12-4 Blowout Score, But Cherokee's Grit Is The Real Story Nobody's Talking About

Alright, listen up. We just watched the NJSIAA Group 4 girls lacrosse championship go down, and yeah, the Cherokee Chiefs took an L, 12-4 against Ridgewood. A tough pill to swallow, no doubt, especially when you're battling it out at the College of New Jersey for all the marbles on June 13, 2026. Ridgewood got the win, they got the hardware, but if you look past that final score, if you *really* watched the game, you saw something deeper. You saw a team, the Chiefs, that refused to quit, a squad whose fight never, ever left the field.

The Score Sheet Doesn't Tell The Whole Story

You see that 12-4 on the scoreboard and you think, "Ouch, that's a blowout." And yeah, Ridgewood definitely had the final say. Maroons sophomore Delaney McCrone, junior Riley Boshart, senior Mollie Kraemer, junior goalie Nora O'Connor, and senior Zoe Devine were all over the field, locking things down. Cherokee junior Natalie Haraschak was dodging, senior Lyla Clark was trying to connect with sophomore Riley Conn, junior Brianna Salbritas was looking for a shot, and junior Hayden Toscano was ducking checks, but it just wasn't enough to bridge that gap. But here's the kicker, the part that separates true fans from casual observers: Cherokee was down *big* in that third quarter, and they still kept pushing. Think about that for a second. Championship game, trailing significantly, and they didn't fold. That's not just a statistic, that's character.

"Grit That We Have": The Heart of the Chiefs

Don't believe me? Just ask Cherokee junior Abby Ball. This kid summed it up perfectly after the game. She said, and this is straight from the heart, "It's the grit that we have. I mean, you even saw it today. We were down big in that third quarter. We said great and kept working with each other. These are the girls we've been playing with since second grade when I first started. To be able to end it with this group, it was great. It was a great season." Sophomore goalie Maura Spicer was out there making saves, senior Lyla Clark, junior Shayna Niederberger, all of them part of this squad. Playing together since second grade? That's not just a team, that's family. That's a bond that transcends any single game, even a championship. That kind of camaraderie, that willingness to fight for each other when the chips are down, that's what sticks with you. That's the real win. So yeah, Ridgewood got the NJSIAA Group 4 championship, and congrats to them. But for Cherokee, despite the 12-4 final, this season was something special. It was about heart, about sticking together, about that unwavering grit. It was a great season because of *who* they are, not just because of how many goals they scored. You can bet that kind of fight carries over, and these Chiefs, especially the juniors like Abby Ball, Shayna Niederberger, Natalie Haraschak, Brianna Salbritas, and Hayden Toscano, are going to remember that feeling. And you know what? That's what you look forward to next time they step on the field.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.