100 Years of Scholastic Lacrosse

BLaxFive.NET will be celebrating the start of scholastic lacrosse in 1922 with the posting of stories starting in January and continuing through the spring season. Full Story

Teams Timeline from 1922

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle documented, on April 19th, 1922, the first scholastic lacrosse game for the Geneva High School boys. That first game was against “cross-town” Hobart College freshman and the Panthers won 3-1. At the time “Central High” (Syracuse) also played. Full Story

New Sport for School - Geneva

“New Sport for School” was the headline of the story on page 19 of the Democrat & Chronicle that announced that Geneva High School would play their first scholastic game on Wednesday, April 19th, 1922. With that announcement, scholastic lacrosse was underway in Section Five.  Full Story

Officials Needed for 2022 - Free Training

The Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association is once again providing training for people who would like to learn how to help conduct the boys game and earn some money in the process. The new official’s orientation classes will start soon. It is great opportunity for someone who is thinking about staying involved in the game and wants to learn what it takes to be a “certified” NYS HS Lacrosse Official. Full Story

Stickball In the Street: A Players’ Game

By William David Moore

Some of the most interesting lacrosse games played in Geneva are staged on the asphalt pavement on the south end of Exchange Street. - Geneva Daily Times June 4, 1921

In a LAX LINES piece on SportFive.Net, “New Sport for School,” Coach Paul Wilson introduced Geneva as the pioneering scholastic program in Section Five nearly a century ago. What was the source of the idea and where did the impetus for the sport’s first adoption come from? The Daily Times’ “Sports Notes” author continues: Full Story

Jim Loman - Native Son - Builder of Men

By William David Moore

"For more than a quarter of a century Jim Loman taught good sportsmanship, as attested by the number of banners that hang from our walls." - Geneva Superintendent of Schools Lynn Housman, 1949

The infant Geneva High School lacrosse program and native son Jim Loman first intersected in the summer of 1923. The two would be intimately linked for 17 years. Full Story

Coach Jack McDonald – Journeyman Lax Man

When Joe Corcoran restarted the Geneva lacrosse program in 1957, freshman Jack McDonald made the team. He had three coaches in his first three years as Joe Kraus (son of the well-known “Babe” Kraus) coached his sophomore year and then Bob Manners started his long run which continued until Jack replaced him in 1970. In his senior year, Jack won the Covert Trophy for the most valuable player. Those four years was the beginning of a life-long love of the sport. Full Story

Coach Joe Corcoran – Geneva and Corning

Many readers might not know that Corning East (and West) lacrosse teams both played in Section V before moving back to Section IV where they are today. From 1976 and through the 1983 season, Corning East was a top contender in Section V. Geneva alumnus, Coach Corcoran started the Corning program in 1967 and they played in Section IV or the Upstate League until 1975. Full Story

The Fathers of Irondequoit Lacrosse

The first twenty years of the Irondequoit lacrosse history were led by two coaches, Vern Babcock, sometimes called the “father of Irondequoit lacrosse” and Ernie Lisi who is also called the “father of Irondequoit Lacrosse” and who, in his sixteen years, put Irondequoit on the local and national map. Full Story

Geneva State Champs in 1923?

As Dr. J.B. Covert of Hobart was facilitating the 1922 birth of lacrosse at Geneva High School, legendary Syracuse University coach Laurie Cox was mentoring the development of the sport at the scholastic level in the larger city to the east. A pair of teams emerged from that mentorship, Syracuse Central and Christian Brothers Academy. Along with Geneva those two schools created the foundation of competitive schoolboy lacrosse in Upstate New York that would last until 1940. Full Story

John Pratt – Leader of the Pack

[Editor: As we look at one hundred years, we have the chance to look not just way, way back, but also in the more recent past. This time we look at the accomplishments of both a Geneva alumnus and an Irondequoit great.]

With 431 wins Irondequoit’s John Pratt is at the head of the list of most wins within Section V. In fact, at present, he is at number 14 in the state and 34 in the nation for wins. Full Story

Herbert T. Fitch – Geneva and Penn Yan

Born in October of 1920, Herbert T. Fitch lived a life that was full of lacrosse and service. At Geneva High School he played football, basketball and lacrosse and was a four-year letterman, helping Geneva capture the league title in both his junior and senior years. Full Story

Section V Tournament Winners

Section V ran their first lacrosse tournament in 1975 and eleven teams were entered with Rush-Henrietta seeded first. Webster Thomas was seeded second and when fourth-seeded Irondequoit beat them (7-4) in the semifinals, Irondequoit faced Thomas for the championship.Tournament Page. Full Story