Boy's Lacrosse | 5/2/2025 10:37:00 AM

Mt. Pleasant, SC – The road to a third SCHSL state title for the Oceanside Collegiate Academy boys' lacrosse team has taken much longer than was expected after the Landsharks won their second straight championship back in 2019.
 
Oceanside was fresh on the high school lacrosse scene when the Landsharks stormed the state, winning consecutive championships in their first two years in the playoffs.
 
Since that second title, the Landsharks have had several near misses, including three losses in the state semifinals, but have been unable to get over the hump. That streak ends on Friday evening when Oceanside (15-3) squares off against May River High (13-5) for the 2025 Class AAAA title. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start at Irmo High in Columbia but will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the girls' Class AAAA championship game between Oceanside and Bishop England.
 
Early in the season, it did not appear as if the Landsharks had any hopes of making a championship run. Oceanside fell to Lucy Beckham and Mill Creek in its first two games, both in tight contests, before falling to No. 1 ranked Lambert High from Georgia 16-2 in the fourth on field game of the year.
 
"We had a tough schedule at the start of the season by design," OCA coach Tom Harris said. "We played three games in the first week with three starters out. That being said, I do think we could have still won those games. This team was really looking for the first 'BIG' win of their careers. A Big Win is when you weren't expected to win. These guys never had one until Cambridge."
 
Cambridge is another power-house program from Georgia, currently ranked No. 5 in the state and has advanced to the state Division 1 quarterfinals with a 13-4 record on the year. That win completely changed the season for Oceanside. The Landsharks have reeled off 13 consecutive victories going back to that match. None have been closer than the six-goal margin in the win over IMG Academy in the final game of the regular season.
 
"After Cambridge, I meet with some of the senior parents of the program," Harris said. "We reflected and shared feedback that I believe really helped us turn the corner and be the team we all knew we had the potential to be. I have built trust with parents like I do with the players because we are all involved in this journey, and I think their feedback is warranted and valued.
 
"That meeting gave me insight from their perspective and reassurance that I had the trust of the players and the parents. I think it made all the difference to our 13-game win streak."
 
During the win streak the Landsharks have dominated in-state foes (6-0, outscoring them 108-21) and out of state opponents (7-0, winning by a margin of 116-45) equally.
 
"If we hadn't started with a tough schedule, we wouldn't have made the changes we did to have more 'Big Wins' like Bolles and IMG," Harris said. "It also led to us not taking any quarter for granted and always playing our best no matter who we are playing or the circumstances we are playing in."
 
Offensively, the Landsharks are averaging 15 goals per game for the season. Senior captain Carter Gregory is the spark for the Oceanside attack, leading the squad in both points and assists. His play has been bolstered of late by the return from injury of senior Brody Hollingsworth as well as the rapid growth of freshman Ian Long.
 
"Carter Gregory is a very well-rounded player who can create his own shot as well as setting up teammates," Harris said. "Brody's impact to our offense when he returned from injury was felt immediately. Ian is a very cerebral player who played tremendously well off Carter and Brody and finished the majority of the shots they set up."
 
Another freshman, Cole Bradford, has been instrumental in getting the ball into the offensive end of the field with his abilities in face offs. While he doesn't win every draw, he is tenacious in his pursuit, which gives him, and the team, an edge.
 
On the defensive end, the Landsharks are allowing just 7.1 goals per game, including just 5.0 goals per game during their win streak. Senior co-captain Alex Seaton has led the defensive effort in front of senior keeper Gavin Harrison, who is playing in goal for the first time this year. Seaton has set the program record this year for forced turnovers in a season while Harrison has played like a veteran in the crease.
 
"Our teams' strength has been the defense for the past few years," Harris said. "However, the offense deserves the credit for this years' success. They have controlled the ball as well as the pace of play which keeps our defense well rested and ready to attack whenever the ball is on our defensive end. The offense has been making great decisions with the ball and burying shots."
 
Unlike Oceanside, May River got off to a fast start this year, dominating their first two opponents before dropping three of their next four matches. The teams have had some common opponents including A.C. Flora, Hilton Head Island and Bishop England. OCA was 3-0 against that trio while May River lost to all three in the regular season before rebounding to defeat HHI and Flora in the playoffs.
 
"We have only played May River in the playoffs, and that has only happened a couple of times," Harris said. "We enjoy playing teams who we didn't play in the regular season in the playoffs. We firmly believe the only team that can beat us is us.
 
"If we go rogue and stray from our DNA and gameplan we can lose. Even if we win, it will be a loss in our hearts. We need to fight the urge to think as individuals and continue to have a team mindset. We are great teammate and treat the game like a family dinner where EVERYBODY EATS!"
 
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and X. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.