TITLE TIME: Members of the Hun School boys’ lacrosse team celebrate after they defeated Lawrenceville B 9-8 in the Prep state final last Thursday. The Raiders ended the spring with a final record of 7-13. (Photo by Bill Alden)

By Bill Alden

Luke Donahue wasn’t fazed as the Hun School boys’ lacrosse team found itself trailing Lawrenceville B 2-0 in the first quarter of the Prep state championship game last Thursday.

“It seems to be a theme this year, we take the first punch but this group of guys are some of the grittiest kids I have ever met and played with,” said Hun senior midfielder Donahue. “We have been battle-tested throughout the year with such a difficult schedule that we are really ready for anything they throw our way.”

The Raiders responded with a 5-0 run to seize momentum. Donahue scored the second goal of that surge on a feed from Jake Beck.

“Playing with Beck is awesome,” said Donahue. “The defense gets all caught up in guarding him and it helps everyone else around him shine. He is really good at showing that off.”

As the contest unfolded, it turned into a nail-biter as top-seeded Lawrenceville showed plenty of fight, narrowing the gap to 6-5 midway through the third quarter and then drawing to within 9-8 in the last two minutes of regulation. The sixth-seeded Raiders, though, were able to get a late stop and then run out the clock to win by that 9-8 margin.

“I think we never really changed our mindset until the final buzzer,” said Donahue, who tallied two goals in the win as the Raiders ended the season with a 7-13 record. “It came down to the wire. If we had let up, obviously anything could have happened so I think we were pretty composed. We kept the same level-headedness throughout the whole game.”

Donahue acknowledged that there were some nervous moments as the Big Red had possession with less than a minute to go and a chance to force overtime.

“All of those thoughts are running through your head,” said Donahue. “You look at the guys around you and realize what you are playing for. It helps out a lot.”

The title means a lot to a scrappy Hun squad that started the season by losing five of its first six games.

“I think it is awesome,” said Donahue. “It is great for the program and coach [Joe} Donnelly in his first year. To get a statement win like this is really going to help us moving forward.”

In Donahue’s view, playing as a unit was a key factor in Hun’s title run.

“I think one thing coach Donnelly harped on us the whole year was that we win together, we lose together, we do everything together,” said Donahue. “It doesn’t come from one individual making superstar plays, it comes from when we play together.”

The Raiders also benefited from a special team chemistry.

“Everyone says their team is close but there is definitely something special about us,” said Donahue. “We are almost too unserious at times. We are all having way too much fun with each other but I think that is the perfect thing you want to look for in a program.”

Donahue’s versatility and team-first attitude has been a plus for the program.

“I started at goalie, then played midfield and longstick midfield and then midfield again,” said Donahue. “Wherever the team needs me I am there.”

Hun head coach Joe Donnelly was proud of the way his team weathered the Lawrenceville rally.

“Lawrenceville is a great team,” said Donnelly. “They went on a pretty big run there and closed the gap but we were ready to play to our pace. We were prepared and we played as a team. We played as a unit for the entire game.”

The squad’s tenacity made a difference. “They are gritty, they don’t give up, and they play with a chip on their shoulder,” said Donnelly. “For being a prep school, I think we are extremely blue collar in the way that we approach everything, from the weight room to practices and our film sessions. There is so much attention to detail in what we do. They have done nothing but buy in and be excited about the progress.”

Donnelly credited Donahue with playing a major role in creating that vibe around the program.

“Luke is such a special player; he came in as a goalie, he played shortstick defensive midfield, he played LSM and he just went out and played offensive midfielder,” said Donnelly. “He is a perfect example of a team-first guy. He is not only a great leader, he is great on the field. He is great in everything he does. He is such a presence, not only on the field but in our school and community. He isn’t the most vocal leader on the team but he is so much of a practice what you preach guy and sets the example for everyone. We have some younger guys on our team that are working in and getting some time and I am really glad that they got to experience Luke Donahue.”

Hun got some great work from junior star Beck in the win over Lawrenceville as he tallied two goals and three assists.

“Beck has really stepped up, that guy has been one of the biggest guys that have bought into that team play set,” said Donnelly. “He is very much one of our vocal leaders on the team. When we need to set the tone, you want to be hands off with these kids. Practice time is the time for us to do the instruction. In the game, we want to make our minor tweaks and do the little things according to our game plan. He is very much someone that steps up and speaks up and is really directing what the kids need at that moment.”

As Hun went 4-2 down the stretch, the team stepped up collectively.

“One of the biggest things that we imparted on them early the season is that we have to do the little things right to achieve our big goals,” said Donnelly. “Early in the season it was a little bit tougher of a buy-in, especially playing those teams that we are playing. But the more time we spent together, the more we focused on the flashes of greatness instead of looking at the bad parts about our games or practices and focusing on the positive as a unit. The more and more we felt comfortable working with each other and knowing that when things go wrong, it is not going to continue to go wrong.”

Winning the Prep title was proof of concept for the Raiders.

“It is a symbol for the determination of this group,” said Donnelly. “You can put your head down after struggling early in the season and just give up but that is not this team. This team is one that was 100 percent bought in. This kind of resilience and grit is what is going to continue to help us grow as a program.”

Donahue, for his part, believes that fortitude paved the way to the title.

“It is really just adapt to what is thrown at you,” said Donahue. “This team is super resilient. This year is a testament to that with the rough start and then we finish with a state championship.”