Livonia-Avon in - Waterloo Out in Finger Lakes

There are a couple of significant changes in the Finger Lakes League this year, according to League Coordinator, Joe Hill who recently announced that Waterloo will not field a varsity team this year and that Livonia-Avon will play in the FL this season.

Waterloo, who ended their season early last season, has decided to focus on the Junior Varsity this year with the hope that, by the 2025 season, they will again sponsor a Varsity program in the Finger Lakes League. The 2023 team finished the season with sixteen players, seven of which were seniors and with only two juniors. Waterloo was the fifth team in Section V to start a Varsity program (in 1965) under Head Coach Larry Russell. Other coaches included Bill Bryant, Tom Abraham, Dwight Babcock, Mike Simon, Gary DeWall, Tyrone Thomas and Matt Morrin.

After a number of attempts, Livonia-Avon has gained approval for a three-year trial (renewable annually) with the Finger lakes schedule. At the same time, Athletic Director Mark Kress, has announced that the Head Coaching position is open.  The posting closes 9/29.   The link to apply is: https://livonia.recruitfront.com/JobPostingCategory?CID=13270

Previously playing as a GRALL member, the Lakers now leave the GRALL with just three teams: Aquinas, Bishop Kearney and Haverling.

With eleven teams now in the Finger Lakes, there will be two divisions.

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Hall of Fame Dinner on November 10th

On Friday, November 10th, the Rochester Chapter of USA Lacrosse will installed the 2023 class. Honored were Liz Hogan, John Houtenbrink, Peter Milliman, Marc Riccio, Dr. Phillip Winslow, and the 2015 and 2016 Boys Victor Teams.

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Webster Schroeder Need JV Coach

Webster Schroeder lacrosse is looking for a new JV Lacrosse Coach for the 2024 season.

Those interested should check contact  AD; Shawn Strege: Shawn_Strege@webstercsd.org or Head Coach Don Manard at Donald_Manard@webstercsd.org with any questions.

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2023 Season Wrap Up

There were thirty-five teams playing in Section V. Bishop Kearney scheduled seven games but elected to forgo the tournament at the end of the season. There were 893 players on the final rosters, up 13 players from 2022. Rush-Henrietta and Victor carried the largest roster with thirty-six players and Haverling, Midlakes-Red Jacket and Waterloo with the smallest with sixteen. 

There were four classes for the sectional tournaments. Pittsford (A), Victor (B), and HF-L (C) were top seeds and won their championships. In Class D, Penn Yan (seeded second) won their twenty-seventh championship with an 11-6 win over top seeded Aquinas.

Pittsford had a 9-5 win against second seeded McQuaid Jesuit, Victor won their game against third seeded Spencerport 16-6 after the Rangers had a 6-4 win against second seeded Canandaigua. Honeoye Falls-Lima had a close 9-8 win against third seeded Wayne after the Eagles defeated second seeded Pal-Mac in the semifinals.

The teams were able to play a full season again in 2023. The first game was played on March 23rd when Newark beat Watkins Glen 20-0. The last regular season game was played when Bloomfield-Honeoye defeated Brockport 7-6 in overtime.

The 307 regular season games were played and the 141 league games determined the league championships. In Monroe County-D-1 it was Victor (5-0). In MC-2, Spencerport (4-0) took the championship and in MC-3 Irondequoit (3-1) was on top. Wayne (9-0) won the Finger Lakes title and in the GRALL, Aquinas (5-0) was the Champion.

At the end of the year, the Section V Head Coaches selected the post-season award winners including their All-League players. Then, after reviews of over eighteen nominations, they selected six USA Lacrosse All-Americans and five All-Academics. Named All-Americans were Jack Faiola (Canandaigua), Thomas Gravino (Victor), Robert Kinslow IV (Pal-Mac), Sam Ricci (Victor), Preston Steve (Newark), and Mike Valent (Rush-Henrietta).

