HERRIMAN — For each of the past two years, Park City’s boys lacrosse team has had a one-game season: the 5A state championship, each time against Brighton.
Park City's championship victory
Both years, the Bengals sent them home unsuccessful, including a 10-9 win last year.
The Miners weren’t about to go home empty handed a third-straight time.
Henry Alnwick had two goals and two assists, and Park City used a 6-0 second-quarter spurt to pull past Brighton, 10-6 in Saturday’s 5A championship match at Zions Bank Stadium.
Key players and scoring highlights
Wade Birch had two goals and an assist, one of 17 Park City seniors that propelled the team to its third state championship in five years.
“They really wanted to redeem the last two seasons,” said Park City coach Michael Persky, who won his 100th game with the Miners since the Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned lacrosse in 2020. “They knew what challenged us in the past, and they knew that culture has to play a big role.
“They’re the guys that did it,” he added. “Those that are on the field, and some on the bench. Just a phenomenal group of seniors.”
Alnwick discusses motivation for winning
The same attitude spread to the younger players, too.
“Obviously, they ended our season two years in a row,” Alnwick said. “I think a bunch of the guys wanted this for everyone on the team. I think we just wanted them, and we got them.”
Depth of scoring and teamwork
Those seniors got plenty of help, even Saturday.
Ten players scored Saturday for Park City, with only Birch and Alnwick contributing multi-goal games.
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Emphasis on selfless offensive play
Instead, the top-seeded Miners (18-3) used a combination of passing, distributing, diving and transition play to find offense where offense needed to be found.
“We pride ourselves on being selfless,” Alnwick said. “Everyone knows their role, and no one is bigger than another person. It’s fun playing when we all get passes, catches, we can all score; it’s just really fun. Everyone is having a good time.”
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Added Persky: “They recognize there’s one ball on the field, and six players; everybody’s got to have a role.
“We don’t put up the most goals. But we control the ball, we share the ball, and everybody is a threat. It’s just a strong group of unselfish, talented kids.”
Then there was the defense, which shut out Brighton after a 1-1 in the first quarter to take a 7-1 advantage into the locker room behind a standout effort from seniors Harper Brent and Ben Gibbs and sophomore Reid McCurdy.
“This Brighton team is a really good team. But our defense has been strong all year long.”
Park City had given up six goals to another Utah team just once all year, and pulled to a six-goal lead at the break.
Dylan Despain pulled one back midway through the third quarter for the Bengals (15-4).
But Brett Hughes and Hunter Hutchison each added another moments later, and the Miners refused to look back.
“This was a goal since September,” Alnwick said. “Everyone deserves it; we worked our asses off, and I loved it.”
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