Members of the Robinson boys' lacrosse team celebrate their victory over Chantilly in the 6A state championship game on June 13 at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Photo by Craig Sterbutzel.
Griffin Moore’s religious faith kept him from participating when the Robinson boys’ lacrosse team defeated Langley in the 2014 state championship game.
On Saturday, Moore got a second chance to play in a state final, and nothing --- not even agonizing pain --- was going to keep him off the field.
Moore suffered an injury to his right knee early in the second quarter and had to be helped off the field. Not wanting to end his high school career on the bench, the senior would return to the game and put forth an inspiring performance.
Moore was helped off the field three times during the June 13 contest, but he continued to return to action and won 18 of 20 faceoffs, helping Robinson to a 10-9 double-overtime victory over Chantilly at Lake Braddock Secondary School.
Moore said a postgame examination revealed he had likely torn his ACL.
“It hurts a good amount, but I knew I had one half of lacrosse left and that’s all it took,” said Moore, who doesn’t plan to play college lacrosse. “I just needed to get in there and finish it up.”
Moore won the faceoff at the beginning of each overtime period. Midway through the second OT, senior attackman Chapman Jasien scored the game-winner with an assist from senior long-stick midfielder Jack Rowlett.
“I just kept saying, ‘Let me play, let me play. It’s my last game, ever. I’ve got it, Coach,’” said Moore, who will undergo an MRI this week. “They trusted me with it.”
Robinson head coach Matt Curran honored Moore’s request.
“When I helped him off the field a couple times, he said to me, ‘Coach, I’m not done. I’m going back out there,’” Curran said. “If he could go out there, I was going to put him out there because I knew that we had a solution to him needing to run with the ball.”
Last year, inclement weather moved the 6A boys’ lacrosse state final from Saturday, June 14 to Sunday, June 15. Moore, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opted not to play. Robinson beat Langley 9-7 to win its first state title since 2007.
This year’s state final was played on its originally scheduled date.
“It feels great --- finishing my senior year on the highest note possible,” Moore said. “Last year, I actually didn’t end up getting to play in the game, so it feels great to be out here with my guys.”
Not only did Moore play, he was a difference-maker.
“That brought all of us up,” Jasien said of Moore playing injured. “He’s such a warrior. … You could see the intensity that he was trying to give.”
Rowlett appreciated Moore’s effort.
“It means everything in the world,” Rowlett said. “… To see him fight and battle as hard as he did in his first real state title [game], it was heart-warming to see him play like that.”
Robinson’s 2014 state title came with minimal resistance. The Rams won their final 17 games, including a 15-3 victory over Langley in the 6A North region championship game.
Robinson returned most of its talented roster this season and won 13 of its first 15 games, including a 7-4 victory over Chantilly on March 26. But the Chargers responded with a 10-7 victory over the Rams on May 22 in the Conference 5 championship game, and defeated Robinson 10-4 on June 2 in the region final.
On Saturday, Robinson won the fourth meeting between the teams in dramatic fashion. Trailing 9-8, Rams attackman Johnny Daniel scored the tying goal with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. After a scoreless overtime period, Jasien scored the game-winner in the second OT.
“I do like how we had a little more [adversity] this year, losing to them twice,” Jasien said. “We felt like the underdog coming in and I think that helped us out a little bit.”
Jasien, Daniel and senior attackman Chris White each scored three goals. Daniel scored each of his goals in the fourth quarter.
White and Rowlett each had two assists.
Junior goalkeeper Ryan Keith finished with 14 saves and played “absolutely phenomenal,” Rowlett said.
“This one, it felt different because we were the underdog,” Rowlett said. “They beat us twice and in the region [final] they actually destroyed us --- it wasn’t even close --- so we felt like we had a lot to prove.”
On Saturday, Moore proved his toughness and the Rams proved they were still state champions.
"Anyone can hurt for half an hour if it's your last one," Moore said. "... It's nice that [it] paid off."