Ricardo ArguelloAppleton Post-Crescent
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NEENAH − The celebratory water cooler bath that doused Eric Marsh on Tuesday night caught the Neenah boys lacrosse coach off-guard following his team's 11-6 victory over Hudson.
The fact that the Rockets are heading to the WIAA state championship game might also be considered a bit of a surprise, given their late-season slump that put any significant postseason run in jeopardy.
But here are the Rockets, heading to the inaugural title match of the WIAA's newest sanctioned sport. Neenah (14-5) takes on Middleton (19-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium.
"We just have to enjoy it," Marsh said. "At the end of the day, it's the first one for the school and first state title game and first for the WIAA."
Neenah started the season with eight straight victories but lost five of its next seven to limp into the postseason.
Then, it all came together.
"We got healthy, for one," Marsh said. "We had some injuries when we played Appleton (United) and some injuries when we played Hudson (a loss) the first time. The big thing was that those kids got healthy and they got into the intensity part. They dug down, which attests to their character."
The coaches and team knew playtime was over, and the roster got a shot in the arm with the healthy players returning. It was the perfect mix for a winning streak during the most important time of the season.
Neenah beat Green Bay Notre Dame 26-5 to start the playoffs. The Rockets then slipped past Kimberly (10-8) before getting a measure of revenge over Appleton United (17-4), which had defeated the Rockets earlier in the season.
"We kind of put heads down in practice and after that last game in Oregon, we knew that if we lost we were done," Neenah senior defender Ben Carey said. "We have a tight senior group, good leaders on the team and that kind of took control and knew that we had to play our best now."
In the Rockets' sectional final win over Hudson, the Raiders led 3-1 in the first quarter before the Rockets regrouped to outscore them 10-3 the rest of the way.
"The thing we always talk about is to keep the energy solid," Carey said. "We can't get too high. Even-keel the whole time. And that's why we can dig ourselves out of holes. We did it in the Kimberly game. We were down four, got one energy play from Jack Klundt getting a goal. He doesn't get in a lot, but he scored and had a big play. From there, we took control of the game."
Jackson Brown led the Rockets in scoring heading into the postseason with 54 total points on 27 goals and 27 assists. Owen Grotenhuis (49 points, 39-10) and Evan Hans (47, 30-17) are also over 40 points for the season.
The Rockets have another challenge ahead of them with Middleton on Saturday. The Cardinals knocked off previously undefeated Waunakee 14-7 on Wednesday to advance to the title game. Neenah didn't play Middleton this season, but lost to Waunakee 12-4.
What that means for Saturday is anybody's guess. The Rockets have overcome plenty on this state run and there's one more roadblock to get past — together.
Individual accolades? That's not a concern. Getting as far as they can as a team is, however.
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"I think it's the team aspect," Marsh said. "They genuinely don't care who gets the accolades and they don't care who scores the goals. I think they just want to do well as a team. And everyone has a good role and everyone does their role really, really well now. They're all friends and hang out together and they want to do it for each other."
Hans, a senior middle, said this team has a special bond.
"I love the team. Everyone just gets along," he said. "Most of us have played forever. Especially the seniors and juniors — we've been playing a long time and it just works out so well."
