MORGANTOWN – The Morgantown High boys lacrosse team headed into this season preparing to defend their 2025 West Virginia Scholastic Lacrosse Association State Championship with an astounding 59 rostered players and the usual question marks.
Who will step up and replace the experienced and talented senior class from a season ago? What will the team chemistry be like? Can we do it again?
So far, on every game on their schedule, including teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland, the Mohigans have answered the question with a victory – and usually in quite convincing fashion.
That same script was written at Pony Lewis Field on Tuesday evening as top-ranked MHS defeated Martinsburg, 19-7, in the WVSLA semifinals, with a trip to Charleston for Saturday’s championship on the line.
Martinsburg’s David Aird scored the first of his three goals in the first minute for the Bulldogs’ (11-4) first and only lead, but the Mohigans (16-0) answered immediately with goals from their three-headed attack monster of Anthony Vessecchia, Zion Joseph, and Luke Quigley as Morgantown built a 6-2 lead after the first quarter. When Aiden Petsko and Joseph scored early in the second quarter, making it 8-2, it looked like the rout might be on, but Martinsburg took advantage of some defensive communication breakdowns to score a pair, allowing the Bulldogs to stay within reach at the half, trailing 11-5.
However, any hopes for a monumental upset were shut down by the shutdown second-half defense of the Mohigans, led by standout junior goalie Cooper Drach, who finished with 13 saves. Martinsburg was only able to score once in each of the last two quarters, as Morgantown stretched out to a 16-6 lead after three, and Dominic Sellaro, Levi Anthony, and Cooper Cox put the finishing touches on the dominating win.
Vessecchia led all scorers with 5 goals and 3 assists, Quigley also scored 5 plus 1 helper, and Joseph went 4/3 for the Mohigans.
Morgantown head coach Jeremy Bennett knew that his team would be challenged by a different, desperate Martinsburg.
“The first time we played them back in March, it was 3-3 after one, so we knew they were a good team,” he explained, “and we also knew they’d be a different team, hungrier and improved. But I told them that we were a better team too, and we just needed to get to our game and play with focus and energy. And we did that, I thought. We had a few defensive issues that we cleaned up at halftime, and I thought they really picked up their intensity and used their athleticism and solid stick checking to control the second half.
“We’ve developed a lacrosse culture here at Morgantown, “ he continued, “that we are very proud of, starting with our middle school programs, and continuing through the JV level to varsity. And our seniors play a big part because we give them a technique or a play, and they become on-field coaches, teaching the underclassmen who really want to learn and improve. This group has been great to work with, and I’m proud of everyone on this team.”
When asked about his team’s low-key post-game celebration, Bennett smiled and said, “I think they know there’s one more mission to accomplish.”
One more question to answer.
