The 2018 Thornton Academy boys lacrosse team may have truly been a team of destiny.
I usually hate using cliché sports terms, but I’m going to make an exception for this column because the Golden Trojans’ run to the Class A state championship really had everything a Hollywood screenwriter could have dreamed up.
A player coming off a serious surgery, who not only comes back to play but steps up in the state final.
Another player who played through an injury — and only scored SIX goals in the championship game.
A 6-foot-5 big man who was as much of a presence off the field as he was on it.
And, of course, the fact that this team was looking to bring home a state championship for the first time in school history — and they got the job done.
While I doubt ESPN will be making a 30 for 30 about the Trojans’ undefeated 2018 campaign, this season will certainly live on in Thornton Academy lore.
Offensive firepower
I had a feeling early on in the season that this might be a state championship team. The Trojans simply had too much talent and confidence to do anything but capture gold this spring.
The first thing that stood out to me when I covered TA’s opening game this year was the amount of offensive weapons head coach Ryan Hersey had at his disposal.
Midfielders like CJ LaBreck (six goals in the state final), Sam Edborg (face-off specialist) and Wyatt LeBlanc (came back from serious hip surgery), played a critical role on this squad. Whether it was pushing the ball up the field to give the Trojans’ attack a chance, or take it all the way themselves, the TA midfielders were dangerous.
Speaking of the TA attack, it was seriously deadly all year. Seniors Noah Edborg and Jack Webb (the aforementioned big man) and junior Tom Levasseur were able to ruin an opposing goalie’s day pretty quickly — just ask, well, anyone they faced this year.
Noah Edborg and Levasseur, along with LaBreck and LeBlanc, could beat pretty much anyone with their speed, while Webb brought a different element to the TA offense with his ability to back down a defender and score.
Add in Sam Edborg’s ability to dominate the draw and it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see the Trojans bring home the title.
Unsung heroes
While the Trojans’ offense got most of the press this year, the TA defense was also one of the best in the state.
Obviously, a strong offense helps any defense but goalie Ean Patry and defenders like Cam Houde and Eli Arsenault deserve a ton of praise.
Without solid play from the defense — which often times kick-started the TA offense on fastbreaks — the Trojans wouldn’t have a state championship in their trophy case.
Confidence is key
The one word that comes to mind when thinking about the Thornton Academy boys lacrosse team is confidence. Every time I watched the Trojans this season I saw a self-assured group that believed in themselves and bought in to what the coaching staff was preaching.
So when the Trojans found themselves trailing most of the Class A state championship game on Saturday — whether if it was by three after the first period or by two late in the game — I found myself believing they would come back to win the title.
I’ve been around a lot of teams over the years, and sometimes you can just tell when a team has the ability to seemingly always step up in crunch time.
The Trojans proved they were one of those teams at Fitzpatrick Stadium — and they made some history in the process.
Not done yet
The Trojans will lose a ton of talent from the state championship team as Noah Edborg, Chandler Bilodeau, Tucker Weeks, Houde, Webb, LeBlanc and Nathan Varle all graduated earlier this month.
But that doesn’t mean this program will be taking a step back next season.
The TA offense will still be one of the most dangerous in the state as Levasseur, LaBreck, Sam Edborg and Anthony Bracamonte all return for another season.
Thornton will also bring back Patry in the cage, and Arsenault, Cam Cote and Sawyer Wirsing return to lead the defensive unit.
I’m sure there will also be some newcomers, who were stuck behind those talented seniors, in the TA varsity lineup that will make an immediate impact next season.
The 2018 state championship may have been the first for Thornton Academy, but with all of that talent returning — and a strong feeder program in the Saco Bay Lacrosse Club — I guarantee it won’t be the last.
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.

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