'Stay public and you win championships': Sparta topples Pope John to capture HWS title
NEWTON — Gold medal around his neck matching his bleached hair, Sparta goalie Parker Hein grinned from ear to ear.
"This is the best feeling I've felt in a very long time," Hein said after the Spartans defeated Pope John, 9-4, to win the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex boys lacrosse title.
Hein, a senior, had played in goal from third through sixth grade before shifting to the field. But knowing Sparta needed a goalie this spring, Hein "asked Coach (Sean) Peterson for a shot, and it worked out. Here I am, and it's such an awesome feeling."
Hein made 13 saves as top-seeded Sparta earned just its second HWS championship, the first since 2016. He and his teammates brought the trophy over to the Spartans' fans, who pressed up against the fence around Newton's field despite a steady rain.
"I love this team more than anyone there is," Hein said. "These are my best friends on and off the field. I would do anything for these guys."
The Spartans (13-2) backed up their rookie 'keeper with a strong second half, going from a 4-4 draw to a convincing victory.
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Sparta sophomore Eddie Brown scored four goals, including the eventual game-winner on a man-up, no-look, over-the-shoulder shot with 4:42 left in the second quarter. Junior Matt Ciarelli added a team-high five points with a hat trick and two assists.
Pope John sophomore midfielder Sam Conetta had back-to-back goals midway through the second quarter. Lions juniors Travis Heller and Peyton Fox also scored.
"It means everything," said Brown, the Spartans' leading scorer. "We've been wanting this since Day One of training camp. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. It's a great feeling. A lot of them are Sparta guys who took the Catholic route. Stay public and you win championships."
The victory was extra special because of the crosstown rivalry between Pope John and Sparta.
The Lions (6-6) came into Friday's final as the defending HWS champion, but the No. 2 seed behind the Spartans. Pope John had played in the last three HWS finals, knocking off Hunterdon Central twice.
The Lions beat Sparta in a HWS semifinal in 2022, before losing to Hunterdon Central in the final.
The Spartans had taken down Pope John in HWS quarterfinals in 2015 and 2017. Sparta knocked off North Hunterdon in the 2016 final, and had lost to Hunterdon Central in 2013.
"This is what we've been working for," said Sparta senior long stick and faceoff man Greg Peters, who was awarded a silver plate as the HWS MVP. "When we set a goal at the beginning of the season, it's always this: HWS, and beat Pope John. It's so awesome to see all our hard work paying off right now. It's great we got them both done in one day."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Sparta beats Pope John in Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex boys lacrosse final
