If there were any questions regarding the legitimacy of lacrosse as an entertaining high school sport, Santa Ana Foothill and Palos Verdes answered those Saturday night at the Orange County-Los Angeles County Championships.

Foothill rebounded from a five-goal deficit early in the second quarter and held on in the closing seconds to defeat the Sea Kings, 11-10, at Home Depot Center.

Jon Spangler, who led Palos Verdes with five goals, said it was the greatest atmosphere he has experienced as a lacrosse player.

"I've never played in front of that many fans in my life and that's the whole idea of doing stuff like this, to grow the sport out here," Spangler said. "I started playing on the East Coast when I was younger and it's great to see it growing out here."

The game served as the sport's championship event. Though it's in its second season as a Southern Section-sanctioned sport, because less than 20% of member schools field teams, no official section championships can be held.

Fans filled the small bleachers long before the game began and others stood three-deep along one sideline. They watched Palos Verdes (19-1) build a 4-0 lead after only five minutes and stretch it to 7-2 in the opening minute of the second quarter.

Elliott Domanic, who led Foothill with five goals, said the Knights did not let the early deficit deter them.

"We're a second-half team," he said. "We've been down in some situations and we've been able to pull ourselves together. We know we have the skills to do it."

Foothill (19-2) scored five consecutive goals — two from Domanic and two from Riley Hales — to tie the score midway through the second quarter, then took its first lead, 9-8, in the opening minute of the third quarter. Domanic, whose sister, Gabrielle, is a junior standout for the UCLA women's water polo team, scored two goals later in the quarter to help the Knights maintain a two-goal cushion entering the fourth.

Those came in handy as Nolan Semel cut the deficit to one with 1:24 remaining, but Michael Clenshaw, who also kicks and punts for the Foothill football team, knocked the ball loose from Spangler with 11 seconds remaining and Domanic ran out the clock.

Domanic, who gave up water polo and baseball shortly after he began playing lacrosse in sixth grade, said the sport offers a little bit of everything.

"It's just a bunch of great sports put into one," he said. "I love it."