District lacrosse: Heritage-Delray girls and St. Andrew's boys claim titles, more Tuesday scores

The first members of this year's class of lacrosse district champions are finally here! Palm Beach County squads made for a busy Tuesday evening going to battle for new hardware, and among the first to get the job done are the area's reigning state champs.

That's right.

Return tickets to Naples have officially been punched for the girls of American Heritage-Delray and the boys of Saint Andrew's.

More district lacrosse: St. John Paul II lacrosse claims back-to-back titles in district finals win over Oxbridge

Athlete of the Week winner: Kelly Ferrell turns around Dwyer girls lacrosse before Stetson

Newcomers keep Stallions rolling for McClain's 200th win at Heritage-Delray

The Stallions walked away with an 18-3 district title victory, and it was certainly a sweet one to mark coach John McClain's 200th dub as coach at Heritage-Delray. Yet, the three-time state champions found themselves in an unfamiliar position in the first quarter of action against St. Andrew's.

When Scots sophomore Olivia Meehan scored a groundball pickup with 1:56 to go before the second quarter, Heritage-Delray held an unusually dismal three-goal lead, with flashy deflections and three early saves for St. Andrew's freshman goalie Blake Alise denying the Stallions their tradition of getting too far ahead far too soon. As luck had it, the distraction of a tumbling referee after the draw and an illegal stick on St. Andrew's − plus a save by sophomore goalie Ashley Egbert − helped the Stallions finish the first quarter, up 6-1.

However, by halftime, junior Emma Hrzich turned up the heat with a goal in the second quarter, feeding the flame with three assists, including two to Clemson signee Brooke Goldstein.

"Emma Hrzich plays such a vital role in our offense and it's such an honor to get to play with her. Her confidence and poise on the field allows for not only herself to get open, but also gives her teammates opportunities to perform," fellow first-year team member Emma Switter said.

"The team is so uplifting and competitive, which makes playing teams in big games even more exciting and rewarding," Hrzich said. "I feel like my game has improved tremendously from last season with the help of my teammates and coaches. They help me stay confident and gritty on the field. It's a team effort and no one is self to feed that 'one more' pass, which I feel elevates everyone as a whole."

Hrzich has been one of Heritage's most underrated pieces since her arrival. Having chosen to commit to Penn over Princeton, Richmond, USF, and Loyola, she came in with all the creds.

Heading into Tuesday, she stood second on the roster in points with 60 on the season with 37 goals and 23 assists, falling only behind a team-high 77 for Goldstein, who led Heritage with four goals on Tuesday.

Navigating her third year with the Stallions, her first as starting goalie, Egbert has known Hrzich for "as long" as she's been playing the sport.

"Ever since Emma has stepped on the Heritage field, she has made a huge impact. She's the total package. Fast, smart, shifty, and she can score like no other," Egbert said. "She's always the teammate who hypes you up at practice and gives you hugs when the game is over or you're down. Tonight, she showed her composure and maturity through the way she played and I can't wait to see what else she does the rest of the season."

Saint Andrew's boys sit starters for second half

A 4-3 double overtime defeat in semifinals to reach the district championship is enough to give any team hope that it can go the distance. The problem is meeting a team like St. Andrew's at your destination.

So much was the case for American Heritage-Plantation on Tuesday.

Ballside sneaks and sophomore Nick Testa proved too much for the Patriots, as did the feeding efforts of sophomore Notre Dame football and lacrosse commit Dylan Faison. Testa led St. Andrew's with five goals and an assist, while Faison delivered a team-best three assists, as well as two goals.

Up 15-1 at halftime with a shutdown defense charged by five groundballs for senior Dom Deering and four for sophomore Brandon Mordis, the Scots opted to sit their starters and release the second-string for a field day of its own. St. Andrew's won 24-3.

Who else claimed district championships?

1A-District 13 girls: No. 1 Benjamin (15-2) def. No. 2 St. Edward's (12-4), 14-8

1A-District 13 boys: No. 1 Saint John Paul II (14-5) def. No. 2 Oxbridge (12-6), 15-13

Which Palm Beach County teams stayed alive on Tuesday?

2A-District 13 boys: No. 1 Jupiter def. No. 4 Dwyer, 23-0

2A-District 14 boys: No. 1 Boca Raton def. No. 4 Spanish River, 22-11; No. 2 Wellington def. No. 3 Palm Beach Central, 7-4

2A-District 16 girls: No. 2 Olympic Heights def. No. 3 West Broward, 13-5

Find championship dates and times for all Palm Beach County teams here.

When will state championship brackets be released?

The Florida High School Athletic Association is set to announce 2024 state championship brackets in a live show, streamed via YouTube, on Friday, April 19, at 2 p.m.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Heritage-Delray girls and St. Andrew's boys among Tuesday district lacrosse champs