'Order has been restored': Gulf Breeze boys lacrosse reclaims district championship crown
Seconds ticked away during the District 1-2A boys lacrosse district championship game between Gulf Breeze and Leon on Monday.
Ben Cozart, who scored twice during the game, held onto the ball, running around midfield. Fans at Dolphin Stadium screamed the number of seconds left on the clock as time dwindled.
As soon as the final horn sounded, Cozart launched the ball into the air. Players immediately started running toward goaltender Jackson Stephens. Lacrosse sticks went flying into the sky.
And for a few moments, Gulf Breeze found itself on cloud nine, defeating Leon, 15-8, to claim the district crown. Since first-year head coach Justin Sonntag brought the Dolphins together over the summer, they had two goals as part of a “revenge season,” junior Austin Mickler said.
The first goal? Win a district title. After a disappointing exit during the district semifinals in 2023, Gulf Breeze wasn’t going to settle for anything else. It’s the first district title for the Dolphins since the 2022 season, back when Gulf Breeze was in Class 1A.
“From the beginning, we wanted it bad,” Mickler said. “Every game, every ground ball, we wanted it.”
“Order has been restored,” Pete Snider said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Just a few minutes into the game, Tate Claudio fired a low shot into the back of the net. It was the spark of energy the Dolphins needed to continue throughout the game. It was the first sign of an energized Gulf Breeze team.
After the Dolphins faced Leon in February – where Gulf Breeze won, 17-10 – Sonntag knew his team would need a fast start. They got that with the Claudio goal with 9 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first quarter, quickly followed by Cozart’s first goal of the game 40 seconds later.
“Well, my blood pressure went down a little bit, honestly,” Sonntag said with a laugh, talking about his reaction to the two early goals. “I was feeling a little nervous, because I wasn’t sure how our guys were going to respond. They did a great job. It’s a great group of kids. I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts.”
Gulf Breeze couldn’t pull away during the first quarter. Leon stuck around with a couple goals. But that’s when the Dolphins outscored the Lions, 5-0, in the second quarter. While Leon didn’t go away quietly, the game was out of reach. Both teams scored three goals in the third and fourth quarters.
“We’ve just got a whole unit,” Snider said of the offense. “Our offensive coach, Antonio Barranca, he’s just an absolute guy. He’s shown us offenses we couldn’t even imagine. We’ve just strung it together the entire season.”
Gulf Breeze (17-3) earns an automatic bid into the Region 1-2A tournament, which begins on April 27. In the latest rankings, the Dolphins, which slotted in at No. 3 in the region, would host St. Augustine in the region quarterfinals, if those rankings stand true.
But no matter who it is, Gulf Breeze has its mind on its next mission.
“Job’s not finished,” Sonntag said. “We’re happy to win, but we’re ready for what’s next.”
“We want to make history and win our first regional game,” Snider said.
Buying in since day one
Both Snider and Mickler couldn't speak highly enough of what Sonntag has done in his first year with the Dolphins. It was a process that began long before the season began. It started over the summer, when Sonntag got the team together at the Gulf Breeze Rec Center.
"We had a complete buy-in from day one. He brought us in during the summer at the rec center to talk to us," Snider said.
Then began training at Exos and the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, preparing for the season. That helped some players overcome nagging injuries.
It also created a sense of discipline within the team, Mickler added, something he thought the Dolphins lacked in 2023.
"That's helping us exceed expectations," Mickler said.
"We all went to Exos, worked our asses off and the results show," Snider said.
The Mickler-Snider connection
Snider and Mickler combined for seven of the team's 15 goals during the game. But it wasn't just their prolific scoring that stood out on the field on Monday.
Snider, a senior, and Mickler, a junior, have built a sense of chemistry since the beginning of last year, their first year playing together. It's like they know where the other player is at any given time.
There were moments against Leon where Mickler or Snider would throw a ball into a group of players and there stood the other Dolphin, ready to make the catch – and the finishing shot that usually found twine.
"We’re literally best friends off the field. It’s just been that No. 1 and No. 3 connection the entire year," Snider said, referring to both players' numbers. "It’s accountability. We’re there for each other. We’re there for the team.”
"We just clicked immediately. … We hang out all the time," Mickler said.
"Sometimes I mess up and he gets onto me; or he messes up and I get onto him," Mickler added, referring to the accountability Snider brought up.
Sonntag is just reaping the benefits of the bond between the two players.
"Honestly, it’s practice time, building that chemistry every day. That’s the difference. We talk a lot about situation and awareness. They play with their head up," Sonntag said. “They have that connection, and I’m pretty excited about that.”
Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gulf Breeze boys lacrosse wins district championship game over Leon
