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It was almost an hour before Mark Scalise emerged from the locker room, looking beat and still hobbling from the sprained ankle that sidelined him for 10 days during the St. John's Prep lacrosse team's tournament run.

DANVERS -- Even though it was overtime, the final timeout called by John Roy was more about settling his offense down, getting the right personel on the field and going over the basics.

It was critical for St. John's to take care of the ball, be patient, and make sure everyone didn't stand around and watch senior captain Mark Scalise operate.

DANVERS -- Simply winning one tournament game is the goal of a team that's satisfied with qualifying for the postseason.

Teams intent on winning championships aim a little higher. Case in point: East Division 1 boys lacrosse No. 2 seed St. John's Prep's performance yesterday afternoon against No. 15 Chelmsford in a first round game at Cronin Field.

Some were disappointed with the Prep's 11-10 overtime loss to Billerica in the East quarterfinals last year. But remember, the Eagles were just a 10-seed after battling through a difficult schedule in the Catholic Conference, and Billerica nearly pulled off an upset of Duxbury, the eventual state champs, in the semis.

DANVERS | Talent. Intensity. Winning tradition.

If you were to make a list of all the things the Xaverian lacrosse team has, you'd start with those three qualities.

What the Hawks don't have | after St. John's Prep shot out to a three-goal halftime lead with a strong second quarter, then held on for a tense 10-9 victory at Cronin Field | is a shot at winning the outright Catholic Conference title.

After a tough, emotionally-draining setback against Duxbury, the state's top ranked team, on the road last Saturday night, John Roy wondered if his St. John's Prep lacrosse team would be able to match that same intensity yesterday when they took the field against Catholic Conference rival B.C. High.

The Eagles qualified for its 12th postseason appearance in the last 14 years under head coach John Roy as a trio of scorers each had three goals. John Jennings led the way for St. John's (9-1) with three goals and three assists, Garrett Campbell had three goals and two helpers, and Will Duryea also had a hat trick and contributed one assist. Mark Scalise (4 assists) and Jon Siderewicz also had goals, while goalkeeper Tyler Cash had 12 saves.

The Eagles got the better of Branstable, 20-5, on the strength of seven goals and three assists from John Jennings. Junior Ryan Harding, typically a staunch defender, notched two goals on offense as the prep (7-1) sprinted to a 13-2 lead and never looked back.

BEVERLY -- Someday, new Beverly High boys lacrosse coach John Pynchon may be able to recount every single thing that happens on the field. But for now, he's settling on watching just bits and pieces of the play on game day.

The St. John's Prep lacrosse team is off to a hot start. But the Eagles have a barometer game coming up this week that will tell them a lot more about themselves.

Senior attack Mark Scalise collected four goals and four assists as non-league foe Waltham fell 12-6 to the Eagles, who have an unblemished record (4-0). Junior John Jennings contributed four goals and one assist while Tucker Garfield chipped in two goals. Garrett Campbell had a goal and two assists and Jimmy O'Connell contributed a goal. Prep netminder Nick Valenti made nine saves, all in the second half. Brogan O'Connor played solid on defense, said coach John Roy.