The Ponte Vedra Sharks boys lacrosse program was back where the program expected to be, in the final four competing for a state title among the best teams in Class 2A.
After rolling past Gainesville Buchholz and Fletcher by a combined score of 32-9 in the first two rounds, it was a familiar foe faced in the regional final as they took on the rival Nease Panthers, who went on the road and defeated Gulf Breeze 14-13 in an instant classic.
Throughout the season the Sharks appeared to have the Panthers’ number and that remained the case once again in the regional final as the Sharks won 13-6 to sweep all three matchups between the two teams on the season.
Both Ponte Vedra and Nease reaching it to the elite eight shows the growing status that St. Johns County has when it comes to lacrosse both on the boys and girls side of things.
The Sharks took the momentum from the victory over the Panthers and followed it up by beating Lake Mary 10-9 in a hard-fought battle at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples on May 8.
The win was redemption for the Sharks after they were defeated in the regional final by Lake Mary and denied a trip to the final four a year ago.
However, the Sharks finished runner-up in Class 2A after falling to St. Thomas Aquinas 13-4 in the state championship on May 10.
