Falcons soar past Bobcat lax team
By Dan Roem
The symbolism was rich as a pair of referees checked John McCulla’s stick for legality at midfield Monday. The senior had just scored Fauquier High’s first goal during its 8-3 victory over Battlefield in Haymarket. Those referees reacted by scanning the pocket and shaft of McCulla’s stick as though they expected to find an illegal enhancement.
What other explanation could there be? The Falcons had struggled to even create scoring opportunities prior to that second-quarter goal. They trailed 3-0 after Battlefield goals by Chris Lutz, Matt Mullins and Andrew Felt and appeared headed toward a blowout loss.
The referees found nothing illegal about the stick, though. Instead, it was McCulla himself who had enhanced his game.
“He stepped up and that’s what we need — people to step up in times of adversity,” said coach Reed Gillespie.
That initial goal was the first of three consecutive scores by McCulla, a hat trick that sparked an 8-0 Fauquier run over the final three quarters.
“You’re down 3-0, you’re going to be concerned, but it’s a mark of a good team to come together,” McCulla said. “I always feel I need to take it upon myself, but I…[also] rely on my teammates.”
The FHS defense and goalkeeper Thorne Watkins were equally responsible for the Falcons’ rally. Fauquier’s midfielders and defensemen increased their intensity and improved their slide in order to shut out Battlefield (6-3) after the first quarter.
Watkins improved as well, accumulating 16 of his 19 saves over the final three periods.
“They have a very good goalie. That’s plain and simple,” Bobcats coach Kevin Marsh said. “If we’re shooting into a stick and he’s making saves, then that’s changing the tempo of the game.”
Watkins, who Reeds called one of the Cedar Run District’s top goalies, made many difficult point-blank saves, including on a bunch on Battlefield bounce shots.
“The ball looked like a grapefruit,” Watkins said. “I just tried to throw myself in front of everything. A couple I don’t know how I got there.”
While Battlefield failed to score after the first period, Fauquier slowly built momentum beginning with McCann’s three goals, the last of which tied the game at 3-3 55 seconds into the third quarter.
Less than three minutes later, Scott Biegert scored one of his game-high four goals to give the Falcons their first lead at 4-3. He then added a crucial goal with 5:36 left in the fourth period, during which Battlefield’s passing and catching deteriorated.
Playing a man down, Fauquier picked up an errant Bobcat pass that rolled over midfield and ran downfield for a fast break goal to go ahead 5-3. After that, the demoralized Bobcats allowed three goals in the final three minutes.
“But it fell apart way before the end,” Marsh said. “It’s a game that works with runs. Fauquier went on a run…and we never rebounded from it.”