TOWN AND COUNTRY – Wyatt Giles is the new face within a senior-laden MICDS offense, and he fits in perfectly.
The Rams’ sophomore attacker scored five goals and added two assists as MICDS defeated CBC 16-9 in a Class 2 boys lacrosse semifinal Tuesday at Missouri Baptist University.
MICDS (16-2), which advanced to its 12th consecutive state title game, will face Chaminade (13-3) for the Class 2 state title at 7 p.m. Friday at Missouri Baptist.
“It’s unreal,” senior Steele Crissman said of the Rams’ run of state title game appearances. “I think a lot of people think we take it for granted, but we don’t.”
Kirkwood and Priory will compete for the Class 1 state title a day earlier, at 7 p.m. Thursday at Missouri Baptist.
Crissman, who delivered six assists, quarterbacked a patient MICDS offense intent on finding the perfect shot against a packed-in, CBC zone defense. On several occasions, Crissman declined his own perimeter shot, and instead, found a teammate inside the teeth of the Cadets’ zone. His pin-point delivery to senior Graham Faust gave MICDS a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
“It’s actually not that hard to pass up shots when you know that, if you make the right play, you’re going to win the game. Playing for a state championship feels a lot better than scoring a goal,” Crissman said.
But CBC, which finished as state runner-up last season, also had a return to the championship stage on its mind. A dominant performance at the faceoff X by the combination of Anthony Walsh and Jonah Kim gave the Cadets additional possessions, and they began to cash in.
A goal by CBC sophomore Logan Workes was followed six seconds later by a scoop and score by Walsh. Phil Jakubowski and Noah French scored to open the second quarter, and CBC tied the game at 5.
“Our kids don’t blink. There’s no panic. There’s no amount (of goals) we were going to be down where they were not going to have a run in them. We knew we going to punch back. All we had to do was stick to our gameplan,” CBC coach Mike Liebreich said.
But the CBC gameplan came with the hope that MICDS would stray from its own – the mix of offensive patience and relentless ball retrieval. And the Rams did not.
A pair of goals by Justin Bishop after ball-jarring defensive plays put MICDS back in front, and then Giles joined the parade.
He positioned himself in a soft area within the CBC zone and waited patiently as the Rams’ ball movement and fake shot attempts opened clear, passing lanes. Three times Giles received a pass from Crissman, turned and fired a shot that eluded CBC goalie Lucas LaBoube, as MICDS scored six consecutive goals to take an 11-5 lead into halftime.
For Giles, who has a team-high 45 goals, the calm leadership of Crissman has helped him thrive within a talented, highly-experienced MICDS offense.
“We have a lot of great chemistry,” Giles said. “Steele reminds me it’s only a game, and at the end of the day, I’m just out here playing the game I love with my boys I love.”
Once again, CBC did not blink.
Jakubowski opened the third quarter with a pair of rockets from distance, and after goals by Isaac White and Workes, CBC sliced the deficit to 13-9 heading into the fourth.
But in the fourth quarter, the MICDS defense shut the door. Facing a pair of man-down situations, including a two-minute, unreleasable penalty, senior defender Ben Williams took control. First, he intercepted a pass and carried it to safety to kill off the first penalty, then created a steal to keep CBC from getting a clean look at a scoring chance.
“Man-down (defense) is something we take pride in. We trust our guys, so we can be really aggressive,” Williams said.
In the final five minutes, CBC had to abandon its zone defense and play man-to-man, which fed into the strengths of the MICDS attackers. Bishop scored his fourth goal and Faust deposited his fifth, both assisted by Giles, as the sophomore newcomer produced at least seven points in a game for the fifth time this season.
CBC (11-6) played without senior Chris Garlich due to an ankle injury and without midfielders Gus Martinez and Phil Jakubowski due to injuries suffered during the game. The four-quarter battle with MICDS was a signature of the way the Cadets played all season.
“This 2026 class has been through a lot to get us to this point. They haven’t played a fully healthy game all year, and here we are at the final four giving the No. 1 seed a game. They are so mentally tough and I’m so proud of what they put together this season,” Liebreich said.
As for MICDS, which aims to win its 11th state title in the last 12 years Friday, the formula for excellence is based on a belief in each other and the coaching staff.
“We really trust what the coaches are implementing. They’ve been doing this for so long, and they get us here. They put in a great game plan and we execute it,” Williams said.
MICDS coach Andy Kay added, “They understand the big picture. I’m so happy I get to coach these guys two more practices and again on Friday night. Hopefully we can keep this going and win it.”
For a photo gallery from this game, click this link: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2024-Boys-Lacrosse/Boys-Lacrosse-2026/MICDS-vs-CBC-semifinal-5-19-26