District Champs!

It has been six years since the Madison boys' lacrosse team has been in the winner's circle at the district level and following four regular season games and two playoff games against stiff Concorde District competition, the Warhawks have secured both the regular season (4-0) and district tournament championships.

In the district semifinals, Madison faced a determined Chantilly team. Madison went up early in the game with goals by John Hollingsworth and Zach Hanzlik, but Chantilly did not relent, scoring a man-down goal of their own to keep the game close. Madison scored three more times in the opening period with goals by Michael Leone, Patrick Ruffalo and Hollingsworth again with his second goal of the game. But with three seconds left in the period, Chantilly scored a third goal as the quarter closed with Madison up just 5-3. Hanzlik opened the second quarter with a goal, but as play progressed through the quarter, Madison could not extend the two point lead, as Chantilly scored to make it 6-4 halfway through the quarter. Madison made it 8-4 with Hanzlik's and Hollingsworth's third goal each, but just before halftime, Chantilly once again closed it to within three and the Warhawks went into the break with an 8-5 lead. Throughout the second half the game remained close. Just before a 75 minute weather delay between the third and fourth quarters, Madison extended the narrow lead with a leaping acrobatic goal by Timmy Palmer assisted by Josh Rhodes. From there, Madison maintained a three point lead throughout the rest of the game to secure the semifinal win by a scored of 12-9. The win put Madison in the district championship game against crosstown Oakton who beat Westfield in overtime by a score of 8-7.

In the match up against (#2) Oakton, Madison came out strong as John Hollingsworth opened the scoring with a goal at the 10:00 minute mark. Twenty seconds later, Brett Hanton scooped up a ground ball on the ensuing face off and scored an unassisted goal from his LSM position to put Madison up 2-0. Two minutes later, Josh Rhodes' patience paid off as he worked his defender from the back of goal to an open lane for a quick-handed unassisted goal. After Cole DeFrietas secured another faceoff, John Hollingsworth fed an airborne Timmy Palmer at the front of the crease for another signature acrobatic goal putting Madison up 4-0 in the early stages of the game. But Oakton would not relent as they scored two quick goals before Hollingsworth fed Palmer again for his second goal of the game to close the first quarter at 5-2. After a slow start to the second quarter, Bard Sullenger ripped a fifteen yard shot to the back of the net at the 8:00 minute mark to extend the Warhawks lead. Before the half ended Patrick Ruffalo added a goal and Oakton would add two goals for a 7-4 halftime lead for the Warhawks. Then Madison's defense put the clamps down in the second half limiting Oakton's chances for shots on goal, causing turnovers with aggressive play by the midfielders and defenders alike, and disrupting the Cougars' offensive strategy for the next twenty-four minutes of play. Palmer added his fourth goal late in the game and in the end, Madison secured the 11-6 victory to win it's third district title in school history (1994, 2013, 2019). Aaron Solomon's Warhawks improve to 14-2 following the two playoff wins.

With the win, Madison earned a first round bye in the highly competitive Class 6A, Region D Tournament. The Warhawks will face the winner between Yorktown and Stonewall Jackson on Monday, May 20 at 7:30pm at Madison.