Named All-Academics were Sam Gotham (Victor), Jackson McEnerney (Livonia-Avon), Andy Mcfadden (Bloomfield-Honeoye), Cameron Mesh (Spencerport), and Ben Steingass (Pittsford).

Spencerport Head Coach Bill Buttaro was named Coach of the Year from Section V and the Bob Scott Award winner was Keenen Edwards from East United-Eastridge.

The Coaches of Section V created a new award this year for the "Official of the Year" which was awarded to GVLOA rules interpreter Scott Maloney.

The Monroe County Division 1 Player of the Year was Mike Valent (Rush-Henrietta). Cameron Mesh (Spencerport) was the Division 2 Player of the Year and Jack Faiola (Canandaigua) was Division 3 Player of the Year.

Nominees for the Bob Scott Award were Drew Pagano (Schroeder) and Jason Mosher (Hilton) and the Section V and USA Lacrosse Bob Scott Award winner was Keenan Edwards (East United-Eastridge).

The Monroe County Coaches of the Year were Dan Stone (Victor) in MC1, Bill Buttaro (Spencerport - MC2), and both London Booker (East United-Eastridge) and Eric Goodberlet (HFL) in MC3.

Assistant Coaches of the Year were Mark Foeder (Victor) and Matt Gold (Pittsford) from MC1, Marco DeBole (Brighton) from MC2, and Jim Tilotson (East United-Eastridge) and John Herriman (Canandaigua from MC3.

The Finger Lakes Players of the Year were Robert Kinslow (Pal-Mac) who was also the Defenseman of the year. Preston Steve (Newark) was the Attackman of the Year, Keagan Hoesterey (Pal-Mac) was named Midfielder of the Year, and Blake Dunton (Marcus Whitman) was the Goalie of the Year. Connor Gorton (Marcus Whitman) was selected as the nominee for the Bob Scott Award.

The Finger Lakes Coach of the Year was Joe Caraher (Mynderse), The Assistant Coach of the Year was Brian Askin (Geneva). The Person of the Year was Craig Ikewood (Pal-Mac).

Among the awards from the Greater Rochester Area Lacrosse League (GRALL), was Player of the Year Jackson McEnerney (Livonia-Avon).

The GRALL Coach of the Year was Terry Corcoran (Aquinas) and the Assistant Coach of the Year was Dan Riordan (Aquinas).  The Person of the year was Joel Rose (Livonia-Avon). 

Pittsford (Class A), Canandaigua (Class B), Honeoye Falls-Lima (Class C) and Penn Yan (Class D) were awarded the Steve Morgan Sportsmanship Awards by the Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association.

After the regular season, the Section V tournaments were conducted. Pittsford (Class A), Victor (Class B), HF-L (Class C) and Penn Yan (Class D) were the Sectional Champions in 2023.

There were All-Tournament Teams this year and there were MVPs for each class. Selected as MVPs for classes A, B, C and D were Rex Kesselring (Pittsford), Thomas Gravino (Victor), Chase Perryman (HF-L) and Will Thompson (Penn Yan).

The SportsFive/Section V Players of the Year were Thomas Gravino (Victor) in offense and Jack Faiola (Canandaigua) in defense. The Sportsman of the Year was Noah Hezel (Pittsford).

The New York State Tournaments were back in full swing and sectional champions went on to play Section VI champions in the Western Regionals (quarter finals). In Class A, Pittsford beat Lancaster and then lost by one goal to Baldwinsville in the semifinals. In Class B, Victor beat Orchard Park, and then West Genesee to reach the finals where they lost by one goal to Garden City. In Class C, HF-L beat Lake Shore in Buffalo and then lost to Jamesville-DeWitt and Class D, Penn Yan beat East Aurora and then lost to Marcellus by one goal.

The All-Section V Awards were back this year with fifteen first team, fifteen second team, and ten Honorable Mention picks.

At the end of the season at least sixty-one seniors have made college commitments. They will become part of over three hundred players from Section V who are currently playing at all college levels.

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Did You Enjoy the Coverage?

