The Weddington Warriors advance to the NCHSAA Men’s Lacrosse state semi-finals after a 15-5 victory over Charlotte Catholic on Friday.  The Warriors currently hold the #1 rank in North Carolina and the #13 rank in the United States and rightfully so as the Warriors have put on a dominant show of force throughout the season and into the playoffs.

The offense was led Friday night by Seniors James Shipley and Wilson McKain who had six and three goals respectively.  Shipley’s performance against the Cougars allowed him to claim the school record as all-time points leader with 281 career points so far.

The scoring onslaught did not end there as senior Eamon Murphy and junior Anthony Todaro claimed two goals each while seniors Chase Jones and Ryan Goldstein each put a goal on the board.  Jones and Todaro had one and two assists on the night respectively.  11 faceoff wins by senior Whitner Litton played a major role in Weddington’s ability to score fast and efficiently.

While Charlotte Catholic certainly carries a strong offensive presence, it was not enough to break the defensive wall put up by sophomore Andrew Miller.  13 shots, many at point blank, were saved by Miller who earned the win with a save percentage of .722.

The Warriors will face the Marvin Ridge Mavericks for their state semi-finals appearance. The Mavericks enter the matchup after a 23-5 quarter-finals win against the Community School of Davidson.  The semi-finals game will be held at Weddington High School Tuesday 5/14 at 6:30 p.m.