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Boca Raton vs. Saint Andrew’s – District 23 Final Preview

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in .
  It finally comes down to this. One game. Two stories. Will history be made tonight or will the old movie plot from Same Time, Next Year continue? Or for younger readers, Groundhog Day. One game. It’s almost comical to make such a big deal about it. If you’re not from around here. Or if you don’t understand the back story. On the surface it seems so trivial; a place in the FIRST ROUND of the brackets.  With the winner facing the survivor of Stoneman Douglas and Pine Crest. If you don’t understand the back story. Two heavyweights, one assuming their mantle this year and one that has held that title for my entire lifetime. Top schedules, with great wins and some slip-ups too. Loads of talent. Solid coaching staffs.   Boca Celebration 314   Two big fan bases; one of which never once celebrated until this season and one which never frowned until that first game. They met in the regular season and Boca Raton finally overcame.  No longer did they have to sing ‘We Shall Overcome’ in the locker room before games.  The Shall was permanently retired for the present tense version . . . Saint Andrew’s, so proud of their lacrosse heritage now actually finds itself in the unusual position of not being the easy favorite, for the first time, in their District. SA’s passing offense vs. Boca’s top-notch long poles SA’s deep midfield vs. Boca’s middies SA’s underrated long poles vs. Boca’s underrated attack ———- Things to look for: Can Boca neutralize SA’s advantage at the faceoff circle?  Will they be able to keep SA from fast breaks off faceoff wins?  In a low scoring game like last time a few easy goals will go along way. Can SA’s offense score against this defense?  5 goals in the first game and difficulty all season in scoring enough against top defenses. Can Boca’s midfield hold up all game against a deeper midfield that will try to tire them out? Can Collin Pepper replicate his terrific game against Pope John Paul in the first round? Can SA’s defense contain Parker Giarratana, an upstate NY style attackman playing in a south Florida location? Will the field affect one team more than the other?  It took a decent beating after the rains on Tuesday and the center and the goal areas got hit hard.  SA plays on grass at home and Boca plays on turf.  It didn’t seem to hurt Boca Tuesday. ———– My prediction? You don’t want to miss it! Does it really matter who I think will win?  I have my own private suspicion but why ruin the ending?  It’s kind of like the Griffin character in MIB 3, an infinite number of possibilities . . . which one will coalesce?                                                             But if you want to know . . . I think we get a repeat of the regular season and we get to see history.  

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