Lacrosse: Brentwood tips Franklin to earn championship rematch with Raptors

BRENTWOOD - The Brentwood High School boys’ lacrosse team was victorious in its Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse Association Division I-AA Semifinal game against Franklin at James C. Parker Stadium on Saturday.

The game marked the second time Brentwood defeated Franklin this season, as the Bruins took down the Admirals 12-7 in Brentwood on March 31.

“It’s tough to lose that way, especially this late in the playoffs, the semifinals,” Franklin coach Jared Flower said after the game. “But Brentwood earned it. They competed the whole time. We showed flashes of greatness today, but at the end of it, we just came up short, but we’re grateful for the way we competed today.”

The Bruins were led by freshman attacker Matthew Petterson, who scored six of the team’s 14 goals.

“He’s been massive. He’s been absolutely unbelievable this season,” Brentwood coach Andrew Herbert said of Petterson. “Coming in as a true freshman, he started in the midfield early in the season, and due to injuries, we had to move him down to the attack, and he’s just thrived there ever since the movement there.”

Both teams got off to a slow start, with only three goals scored in the first quarter – two by the Bruins.

Brentwood then scored four goals in the first four minutes of the second with the last two by Petterson. Franklin netted the last three goals of the quarter to begin to close the gap, although Brentwood still led 6-4 at halftime.

The third quarter began with three Brentwood goals in a two-minute span, including the first of a hat trick by senior attacker Macklin Thomas.

“Just place the ball, shoot it as hard as I can, hopefully it goes in, and if I miss it, I’ve got to ride it back,” Thomas said after the game of his thought process in big moments. “Just putting my all in, really.”

Franklin was able to come within three goals of Brentwood in the fourth quarter, as they cut the lead to 11-8 with just under five minutes to go. However, the Bruins scored the last three goals of the game, the final two completing Thomas’ hat trick.

Herbert commended how well the team worked together after the game and reiterated that continuing to operate as a unit will be the key in the upcoming title game.

“Honestly, as a whole team, it’s super balanced. The entire group has just bought in together as a family,” he said.

Thomas spoke on the team’s chemistry and how the relationships between players has helped the team grow.

“We love to mess around at practice, but when it’s game time, it’s game time," he said. "We focus up, we challenge each other in practice, I mean, it’s great. I love the boys.”

Franklin finished its season with a 13-3 record and has a “very, very bright” future, according to Flower.

“A lot of our impact players are underclassmen,” he said.

Brentwood will face Ravenwood in the TSLA Division I-AA state title game on Saturday, May 20 at Nolensville High School. The Raptors won the state title against Brentwood, 7-5.

Other state finals also played at Nolensville include Ensworth vs. Christ Presbyterian Academy at 4:30 p.m. Friday for the Division II-A/AA championship and Signal Mountain vs. Nolensville for the Division I-A crown at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

Montgomery Bell Academy takes on McCallie Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for the Division II-AAA championship before the Battle of the Woods final.