Zach Lindmark (2), Nick Casarano (40) and Nate Mulvey (6) of Reading Memorial celebrate a goal in the MIAA D-2 final. (Brian Kelly)
Congratulations, you made the state tournament. Your reward will be one of the worst beatings you suffer in your entire sporting life.
For a stunningly large number of athletes around New England, that’s the reality when state tournament time rolls around.
First-round blowouts are commonplace in high school state championship competition. Second-round games tend to be lopsided, too. Upsets, while storied, historic and fabulous, are rare. (That’s in all sports, not just lacrosse.)
It’s a delicate situation and a hard balance for administrators, but it doesn’t have to be.
