State Championship

State Champs, baby!  This has been years in the works and we couldn't have asked for a better ending to Marcus's high school lacrosse career.  The whole weekend felt like Marcus was walking around under a lucky star.  Three of his best friends from Utah drove through the night so they could cheer Marcus on.  I love that they came and I love even more that they understood what a big deal this game was for Marcus.  It was the best surprise this boy could ever ask for and he handled it well since he hates most surprises. 

The game was played at Starfire Stadium in Tacoma, about 35 minutes away.  We did a big send-off as the boys loaded onto the bus.

Marcus's fans - April and Toby drove up from UT for the game as well.  So much love!

Brother Love

We got a lot of pictures of all the fans with their signs and then we waved them goodbye as they anxiously tried to keep their nerves in check.

Skyline faced off against Issaquah, our local rivals.  We beat them in a nail-biter game in the regular season so we knew they'd come back fighting, and they did!  They scored the first goal and their defense completely shut down our two attack men that are our main scorers.  According to the announcers, (and I agree with them) this game was won in the mid-field as their defense forced our guys (Marcus) to shoot from farther out from the goal.  They had a really good player who won a lot of the face-offs which was also another thing in their favor but our team adapted and played consistently well.  

Final score 14-9

the fans

Marcus ran to me as soon as the game ended and cried with relief

Time to celebrate with friends!

Bishop McBride is battling Stage 4 cancer and still came to cheer Marcus on.  Unforgettable!

This win was a huge victory for Marcus but it wasn't just about the win, it's about what it took to get there.  It represents hours of practices, mostly in the rain.  It represents coming back from injuries and physical therapy.  It represents tears shed over coming back from another team and State that he loved and missed.  It represents hard work, grit, persistence, commitment, and a willingness to sacrifice.  The win was great, but I think Marcus will tell you this unforgettable experience was about so much more.