasper Bowles with 9.8 seconds left in the half. And that goal was followed up by a miracle play from Bowles who was able to get the ball down the field and into the Tiger’s goal right at the buzzer ending the half 9-4.
Dolphin Nick Daly fights back against Pensacola High School defense at the start of the first quarter. (Photo by Mat Pellegrino | South Santa Rosa News)
The Dolphins ended up carrying their momentum they had at the end of the second quarter into the third putting three points on the board within the first three minutes of the quarter.
With a little over a minute left in the third, the Dolphins were towering over the Tigers 15-5. Dolphin Harold Hill ultimately ended the quarter with two more goals at the 56 and 24 second marks ending the quarter 17-5.
The Tigers went scoreless through most of the third and were finally able to get a point on the board in the fourth. But before the Tigers could make a gentle comeback, senior Evertt Doman put a point on the board for the Dolphins less than 40 seconds into the fourth.
Pensacola’s Fish Christian followed up Doman’s score with an easy goal, putting the first point on the board for the Tigers in over 15 game minutes.
The two teams ultimately slowed down at the end of the fourth, and the game ended 19-7.
