Tigers Back on Top

Trinity was known as the Kentucky Lacrosse Association High School Boys' Division 1 champion almost as long as midfielder Taylor Distler was a student at St. Xavier. Two days before Distler graduated last month, however, the Tigers became the champions again. St. X formally ended archrival Trinity's four-year reign with an 11-2 rout of Lexington Catholic in the Division 1 final at its own Brother Thomas More Stadium on May 16. "It's such a great feeling to win it," says Distler, who had two goals and three assists and was named the Most Valuable Player. "I've been waiting four years to get one." The Tigers built Kentucky's first dynasty in the sport, winning three straight titles at the beginning of the decade, but had lost to Trinity in three of the last four Division 1 finals. "It's been a long time coming," St. X coach Scott Howe says. He credits the most recent success to the team's increased offseason commitment-in the weight room, in the summer league, in camps and in the fall program. "We had a good nucleus of kids who had a really great year trying to become better lacrosse players," Howe says. That showed on the field. The Tigers, whose only three losses in 18 games were to out-of-state teams, thoroughly dominated Kentucky. They outscored Division 1 teams 174-39 in 12 games and beat each one by at least six goals. St. X led the All-State team with six first-team selections-Distler (26 goals, 23 assists), senior defender Taylor Smith (89 ground balls), junior defender Jimmy Beard (45 ground balls), junior goalie Aaron Benz, junior midfielder Chase Carraro (45 goals, 93 ground balls), and sophomore attacker Peter Murphy (42 goals, 17 assists) - and an honorable mention, senior defender Travis Zirnheld (79 ground balls). "We knew that if we played our best lacrosse, we could take anyone in the state," says Carraro, who was voted one of Kentucky's two All-Americans. "We thought only we could beat ourselves."