The Tamalpais Boys’ Lacrosse team wrapped up a hard-fought season defined by broken records and high-stakes drama, finishing the year 12-9 overall, with an impressive 7-1 mark in league play. The Hawks initially endured a slow start to the season following a tough double-overtime loss to the Menlo School and another close defeat against Oak Ridge, but they pivoted quickly to spark a dominant three-game win streak. This crucial momentum-shifter featured a 14-7 victory over Cardinal Newman, a game in which junior attacker Cole Lawson completely rewrote the record books by netting an astonishing seven goals: “It is really cool to hold that title,” Lawson reflected on the achievement, adding that the majority of his goals were assisted, which truly reflected how well the team was working together and executing their game plan.
After briefly dropping a non-league game to Monte Vista, the Hawks shifted focus to their Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) opener against San Marin, which quickly devolved into an absolute back-and-forth battle that headed into overtime tied 10-10 until junior forward Ben Richardson stepped up to score the dramatic game-winner. Richardson emphasized how key the moment was for the team, saying, “We knew we were the better team and weren’t going to lose to San Marin in our first league game of the season. We were fired up because it was a huge win to set the tone for the rest of the MCAL season.”
Riding high on that emotional victory, they dismantled Archie Williams by a commanding score of 17-1 before dropping a pair of tough contests against powerhouse programs in Saint Francis and Marin Catholic. Returning to league play, facing off against Redwood represented the most consequential game of the regular season for the Hawks; it was not only a classic rivalry, but the winner would also officially hold the coveted number-one seed. It proved to be an incredibly physical, bruising battle from start to finish, but the Hawks ultimately emerged on top with a final score of 11-8 thanks to key offensive contributions from Richardson and Wade Hexamer, paired with a strong defensive performance led by senior Trevor Watts.
Tamalpais carried this immense wave of momentum forward to soundly defeat Berkeley and Branson by large margins before squaring off against Terra Linda in another pivotal league showdown, where they managed to beat the Trojans 11-7 behind a stellar performance from junior goalkeeper Rocco Fazio. Following a pair of late season non-league losses, the team found themselves in a must win scenario in their final regular season game to secure the top seed in the MCAL tournament. They left absolutely no room for doubt by dominating San Rafael 17-3 to earn a first-round playoff bye and cap off a spectacular regular league season.
The Hawks kept their foot on the gas in the postseason, blowing out Terra Linda once again in the tournament semifinals to book their ticket to a highly anticipated championship rematch against Redwood. Tamalpais started the title game uncharacteristically slow, finding themselves in a deep 6-2 hole at the halftime intermission, but they exploded in the second half to mount a furious 6-1 scoring run to take the lead following clutch goals from Lawson, Richardson, Dillon Edwards, and senior Harrison Thomas. Unfortunately, Redwood answered back in the fourth quarter, scoring two straight goals to reclaim the lead and hang on for the victory, leaving the Hawks just a few plays short of their ultimate goal.
The team had nearly two weeks off to process the sting of the championship loss before the NCS playoffs got underway, but they completely flushed their emotions and opened regional play with a gritty 10-7 win over Cardinal Newman before traveling to Monte Vista for a regular-season rematch, where the Hawks’ offense struggled to find its rhythm against a highly physical defense, ultimately bringing their impressive season to a close with an 8-4 defeat.
The Hawks’ spectacular individual campaigns earned widespread recognition when the MCAL All-League teams were officially announced, with nine players securing honors to mark the second-highest total in the league.
Juniors Seamus Nesbit and Fazio, alongside senior Watts, all earned first-team honors, with Nesbit serving as a lethal offensive engine who consistently flourished at getting past defenders, Fazio establishing himself as arguably the premier goalkeeper in the MCAL by allowing a microscopic 5.5 goals per game in league play, and Watts spearheading the defense before he continues his lacrosse career at Franklin & Marshall College next year.
Seniors Wyatt Leach and Thomas both took home Second-Team all-league honors, as Leach reigned as a top-tier face-off specialist with one of the highest win rates in the league, while Thomas anchored the lineup as a premier long-stick midfielder who always brought boundless energy and served as a versatile team captain willing to play whichever position his team required.
Juniors Lawson, Edwards, John Liszewski, and Hexamer also landed squarely on the Second-Team. Lawson solidified his reputation by scoring four goals against San Rafael and leading the second-half championship comeback with three goals versus Redwood. Hexamer proved to be one of the best attackers in the league by scoring goals consistently over the course of league play. Edwards beautifully controlled the pace of the midfield while routinely playing nearly the entire game. Liszewski utilized his athleticism to act as a punishing defender who was always hard to pass.
Rounding out the accolades, Richardson earned an Honorable Mention nod for his clutch ability to rise to the occasion when the lights shone brightest, highlighted by his crucial two-goal game against San Marin and another two-goal performance in the MCAL championship game.
While the Hawks eagerly look forward to next season, they will face the difficult task of replacing the veteran leadership and production of departing seniors like Watts, Leach, and Thomas, but they retain a potent offensive foundation with the return of Nesbit, Hexamer, and Lawson, who illustrated their motivation for next season by saying, “We have a lot of motivation. Tam has never won an MCAL title in boys’ lacrosse, so we all want to accomplish that.”