WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — First came the police SUVs, blue lights flashing. Then the fire trucks, sirens wailing. Followed by Hartford High athletic director Jeff Moreno driving his pickup truck, its bed bedecked with flapping school flags on poles and its stereo booming.

Behind this wall of light and sound came a yellow school bus, carrying the Hurricanes’ championship boys lacrosse team, owners of the program’s first state crown after defeating Mount Anthony, 7-6, in the Vermont Division II championship game. The players shoved their upper bodies through the small windows and leaned out, waving their arms, shouting and roaring, one of them holding the title plaque.

After five previous attempts, that piece of hardware was brought to Highland Avenue to conclude an 18-0 season. A procession of 41 vehicles driven by fans followed the bus.

“We’ve gotten close a few times and these kids came back hungry this year,” said sixth-year coach Grant Whiteway, whose team fell to Rice in last year’s title game. “It’s so cool to see this group finish it together because they worked so hard. They were due.”

Hartford’s roster included numerous hockey players whose winter team fell in the 2022 final and the 2023 semifinals, disappointments that Brayden Trombly, a football and basketball competitor, said added to the lacrosse team’s desire.

“We definitely had a chip on our shoulder all season,” said Trombly, a midfielder who had two goals and an assist. “I think you could see that out here today, when we were gritty and picked up so many ground balls.”

Hartford was up, 5-4, at halftime, and it felt possible the Hurricanes might pull away if they could go on a post-intermission run. The Red, White and Blue did push its lead to 6-4, but Mount Anthony scored two of the contest’s final three goals, the last with 11 minutes remaining.

The Patriots (12-6) had to be kicking themselves for their offensive play down the stretch. Yes, the Hurricanes defense was stout, backed by freshman goaltender Graham Thompson, who made two critical saves during the final minute. However, MMU repeatedly hurt itself with unforced turnovers and couldn’t capitalize on four minutes of man-up play during the second half.

Patriot James Murphy lasered in a goal to pull his team within 6-5 with eight minutes remaining. That caught Hartford’s attention and they kept an eye on No. 99 the rest of the way, back-side defenders sliding quickly into place if needed.

Murphy “was a hell of a player and he could really shoot so we tried to get our best defensive midfielders on him whenever we could,” Trombly said. “We were getting on their hands and disrupting their flow. I think our defense played very well.”

Thompson, the rookie backstop, began the season with the unenviable task of replacing graduated standout Tarin Prior. He’d long been in the Hartford youth pipeline, however. His age group’s goaltender since third grade, Thompson said he daydreamed about winning a title as he grew up.

“I’ve been thinking about this since seventh grade, because I could see the potential of the classes above me,” Thompson said. “I did a lot of summer work with the coaches and it’s finally paid off.”

Not lost in the celebration was the legacy of former head coach Bill Elberty, who died suddenly in 2020. The current seniors missed their chance to play for the program’s tough but gentle leader because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, virtually every Hartford player in Saturday’s game wore the initials B.E on their helmet’s jaw protector.

Whiteway arrived at Hartford as a special-education teacher. He crossed paths with Elberty in the weight room and the older man quickly brought the former UMass player on board as co-coach. Despite having toiled for years to raise interest and the Hurricanes’ level of play, Elberty realized Whiteway was the program’s future.

“Bill was a special person and wanted to do whatever was best for the kids, which is what it should always be in high school sports,” Whiteway said.

Said Moreno: “Bill built the foundation and got Hartford kids believing they could reach the top of the mountain in lacrosse. Which was new to our community. The work he and Grant did together was pretty special.”

There’s no doubt Elberty would have reveled in Saturday’s title. However, he would have been absolutely over the moon when the Hurricanes were also presented the division’s sportsmanship award. Elberty, an educator who long worked with troubled students, slowly stamped out undisciplined play and defiant attitudes within the program.

“His message to the kids on life in general and how to be a good person carried over to lacrosse,” Whiteway said.

Hartford received a goal and an assist each from Logan Caffrey and Joseph Barwood and single tallies from Ezra Mock and Cavan Benjamin. The Hurricanes lose Barwood, Connor Tierney, Blaine Gour, Nicholas LaRose, Austin Guilbault, James McReynolds, Gavin Provost and Justin Robinson to graduation.

Notes: Tierney said he plans to attend and play lacrosse at Bentley (Mass.) College… McReynolds, an agile and fast defensive midfielder, did unselfish yeoman’s work, often receiving a Thompson pass and running the ball into the offensive box on a one-man clear… Hartford beat MMU, 12-4, during its season opener… The one-goal win was the Hurricanes’ closest game of the season… Hartford has reached at least the semifinals each of the last seven seasons and is 91-27 during that time… The Hurricanes’ previous trips to the finals occured in 2022, 2017, 2016, 2006 and 2004. It first competed in the postseason in 1999.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.