'We like us': Leon lacrosse tops Niceville in thrilling win, books spot in district final

Leon Lacrosse star Michael Dixon could almost feel his heart jumping out of his chest on Friday night.

With just four seconds left in the Class 2A District 1 semifinal, Dixon's nerves stemmed from the 8-7 lead the Lions held over visiting Niceville, and the four years of heartbreak caused at the hands of the Eagles in district tournament play.

When the clock hit zero and the Lions finalized an 8-7 win, Dixon's nerves turned into celebration as Leon (11-5) beat Niceville in the district tournament for the first time in his high school career.

"It feels great, especially because that team has taken us out so much in the past. They're our rival team, no doubt," Dixon said. "It just feels really good, it's like taking the monkey off your back, it feels great."

Booking a spot in the Class 2A District 1 final on Monday night, facing the top-seed in the district in Gulf Breeze, the Lions had to fight for its spot in the title game.

Leon and Niceville took turns exchanging leads and ties throughout the night. A fourth-quarter flurry of goals from the Lions gave the team enough of an advantage to win, despite the Eagles scoring a goal and cutting the lead to one with just seconds remaining in the game.

"That was one of the most nerve-wracking things that I've been through in my entire life," Dixon said. "Once I saw the time start ticking down under 10 seconds, I felt confident that we had it, but my heart rate was beating out of my chest heading into the final face-off."

The Lions got goals from William Bulloch, who leads the team with 62 goals, Jack Manasua and Talon Torregrosa to secure a spot in the district title game.

"We like us, we bet on us"

While Friday's win for the program was a huge hurdle cleared, Leon isn't satisfied with just making it to the district finals, the Lions want to win it after losing the final last season.

Heading on the road to face Gulf Breeze, who beat Chiles 16-4 in the other semifinal, the Lions know the challenge that awaits the team on Monday night.

The two teams have played once this season, with Gulf Breeze coming out on top 17-10 in the first matchup, but that loss only fuels Leon's underdog mentality.

"It's just a mental thing this weekend, really just keeping the same mentality we've had all season, which is that we're the underdogs," Dixon said. "We're gonna have an underdog mentality and we're gonna come into every game knowing we like us. We bet on us."

Leon head coach Jonas Clingerman said the team will focus on recovery over the weekend as it looks to knock off the top-seeded Dolphins.

Clingerman has helped push Leon into the upper ends of lacrosse in North Florida in recent seasons, and he feels the team's growth this season comes from a balance in talent that it may not have had in seasons past.

"We knew we were never gonna have the same exact team we had last year. We were very concentrated when it came to talent. But this year, we're very distributed," Clingerman said. "It's all about growth and about being a dynamic team because it's a dynamic sport, so it makes sense."

As the Lions start to prepare for the district title game, Clingerman knows he will get the best out of his group come Monday due to the team's connection both on and off the field, something he felt was on display in the win over Niceville.

"This goes beyond just being a team. It's really a family and they are a brotherhood," Clingerman said. "When you truly buy in and fight for the ones to your left and right, that's when good things come.

Leon will face Gulf Breeze on Monday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at Gulf Breeze High School.

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon Lacrosse topples Niceville, books spot in district final