[Baltimore Sun] Datris Moore scores 8 goals as Poly boys lacrosse beats ACCE, 15-8, for Baltimore City championship
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Shortly after storming the field in celebration and dousing coach Phil Thompson with a cooler of cold water, the Poly boys lacrosse team joyfully lined up for a team photo. Besides wide grins, each Engineer sported three fingers to the camera, signifying a third straight Baltimore City championship following a commanding 15-8 win against the Academy for College and Career Exploration on Monday evening at Baltimore City College.
Junior midfielder Datris Moore erupted for a game-high eight goals to help Poly (11-0) turn a tight early contest into the comfortable seven-goal win for the program’s sixth city title overall. The Engineers outscored the Eagles 13-6 after the first quarter ended tied at 2.
“I just seen a mismatch and every time I seen it, I just took it, and if the guy on the crease slid, I passed the ball,” Moore said. “It was just working. I just take whatever they give me. Whatever they were giving me, I was taking it.”
Senior attackman Bowen Valery added two goals and an assist in his final City championship game. Valery, a four-year member of the Poly varsity squad, experienced all three of those consecutive titles. Freshman attackman Ryan White chipped in two goals as well for the Engineers.
“I was a little stressed because it’s your senior year, and you want to win all of them,” Valery said. “It’s really nice. I think sophomore year meant the most because it was against City and this is my senior year and it’s a new team. It’s awesome.”
Speaking of new things, this was the first trip to the title game in ACCE’s third year in existence. The Eagles (8-4), who have reached the state semifinals the past two years, were paced Monday by Deon Boyd and Antoine Robinson, who each produced a hat trick.
“We just made a lot of mistakes,” said ACCE coach Lantz Carter, whose squad dropped a 15-12 decision to Poly on April 18 as well. “In the second half, our matchups weren’t as tight as we wanted them to be. No. 12, Datris Moore, he’s one hell of a player. He had a great day. We just couldn’t stop him.”
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Engineers scored five straight goals to open up a 7-4 halftime lead that they never relinquished the rest of the way. Moore started the five-goal run with long shot off a one-on-one move that was followed by a goal from Kollin Bethea off an assist from Steven Hinnant for a 4-2 advantage that grew to 7-2 following goals by Valery, Moore, and Taoheed Taoheed with 3:24 left in the first half.
Robinson and Daimon Spriggs kept the match close with two goals in the final three minutes of the quarter. Spriggs scored on a power-play. Robinson then further narrowed that deficit with back-to-back goals on nifty one-on-one moves that trimmed Poly’s lead to 8-6 with 8:24 left in the third quarter.
Moore, however, struck for three more goals in the quarter and White added another for a decisive 12-6 lead heading into the final 12 minutes of action. Moore scored on a jump shot, a long bouncing attempt and another quick move by his defender.
Not finished yet, Moore opened the fourth quarter with two more goals, including another while jumping in the air, and Valery notched his second score of the contest to essentially put the City title in their collective back pockets at 15-6 with roughly 5 ½ minutes remaining in the championship game.
“It’s an awesome experience for the seniors,” Thompson said. “They’ve been committed to competing at a high level and competitive for championships, not only in the city but also trying to make a push at the state level.”
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