By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com

**Check before the story for complete highlights. Re-live Woodson's win in 11 minutes, plus post-game.**

After W.T. Woodson's 11-9 home win on Thursday over Langley, which was previously unbeaten in Northern Region-play, Cavalier Coach Jon FitzGerald humbly accepted the congratulations of his players as they cleared the field at Pat Cunningham Stadium.

Amidst a sea of supporters, the only coach in Woodson lacrosse history reluctantly admitted that tonight's win was No. 300 in his illustrious career.

"It's been a long time," said FitzGerald, who has not had a losing season since starting the Cavaliers' program in 1988, "I know it's a lot of wins, like 15 a year – 14 or 15 a year – since my first year. It feels good ... like maybe I'm doing something right."

Three state, four Northern Region and 11 Liberty District championships, including last year's league title, would support the theory. It was also some impressive impromptu math from the English teacher, FitzGerald.

But it was his team who proved most impressive on Thursday, especially in the second half. Holding a 4-3 lead entering the third quarter, Woodson opened the fourth with three goals in the first 1 minute, 13 seconds of the period.

"[Coach] was saying, 'Don't give up, just keep on shooting. These guys are going to come back,' " said senior captain Ross Fernandez, an All-Region caliber goalkeeper who switched to attack before the season and totaled three goals in the game. "We just had to keep on shooting. We knew these guys were going to come back, but we had to come back with the same intensity."

Added FitzGerald: "We said, 'We smell some blood, so let's try and go for the kill.' "

But Langley, led by Coach Earl Brewer, retaliated in a fashion fitting of its 7-1 record entering the game. Brewer immediately called a time out to stop the flurry, and the Saxons never let the Cavalier margin grow to larger than the four goals. The Saxons also countered with an even more compact, three-goal spurt of their own in the fourth quarter to threaten to spoil the Woodson win.

Langley seniors Greg Bentz, Patrick Pembroke and Owen Masters each scored in a 34-second span to cut Woodson's lead to 10-9 with 6:07 remaining.

"They're a good team," said FitzGerald, whose team has posted four consecutive victories. "I think, in hindsight, we shouldn't have been exited as were when they called time out early third quarter. I think we should have just kept our composure.

"Physics says what goes up must come down. We should have kept a more even keel." 

But physics also states that every action warrants and equal -- but opposite -- reaction.

Enter Cavalier junior John Gargiulo and sophomore Davis Mayberry.

With just under three minutes left in regulation, the pair teamed up to add the game's final goal and secure the Woodson victory on Senior Night.

"Mayberry was behind the cage," said Gargiulo (three goals, one assist), pointing to the west goal. "He caught the ball. It was a little transition drill, everyone was ball-watching and I cut behind everyone. Mayberry came up and took a good hit – he doesn't normally do that – but he took a good hit. Then he gave a decent pass to me.

"I had the easy job. He had the hard job. It was Mayberry on that one."

Then, after Coach FitzGerald had earned the pivotal district win, reached his milestone and already provided lessons in physics and math, he offered possibly his greatest point of on-field perspective: History.

"We found ourselves tonight," said FitzGerald, who was discretely described in the game's program as having "well over 200" wins. "We kind of established who we are. For the first time this year, we beat a good team. I had a hunch that we'd play well because we work hard. But to beat Langley – a team like that – the way we did ... I was very happy with it.

"We're like the anti-Woodson team. Woodson teams of the past have won the early games but, for one reason or another, we'd end up losing in the state semis. This team, we lost those early games, but hopefully we'll win those games at the end."

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com