"Playoffs?"  Did you say, "playoffs?"  While Bowden Kelly, Jackie Modesett, and Meredith Gamble were shoulder to shoulder with 5A competition at The Woodlands Track and Field Regional qualifier, the boys' lacrosse team was one field away taking on The Woodlands High School, the number 1 seed in the City Playoffs.  As Kelly finished third in the pole vault, Modesett finished 2nd in the 300 m hurdles, and Gamble broke her own record in the 1600m, the boy's lacrosse team was trying to show that they belonged in the next round after defeating 5A Kingwood earlier in the week.  The Mavs came from behind to defeat the Mustangs from a 2 goal deficit, but they found themselves in a deeper hole against the Highlanders.  Being told that “private school” players did not belong on the same field with their public school counterparts, seemed to hit a nerve with the Mavericks.  Down 5-1, freshman Jonathan Newar stuck his first goal of the season with a second on the clock to fuel a rally that would cut the lead to one at the half.

The “Diablo” midfield of Daniel(4/1), William Payne (3/0), and Caldwell Flores(2/0) took it from there and went on a 3-1 tear to give the Mavs a 9-8 lead going into the final period.  Even though the Woodlands tied it with 9:59 to go, St. John’s was in control of their short game by winning gb’s, face offs and playing sound team defense.  Daniel led the team in gb’s with 9 and in face offs with 10.  Team defense, headed up by John Ytterberg’s 7 turn-overs, set up the game winner by Daniel with 4:00 minutes to go.  William Wallace got the final pick and gb to give St. John’s the ball and run out the clock.

Playoffs!