Ridgewood boys lacrosse wins sectional title for first time in six years

WESTFIELD – Owen Staunton held the trophy high for all his Ridgewood teammates to see.

A new wave of stars has carried on the town's old lacrosse tradition.

Sophomore Jack Frers scored three goals and Staunton led a lockdown defense as the Maroons rallied to beat top-seed Westfield, 10-6, on Tuesday in the North Group 4 championship.

Neither the smog or the lightning delay pre-game seemed to bother Ridgewood (18-3) inside Gary Kehler Stadium. The No. 3 Maroons scored the first two goals and finished strong on the way to their first sectional title since 2017.

"That's probably the best job our offense has done possessing the ball all year," coach Mike Pounds said after his 301st career win.

"They did a really nice job. And for the defense to hold those guys to one goal in the second half is huge."

One of the storylines for Ridgewood this season was the ability for players to step up after having little to no role on the 2022 season.

Goalie Matthew Roughgarden epitomized that theme in the final by making 18 saves and sprawling all over the crease. The Stony Brook commit came up with back-to-back stops on the man-down early in the third quarter with the score still tied 5-5.

"He's been doing it all year, but this was extra special," Frers said. "He's one of the best goalies I've ever played with."

What it means

Ridgewood moves on to face South champion Cherokee in the Group 4 state championship on Friday. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bridgewater-Raritan.

History is at stake for Pounds, who can pass his alma mater when the Maroons return to the field. Ridgewood is currently tied with Montclair for the fourth most state titles (10) – behind Delbarton (16), Mountain Lakes (16) and Summit (12).

So while the Maroons were satisfied, there was still a sense of unfinished business before hopping on the bus back to Bergen County.

"It's great for the program," Pounds said. "It's a very close-knit team that plays well together."

This was the second straight day that a Maroons lacrosse program hoisted the sectional title. The Ridgewood girls beat Morristown about 24 hours earlier to clinch a spot in the state final Saturday.

Inside the win

Ridgewood beat Westfield in four overtimes earlier this season and seemed to be headed for another nailbiter. The Maroons struck first on shots by Will Brandt and Will Yates, but the Blue Devils answered back with three goals of their own.

The lead went back-and-forth until Frers took charge in the third quarter. The Maroons' attackman took a pass inside from Dewey Phillips for his second straight goal and 40th of the season to extend the lead to 7-5.

"Smart boy who works hard," Pounds said. "He complements his teammates really well and tries to make sure he's in the right position to help us win."

Frers never got the chance to show his skills on the freshman team last season. The left-handed sniper broke his elbow in March and didn't return until the first week of summer. His expectations for this spring were modest.

"I was hoping to have a small role on the team and do it when my name got called," said Frers, possibly the highest-scoring sophomore under Pounds. "I didn't think I would get 40 goals."

Senior Myles McCutcheon (two goals) was able to put his stamp on the final as well after being hurt for most of last season. The Maroons' leading scorer landed the knockout punch with about three minutes left, burying a short-handed goal in transition.

Before long, the countdown was on across the Ridgewood sideline.

"I feel like we have a special bond," Roughgarden said. "During the preseason, we took a trip down the Delaware and really bonded over suffering together. I think that brought us together."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ridgewood NJ boys lacrosse wins first section title since 2017