Sportsfive Media has been the leading scholastic website for Section V lacrosse for over twenty-two years. With over 1.1 million page views in 2022, there are over 3,500 stories on the boys site, and over 8,300 player profiles.

At this point there have been over 963,800 page views by over 69,705 visitors,
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Lacrosse Officials Year-End Awards

At their "Year-End Gathering" the members of the Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association announced their annual Frank Mangione Award for Excellence award winner.

The award is given to a person who has demonstrated the highest ideals of professionalism, leadership, passion and above all, respect for the game of lacrosse at any level both on and off the field. Mangione served in many capacities within the organization for more than forty years.

The award, this year, was given to Mike Torrelli, the long-time Head Coach at Fairport. A 1982 graduate at Webster Thomas, he went on to study and play at Ithaca College before ending up at Fairport in 1990. For a number of years, he was an assistant coach to Randy Garrett before taking over as Head Coach in 2004. Since then, his teams have won six Section V titles and been to the New York State finals twice. Earlier this year he won his 250th game with the Red Raiders.

Rob Cantabene presented Mike with the award, speaking about his professionalism, his constant support to officials and to GVLOA.

In his acceptance remarks, he spoke about relationships, the many mentors who have helped him along the way, and how it is important for him to pass the help along to others.

Mike Simon, Coordination of Section V boys Lacrosse and his assistant Paul Wilson then made a new presentation, the Section V Official of the Year. This award, at the suggestion of Penfield Head Coach JJ Schembri, is selected by the Head Coaches of the section. Each league makes nominations and the group, as a whole, votes for the recipient.

Mike Simon made the presentation to long-time official and area rules interpreter, Scott Maloney. "This award is special to me", said Simon. The award "honors those who have a strong work ethic, knowledge of the rules of the game, and is a positive role model. The recipient is honored for their dedication to the game, their outstanding personal accomplishments as recognized by the Coaches of Section V boys lacrosse.

Scott spoke about losing his senior year of college lacrosse in order to complete his student teaching at Waterloo High School, where a new Head Coach, Mike Simon, hired him as an assistant. A tough sideline coach, an official once told him, "If you can do better, why not become an official?" He did and over the many years after has wondered why he didn't do it sooner. We are a brotherhood and I have made great friends. Thanks for this honor."

After dinner Al McLiverty asked for help from officials at the annual Shootout for Soldiers at Canandaigua. President Jim Malloy recognized six new first year officials and four returning second year officials.

The "Iron man Award" was given to Sean Wright for having officiated the most games this season (32). Long-time official Pete McCabe had 29 games.

The "annual report" for the organization included: 1257 assignments in 2023.

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2023 All-Section Five List Released

For the eighth time and after a brief absence, Section Five Lacrosse leadership has selected first, second and honorable mention lists of All-Section players. The 2023 first team lists fifteen players and includes the six All-Americans previously announced. "It`s always difficult to choose from so many talented players," said Section Five Chairman, Mike Simon.

To be nominated each player was required to be selected to their first team all-league (except Independent teams). The lists were selected from a pool of seventy-nine players. The selections were reviewed by Chairmen of each of the three leagues, two at-large coaches the Lacrosse Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator.

Although grade and league were not major factors in selection, the lists show the skills that are found throughout the section. Twelve Monroe County teams were represented on the lists, with the rest representing Finger Lakes (5), GRALL(2) and Independents (1). Showing that the "Best of the Best" can come from any age group, there were 28 seniors, 7 juniors, 4 sophomores, and 1 freshman listed. Distribution among the positions shows 9 midfielders, 12 attackmen, 7 defensemen, 4 FO specialists, 3 LSM, 1 SSDM, and 2 goalies.

