There will be a new state champion in Class 4 boys lacrosse this year.
Salem High School dethroned three-time defending state champ Atlee 7-5 in a Class 4 state semifinal Tuesday night.
The host Spartans (16-3), who flung their sticks in the air at game鈥檚 end, advanced to the state title game for the first time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something special,鈥 said Salem senior Jackson Jones, who scored the first goal of the game to give his team a lead it never relinquished. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 worked for it all their lives here. 鈥 It鈥檚 just one big family. And God鈥檚 blessed us with this amazing opportunity, so we plan to go finish that.鈥
鈥淭o get to the farthest point the school has ever gotten, it鈥檚 just really special,鈥 Salem senior Jackson Wininger said.
The Raiders (10-9), who were in tears after the game, had beaten Salem in the 2022 state quarterfinals.
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鈥淭o come out and beat a team like this, that鈥檚 won it in the past three years, it鈥檚 just an amazing feeling,鈥 Wininger said. 鈥淲e thought we were the more talented team and we thought we had the higher lacrosse IQ. We thought we were the more physical team and I thought it showed.鈥
Salem will play Loudoun County in the Class 4 final at 10 a.m. Saturday at Charlottesville High School.
鈥淲e get a chance to make history,鈥 said Salem junior goalie Richard Hof, a Barton recruit. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檝e had our minds on all season.鈥
Salem led 3-0 after one quarter and had a 5-1 cushion at halftime.
Salem鈥檚 Ty Hicklin (left) scores past Atlee goalie Daniel Schuring in Salem鈥檚 state semifinal win.
鈥淲e have too many athletes on our team to get slowed down by a team like that,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just all a bunch of a gritty dogs.鈥
In last week鈥檚 9-4 state quarterfinal win over Broad Run, Salem scored the first two goals and led the rest of the way.
On Tuesday, Salem scored the first five goals and led the rest of the way.
鈥淲e just came out hyped up,鈥 Wininger said. 鈥淭his is a team we鈥檝e been wanting to play 鈥 since they beat us (in 2022). And we were just so juiced up, ready to go.鈥
鈥淲e came out with a lot of energy,鈥 Salem junior Parker Dallas said. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 hype. They were flat. I think that鈥檚 why we punched them in the mouth at the start of the game.鈥
Jones, an Emory & Henry recruit, scored with 10:24 left in the first quarter to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Wininger, a Mary Washington recruit, scored to extend the lead to 2-0 with 7:52 left in the first quarter.
Oliver Farber scored to give Salem a 3-0 lead with 4:35 to go in the first quarter.
Ty Hicklin scored to give Salem a 4-0 lead with 9:53 to go in the second quarter.
Dallas scored on a behind-the-back shot to extend the lead to 5-0 with 8:43 to go in the second quarter.
鈥淲hen you combine our lacrosse IQ, our smarts, 鈥 with our grit, it makes us really dangerous,鈥 Salem coach George Revercomb said. 鈥淲e want it more than other people.鈥
Chase Eakle scored to trim the lead to 5-2 with 9:02 to go in the third quarter, but Holden Custer answered to extend the lead to 6-2 with 8:15 left in the third.
Salem鈥檚 Jackson Wininger (right) makes a pass during the host Spartans鈥 state semifinal win.
Mason Hoyt of Atlee scored to trim the lead to 6-3 with one second left in the third.
But with Salem enjoying a three-man advantage, Wade Marble scored to extend the lead to 7-3 with 3:49 to go in the fourth.
The Raiders scored twice to cut the lead to 7-5 with 1:34 remaining.
Hof had seven saves for Salem, including one with about a minute left to preserve his team鈥檚 two-goal lead.
鈥淚ncredible save,鈥 Revercomb said. 鈥淭he defense was so, so incredible to hold a team like that to five (goals). They鈥檝e been incredible all year.鈥
Daniel Schurig had nine saves for the visitors.
