Before the start of the playoffs, Coe-Brown’s coach Tony DePalma was taking his team through the motions of staying undefeated, one game at a time. Through seven years with the boys’ lacrosse program, he was still hunting for the first postseason win. Finally, he’s led the Bears to their first state championship game with a win over the Hopkinton Hawks, 14-7.

On Thursday night in Laconia, the No. 4 Hawks (12-4) faced a top-seeded Bears program (17-0) that became a behemoth in Division III. DePalma said that the semifinal win was big for him, but more so for his players, especially the seniors who have worked towards it for the past four years.

“It’s a game. It’s not the game. So, the goal has always been to get to Saturday, but we never want to get too far over the front of our skis,” he said. “Keeping that focus, I think, has allowed everybody to really sort of enjoy this one step at a time, and that’s been awesome.”

Bears keep rolling

The win continued the team’s undefeated streak and earned a state championship berth for Coe-Brown, which now has three teams vying to win it all. The Bears’ lacrosse, softball and boys’ volleyball teams will all compete for state championship titles on Saturday in what’s turned into a very eventful day for the school.

The Bears got a strong start and scored five goals in the first quarter while the Hawks trailed with two goals. By the start of the third quarter, the Hawks cut the game as close as 8-6, but lacrosse is a game of runs.

Seniors Gil Bean and Ryan Rodler, and junior Garrett Ward, all scored hat-tricks to lead the Bears. On defense, sophomore midfielder Colby Strum showed up with five caused turnovers and three ground balls to lead the team.

After Hopkinton’s quick goal, Coe-Brown went on another five-goal tear and managed to hold their opposition scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“‘Win the start’ has been a big motto for us all year, just come out playing smart lacrosse and opportunistic lacrosse, and try and put the pressure on a team early by getting the lead early,” DePalma said.

Next, the Bears will face No. 2 Plymouth (14-2) in Laconia on Saturday at 6 p.m. DePalma added that sticking to what his team has done all season will be key – staying focused, starting strong and being ready to counter-punch when struggling.

Promising future for Hopkinton

After the loss, the Hawks’ head coach , Deacon Blue, said that his team grew closer as the season progressed. The team will lose five seniors who led the team with poise and were instrumental in coaching up some of the younger players.

Many of those seniors went out with a bang despite the loss. On offense and in the midfield, Merrick Chapin had three goals, two assists and three ground balls, and Ozzie Rosenholm won 15 of 23 faceoffs and snatched up nine ground balls.

On defense, Nolan Staples-Roy stood strong with two ground balls and five caused turnovers, Brayden Crawford had four ground balls and two caused turnovers, and goalie Tate Doolan had 11 saves.

“I am so proud of our growth this year, both as individuals and as a group. There were many lessons learned on the field that will equal success across all aspects of our lives. Huge shout-out to our incredibly supportive school and community. Go Hawks!” Blue said.

Junior defender Kaleb Huse was key on defense, and sophomore Jackson Westover’s three goals, alongside sophomore Owen Buss’s goal and assist performance, showed promising signs for the future of the Hawks.

Blue added that, like every year, his team will have its sights set on winning it all next year and carrying over a bulk of the core with more playoff experience under their belts.