How Jaiden Kocak’s goal gave Dorman boys lacrosse first state championship
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COLUMBIA — Jaiden Kocak’s palms probably have never been sweatier his whole life.
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Still, the junior attacker for Dorman lacrosse held on to his stick as if the outcome of his season hinged on it.
Well, it did.
With nine seconds to go in overtime, Kocak caught the ball and hit a 360 spin as he sent the rubber ball into the net.
The goal might’ve just been the most important of his career. Granted, he hit the winning goal in triple overtime on May 5 in the Upper State finals to send his team to the championship game.
But this goal gave Dorman boys lacrosse something they’ve never had before — a state championship victory, as the Cavaliers defeated Wando 9-8 in the Class 5A-D1 title game on May 9 at Irmo High School.
“I saw the ball in the air, I caught it, and my first thought was to just shoot it as quick as possible,” Kocak said. “I was definitely nervous. Even though you practice things like that a million times, and go through these scenarios, you never want to be the one to mess up. And I’m glad I wasn’t.
“Overall, this feels amazing. A literal dream come true.”
Kocak is a newcomer to the Cavaliers. He transferred in this season from Boiling Springs — ironically, the team Dorman defeated by a point in last year’s Upper State Championship.
“I couldn’t be any prouder of Jaiden,” said Jon Cak, Jaiden’s grandfather. “He came into Dorman as the new guy, and all his teammates accepted him. He was allowed to play openly and freely. And guess what? It all paid off.”
Despite the competitiveness and tension throughout the game, the one person who wasn’t nervous was Dorman coach Peter Mezzanotte.
“Nope, not at all,” Mezzanotte said when asked if he felt anxious in the final seconds of the game. “We knew if we kept watering that seed, it was going to grow. That’s exactly what happened at the end of the game for us, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.”
Dorman was privy to the pregame chatter around the Upstate. Last season, the Cavaliers fell to Wando in an 18-1 blowout in the state championship game. Nobody thought they had a real shot to win it all this season.
“After the loss these kids took last year in this game, they surely had to hear about it,” Dorman athletic director Jon Stoehr said. “And not just from the lacrosse world, but from classmates, teammates, friends . . . And coming back here, they certainly heard more about how this probably wasn’t going to be a good game from a lot of people.
“And to see how these kids didn’t let that get to them and stick together, it says a lot about the culture of this team and coaching staff. I’m super proud and elated that they’ve now been rewarded for doing everything the right way.”
Sophomore midfielder Colin Courier scored the goal that sent the game to overtime. He vividly remembers last season’s devastating loss to Wando, and in hindsight, he doesn’t regret the experience.
“I can’t explain how great it feels to prove everyone wrong,” he said. “Last year was a learning experience. And this year, we learned how to win. To all our doubters . . . keep doubting. It’s only going to make our wins that much better.”
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SCHSL boys lacrosse, Dorman wins first championship in program history