Benedictine closed out its regular season in an emphatic fashion Tuesday night, blanking Country Day 15-0 on Senior Night. The Cadets controlled the game from the opening faceoff, dictating tempo on both ends and overwhelming their opponent with constant pressure. Even with a seventh straight area championship already secured, Benedictine approached the matchup with urgency, intent on tightening things up and finishing the regular season at a higher standard before the playoffs.
That urgency showed early, as the Cadets surged to a 5-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Any remaining suspense disappeared in the final seconds of the period, when Benedictine added two goals in the last nine seconds to put the game out of reach and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Benedictine finished with 15 goals while holding Country Day to just eight total shots, a complete effort on both ends of the field. Nine Cadets found the back of the net, with four players scoring multiple goals. Cooper Callejas recorded a hat trick, all within a 15-minute stretch, while Mac Headley led the offense with five assists and added a goal. In goal, Reef Leonard was exceptional, stopping all eight shots he faced to secure the shutout.
“We were sharing the rock and seeing the field really well, and with our attack, we were just moving it quick,” White said. “And then you gotta give a shoutout to our defense with the shutout.” Along with the rivalry win, the night carried added meaning because of Benedictine’s senior night tradition honoring the legacy of Ricky McAllaster, a key figure in the founding of the BC lacrosse program who passed away in 2011.
Each year, the senior who wears No. 10 passes the jersey to a rising senior, continuing a tradition built on leadership and brotherhood. This year, Wyatt Estabrook passed the No. 10 jersey to Hobie Leonard.
“Hobie’s humble, but he’s an attacker on defense. He leads quietly, and the people around him trust him. He’ll be heard, and with the way he plays, he’ll be followed and trusted as a leader,” Estabrook said. “As a player, he’s spectacular, and I think he’ll be an even better leader.” Leonard now steps into a key leadership role for next season as both a captain and a standard-setter for the program.
“It’s a huge honor, carrying the number 10 with me and the tradition of everyone that’s come before me,” Leonard said. “It’s a big role, but I think I’m gonna step up to it. I’ve gotten to sit behind Wyatt for two years and see what real leadership looks like. I think it’s made a difference in how I carry myself and how I lead others, but there’s a lot to step up to.”
Benedictine now turns its focus to the Georgia High School Association state playoffs, carrying momentum from a dominant regular-season finish.