By Hannah Johnson and Trey Just
Online Sports Editor and Staff Writer

With only the the Senior Night game remaining in the regular season and players focused on advancing to the state playoffs, the lacrosse team’s season came to an abrupt end on May 6. It was not the end to the season players had expected.

After posting a record of 5-4, lacrosse players were confident the team would advance to the state playoffs as a wildcard team. As the only school in the Northeastern Coastal Conference with a men’s lacrosse team, First Flight does not play in a conference. In each of the previous five seasons, the Nighthawks had had an opportunity to make the postseason as a wildcard. Everyone thought it would be the same in 2014. However, on the last day for teams to report their records to the state athletic association, they learned no wildcard teams would be included in the NCHSAA playoff brackets.

“We found out about all of this after the season had ended,” Athletic Director Ray Scott said. “I was told on the phone the day before the playoffs started.” 

That was the day after players learned over the PA that the Senior Night game scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, had been canceled. That game was cancelled because teams were told the deadline for reporting records had been moved up to Monday night.  The next day Scott found out the team was never eligible for the playoffs. For the 16 seniors on the team, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Not having a Senior Night was really frustrating, we kind of got blind-sided by all of it,”  senior Noah Parsons said. “We really couldn’t prepare ourselves in any way; it just happened.”

Senior Josh Burgess agreed.

“I am very upset with the way my senior season ended,” Burgess said. “It is so unfair that we got cheated from the start (without) ever getting a chance to go to playoffs.”

Scott said that even if the team had finished the season undefeated, First Flight would not have earned a playoff bid. The same was true for Asheboro High School, the only other men’s lacrosse team that did not play in a conference this year.

“They were in the dark about it, just like we were,” Scott said.

Scott said this was the first year that the NCHSAA had expanded the men’s lacrosse championships to include one bracket for 4A teams only and one bracket for 3A, 2A and 1A schools, ultimately providing for two title winners. He said no one shared those brackets with him, until they were finished. That’s why he had no idea wildcard teams had been eliminated from contention. Senior Harrison Gardner doesn’t know why this information didn’t trickle down to the coaches and players before the season ended, but he’s not happy with his team missing the playoffs.

“I believe that it’s both the school and state’s fault. I don’t think it’s right that we play in the state of North Carolina and have to be in a conference to go to the state playoffs,” said Gardner, one of the team captains. “We abide (by) NCHSAA rules and regulations, and when it comes to the end of the year we have nothing to show for the success of our season? I don’t think it’s fair at all that nine teams with losing records (made) it to the playoffs over us, especially after how hard we worked for this.”

Scott said that NCHSAA officials have recommended that First Flight join a conference for 2015 in order to earn a spot in the playoffs.  FFHS lacrosse coach John Van Lunen is not sure about playing in a conference in the future. However, he’s certain what happened this year was not right.

“I am extremely disappointed with the NCHSAA. After getting our records they went on to say that everything was OK and never once told us about how we couldn’t go to the playoffs,” Van Lunen said. “It didn’t only hurt me as a coach, but (it hurt) all of the players as well, especially seniors.”

The team finished its season with a record of 5-4, including wins over Currituck, Hickory (Virginia), New Bern and Havelock high schools. Havelock made it to the third round of the state playoffs before losing 15-16 to Jacksonville.

“Beating Currituck helped us close out our season strong and made the whole team feel all around more excited since they are one of our rivals,” senior Alex Faracca said.

Cardinal Gibbons (21-0) plays Waxhaw Marvin Ridge (18-1) for the 1A/2A/3A state title on Friday at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. This will be the first classified championships in NCHSAA history.

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