An idea born from a typical dinner table conversation three summers ago has turned into the Battle of Yorktown. It’s not so much a tournament featuring some of the state’s top high school lacrosse programs, but a competitive get together on Veterans Day.
Yorktown, West Genesee, Iona Prep, Lakeland/Panas, Greeley, Stepinac, Pelham, Fordham Prep and Warwick Valley are coming to Granite Knolls Recreation and Sports Complex for the Nov. 11 event.
“This all started with me and my family,” said Yorktown goalie Hunter Mezzatesta. “We have these great fields at Granite Knolls and had an idea for a tournament in the fall. We couldn’t do it during football season. We really couldn’t do this in the winter. So we decided Veterans Day was a perfect time because it falls in a slot right between fall and winter sports. We had seven teams our first year and eight teams last year. We have nine teams coming this year.”
Teams pay an entry fee and commemorative T-shirts are sold with the proceeds going to the Yorktown VFW.
If there’s a marquee game each year, it’s West Genny vs. Yorktown, which are cornerstone programs in the state who had some epic battles way back when.
“That game is definitely competitive,” said Mezzatesta, who committed to Virginia last fall. “We hadn’t played them since like 1986 before we started this. We beat them our first year 7-6 and last year they beat us 11-7. They had a very good team. It’s a game that includes a lot of history for people in both communities.”
The games begin at 8 a.m. and run until 4 p.m.
“Teams come to compete,” Mezzatesta added. “You get a chance to see a lot of top players and you can tell who’s had a strong fall.”
What: The Battle of Yorktown
When: Tuesday, Nov. 11
Where: Granite Knolls Sports and Recreation Complex, 2975 Stony St, Mohegan Lake
Admission: Free to all
Schedule
8 a.m. – Warwick Valley vs. Yorktown; Stepinac vs. Lakeland/Panas
9 a.m. – Iona Prep vs. West Genesee; Pelham vs. Fordham
10 a.m. – Warwick Valley vs. Greeley; Yorktown vs. Iona Prep
11 a.m. – Stepinac vs. West Genesee; Lakeland/Panas vs. Pelham
Noon – Fordham Prep vs. Greeley; Warwick Valley vs. Iona Prep
1 p.m. – Yorktown vs. West Genesee; Stepinac vs. Fordham
2 p.m. – Greeley vs. Iona Prep; Pelham vs. Warwick Valley
3 p.m. West Genesee vs. Lakeland/Panas; Greeley vs. Pelham
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: How did a casual lacrosse family conversation turn into the Battle of Yorktown?
Reporting by Mike Dougherty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
