Catholic Memorial Closes out Season for Barnstable Laxmen

WEST ROXBURY – For the first time in a decade, the Barnstable High School boys’ lacrosse team ended its season without a trip to the postseason Wednesday afternoon as the host Catholic Memorial Knights outlasted the Red Raiders en route to a 15-5 rout.

Barnstable High’s Nick Passalugo put up 15 saves but it was not enough as the Red Raiders’ season came to an end Wednesday at the hands of Catholic Memorial.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports

The Red Raiders (7-13) held tightly to a 3-2 lead after the first quarter as senior co-captain Bo Delaney, sophomore attacker Brener DeSouza and Liam Shields each netted goals within the last five minutes of the quarter to give the visitors both momentum and promise.

But first quarter goals from Knights’ senior Tyler Bogart and freshman Jack McNeil would ultimately prove just a taste of what Catholic Memorial had in store for the Red Raiders.

Bogart – headed to NCAA DI UMass-Amherst in the fall to play lacrosse – netted a pair of unanswered goals in the second quarter to make it 4-3, Catholic Memorial, before Barnstable junior Reece Hoppensteadt tied it up at 4-4 with just 2:00 minutes left in the first half.

Deadlocked at halftime, it appeared that the Red Raiders had every bit the opportunity to end the season on a bright note, but Bogart and company would have none of it as the hosts scored 11 goals in the second half to the Red Raiders’ one marker from Delaney.

Delaney, headed to DIII lacrosse powerhouse Lynchburg in the fall to play lacrosse, finished with two goals in his last career athletic endeavor for the Red & White.

“We just couldn’t keep up with their depth,” Barnstable High head coach Chris Whidden said.

Bogart proved to be Barnstable’s nemesis, scoring seven goals total on the afternoon.

Red Raider senior co-captain Nick Passalugo played spectacularly in his final career game as well, putting up a 15-save effort in the loss.

The 7-13 final record for the oldest high school lacrosse team on the Cape was the first losing campaign in Coach Whidden’s six-year tenure tenure at the helm and first time since 2005 that Barnstable put up more losses than wins.

It was also the final career game for senior co-captain Mike McDonough who is headed for St. Leo’s (Florida) to play lacrosse in the fall.

— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm