It was April 2007 and Waterford High School was taking the plunge into boys’ lacrosse.

The Lancers started as a club team in their inaugural season under head coach Chris Landry, a former Springfield College standout. He knew how he wanted to run his very first high school program, but wasn’t thinking about wins and losses.

“Really, my mindset was emulating West Genesee (of Camillus, N.Y.),” Landry said. “It’s probably one of the most well-known lacrosse programs in the country. They have an excellent coach (Mike Messere, the winningest coach in high school lacrosse history), who produces great lacrosse players.

“The thing I thought about when we started was creating a culture. Create players people are proud of. I didn’t think it would be X amount of years when we’d be successful. I didn’t put a time limit on it.”

The time is now for Waterford, which has reached the CIAC Class S final. It will play defending champion Somers for the title at 10:30 Saturday morning at McMahon High School in Norwalk.

The second-seeded Lancers (19-2) join 2004 Division II champion East Lyme as the only Eastern Connecticut Conference teams to play in a state boys' lacrosse final.

“Everything for us was a stepping stone when we started,” Landry said. “We said, ‘alright, we have to beat a large school.’ Our first large school win was against Fitch. It was a great win.”

There was a time where the Lancers had never played for an ECC title. They played in their third this season. They’d never reached a state quarterfinal prior to this season. Now they’re playing for a state title.

“Each time, as we went along, we set our goals on something else that was attainable that got get people excited,” Landry said. “That’s carried us all the way through.

“What can we attain? What can we accomplish?”

Landry has taken pride in Waterford being able to adapt to its opponent. Example: it had more of a defensive game plan for Wednesday’s semifinal against Immaculate.

The Mustangs didn’t get their first goal until there was 23.3 seconds left in the first half. Waterford already had five goals by then in its 10-4 win.

Seniors Luke Barrs, Jack Erricson and Spencer Hoagland are all three-year starters on defense. Classmate Ortheas Mema has kept things locked down in goal.

Junior Logan Bowdish, the team’s top offensive threat, had four goals against Immaculate and freshman L.J. Pezzolesi had three. Senior Bray Griffith added two goals and classmate Kyle Cardoza one.

Top-seeded Somers (18-1) has won four state titles in five appearances. It’s coached by Ken McCarthy, Landry’s former high school coach at South Hadley (Mass.)

Somers averages a state-best 18 goals, according to laxpower.com, and is second in goals against (5.35). Its net difference is also tops in Connecticut (12.65).

“I’m really proud to be in a state finals with my former coach and a good friend and a Springfield (College) alum,” Landry said. “They have a great history up there, a great program. Kenny has done an outstanding job.”

n.griffen@theday.com