By doug mckenzie
Staff Writer
When Rumson-Fair Haven High School launches its boys lacrosse program next spring, don’t expect too many growing pains.
Unlike many first-year programs, the RFH upstart will be filled with a number of players who are more than just familiar with the sport. In fact, if you ask them, a program at the high school was a long time coming.
Lacrosse is gaining popularity throughout the state, and the Rumson community is no exception. Local kids are picking the game up at a young age, thanks to the influx of local recreation leagues and club teams. And in Rumson, they’re doing more than just learning the game — they’re excelling at it.
Take for example the Rumson-Fair Haven fifth- and sixth-grade boys’ recreation team. This group of youngsters recently completed a 14-1 season competing in the South Jersey Junior Youth Lacrosse League, with their only loss of the season a 7-6 overtime loss against the South Jersey All Stars.
The season began with wins over perennial lacrosse powers Princeton, West Windsor and Hopewell Valley and local programs such as Manasquan, Toms River and Old Bridge.
The highlight of the year was at the Princeton Tournament on May 11, which attracted the top youth programs from the Mid Atlantic states. The team entered the tournament undefeated at 8-0 and were put in the top bracket.
The first game, against Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y., showed the strength of the RFH program, when the boys won the game handily, 7-3.
The next opponent was from Haven, Pa., and again RFH prevailed, 5-3, in a tough physical contest. With two wins under their belts, Doc’s Lacrosse Club from New York would prove to be the toughest opponent of the day. Doc’s tied the game with less than a minute to go. But Rumson’s Harry Radovich won the ensuing faceoff, and took a last-second shot that rebounded out to Tucker Hawley, who scored the game-winner as time ran out. The final game against Kinnelon was RFH’s strongest game of the day, resulting in a 7-2 victory.
The RFH team was led by midfielder Radovich and attackman Hawley on offense, while Nick Pederson was the squad’s top defensive player. However, the entire team performed well this spring, including Kevin Boyle, Dylan Pritchard, Tucker Eadon, Colin Quinn, Harlan Bennardo, Tucker Hawley, Kevin Sharkey, Stuart Kiely, Sean Walrath, Blair Potter, Peter Pontone, J.P. Rotchford, Chris St. Cyr, Paul Babiak, Peter Guastella, Mike Conner, David Wilt, Alex Faett, Ken Ebner and Michael Buonopane.
According to one of the team’s coaches, Terry Sharkey, the outstanding showing this season spoke volumes about the competitiveness of the Rumson squad.
"We competed against some big-time teams from some big-time lacrosse areas, and beat them," he said. "It was great to see how the kids were really playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played by the end of the season."
And Sharkey, who coached the fifth- and sixth-grade team along with former collegiate All-American Bob Boyle (Hobart University) and Sal Guastello, is confident that these local kids will continue to excel at the high school level.
"I think these kids will be able to compete immediately with some of the top teams in the area," he said. "There is a solid core group of kids that have been playing since they were in third and fourth grade, and then there is a whole other group of excellent athletes that will be able to pick the game up quick.
"The sport is really taking off in this area, with over 140 boys playing in the local youth recreation program, which also has a seventh- and eighth-grade travel team. This is the program’s sixth year, and the popularity of the sport continues to grow."
Which is exactly why Sharkey went to the RFH Board of Education a year and a half ago to propose a program at the high school level. After proving that the interest was there, Sharkey helped convince the board that the program would indeed take off.
As a result, the RFH Youth Lacrosse Association was created to help fund the launch of the program, though at this point, the scope of the program has not been decided, in terms of how many levels (freshman, JV, varsity) will be included, and how long the program will require funding from the association.
"I imagine the high school will probably have 60-75 kids looking to play next year, which is a lot for such a small school," Sharkey said. "I’m meeting with the superintendent soon to go over the details of the program."
Though Sharkey’s players are still a couple of years from competing at the high school level, the crop of seventh- and eighth-graders heading to the high school over the next two years is sure to help pave the way for future lacrosse players at the school.
The interest is there, the players are coming, and RFH High School lacrosse is ready to enter the local picture.