Monday’s boys lacrosse regional final between Fallston and Havre de Grace was never close. It was instead a reminder of Fallston’s dominance on Harford County and the rest of the state.

The Cougars, the two-time defending Class 1A state champions, won 20-5 to clinch another 1A North Region II title.

The Warriors (9-6) were no pushover. And yet the home team dismantled them as their pursuit for a third consecutive state title comes into focus.

Eleven goals from six different players highlighted a dominant opening quarter that gave Fallston a wide margin just minutes in. Each goal flashed a unique strength of the Cougars’ attack. It was more of the same in the second, even though Havre de Grace spent more time with the ball. Fallston’s defense limited chances and maintained the double-digit goal lead into halftime.

The Cougars swapped goalies and emptied their bench as the game went to a running clock after halftime, giving their starters a break with the state quarterfinals beginning Wednesday. Fifteen different Fallston players scored in the region final win, but they were mostly mute after each of them. They have larger aspirations.

“We usually have a lot of seniors, and our seniors are usually good role models for all the other classes,” senior Owen King said. “It’s been consistent going down and down, and every year it seems like, ‘Oh after we’re gone, I don’t know about the next year.’ But then every time, it ends up being just fine because of the leadership that has been passed down.”

Substantive takeaways don’t exist in lopsided results like Monday’s. Instead, the learning for Fallston came last week.

The Cougars were unbeaten in regular season conference play but fell in the renewed Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference championship game to C. Milton Wright, a team they beat handily weeks earlier. An UCBAC title was the last missing achievement that would’ve stamped a dominant regular season. Fallston instead spent the evening unable to find answers against a seemingly inferior opponent.

It gave them a much-needed “punch in the mouth,” coach Patrick Mull said, one that told them they are in fact beatable.

“Losing the UCBAC championship to C. Milton Wright was pretty upsetting,” he said. “But I think it kind of allowed us to refocus and reset, which I think might have been needed.”

“It really couldn’t have happened at a better time,” senior Ian Swartzendruber said. “If we lose now, we go home. It was good to get a taste of it.”

Fallston has looked more like itself in the games since that defeat, outscoring opponents 38-1 across its first two state tournament contests. Havre de Grace performed better against what Warriors coach Spencer Stachowiak called “the class of the county” and a program he’d like to model his own after.

“They’re so well coached. They’ve got a really good culture, too. It’s top down. They’ve got a fantastic middle school program, a fantastic elementary school program,” Stachowiak said. “It’s awesome that I can turn to a guy and say, ‘Watch how he approaches the ball for their defense. He’s a guy who’s going to play in college for the next four years.’ They’re a great example to look at.”

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