First Team

Ryan Dodge - Victor senior - Stony Brook
Jack Faoila - Canandaigua senior - Hobart *
Teagan Fingar - Penn Yan Sophomore
Thomas Gravino - Victor senior - Maryland *
Jack Herendeen - Victor junior - Cornell
Noah Hezel - Pittsford senior - Lafayette
Jackson McEnerney - Livonia-Avon senior - RIT
Rex Kesselring - Pittsford senior
Robert Kinslow - Pal-Mac senior - Hobart *
Pax Marshall - Victor senior - Georgetown
Cameron Mesh - Spencerport senior
Chase Perryman - HFL junior 
Sam Ricci - Victor senior - Cornell *
Preston Steve - Newark  senior - Roberts Wesleyan * 
Mikey Valent - Rush-Henrietta senior - Hobart *
* All-Americans

Second Team

Drew Angelo - HFL junior -  Syracuse
Tano Auriuso - Aquinas freshman
Ryan Bowerman - Penfield junior - Loyola
Jonah Carrier - Irondequoit senior - Maryland
Henry Coke - McQuaid senior - St Bonaventure
Ben Cook - HFL junior
Anthony DeMeo - Pittsford senior - Le Moyne
Anthony Druker - Penn Yan senior - Loyola
Connor Gorton - Marcus Whitman senior - Utica
Sam Gotham - Victor senior - Stony Brook
Jason Mosher - Hilton senior - Ohio Wesleyan
Noah Olbrich - Aquinas sophomore
Drew Pagano - Schroeder senior - Mercyhurst
Dom Pezzimenti - Victor senior
Ben Steingass - Pittsford senior - Amherst

Honorable Mention

Ethan Amidon - Brighton senior - Wittenberg
Aiden Cawley - Hilton senior - VMI
Vincenzo Giangreco - McQuaid Jesuit junior
Aiden Greco - Irondequoit senior - Robert Morris
Keagan Hoesterey - Pal-Mac junior
Nate Michel - Wayne senior
Jayden Rodriguez - Spencerport sophomore
Jack Schimmel - Aquinas junior
Drew Williamee - Canandaigua sophomore
Daniel Wright - Geneva senior - Brockport

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USA Lacrosse All-Americans and All-Academics

*+USA Lacrosse has approved our nominees for their awards.

The Head Coaches of Section V considered players who had been nominated for All-American and All-Academic awards. The awards identify some of the best players from each area around the country. Each of the head coaches in the Section is allowed to vote on each of the awards. The selections from our area were then submitted to the USA Lacrosse for final approval.

The All-American awards are given to excellent lacrosse players from the area. The national program allows one award for each six teams in the area but this year there were six awards available. Fifteen players were nominated. Section Five coaches require that players who are in leagues must make first team league honors to be considered.

For the All-Academic award, an emphasis has been placed on the academic qualification of the nominees, but players were required to be assets for their teams. Where, in the past, nominees for this award were first considered for their skill on this field, this year, although skill was considered important, nominees did not need to be "All-American" quality players. Academically, nominees needed to have an average GPA of 3.7 (on a 4.0 scale). There were also six awards available in Section V and there were seven nominees. Some players were nominated for both awards and in the end five were selected.

The Head Coaches also selected a USA Lacrosse Coach of the Year for NYS Section V. This year the coaches selected Bill Buttaro, Head Coach at Spencerport. The Rangers were 13-6 this year and advanced to the Sectional Finals for the first time in program history.

In 2012, USA Lacrosse added an award named for the long-time Johns Hopkins lacrosse coach and Athletic Director, Bob Scott. The annual award is given to a senior of outstanding character, good academic standing and one who demonstrates good sportsmanship and safe play. The winner from Section V, this year, is East United-Eastridge senior Keenan Edwards.

Head Coach, London Booker says, "As a volunteer for RocE6 lacrosse, Keenan has devoted countless hours to supporting the growth and development of young athletes. Whether it's coaching, mentoring, or organizing events, Keenan goes above and beyond to ensure the success of the program.

What sets Keenan apart is his unwavering commitment to doing what needs to be done, even when no one is watching. His integrity and strong work ethic make him a standout among his peers. Keenan's actions serve as a shining example of character and dedication. His remarkable efforts serve as an inspiration to us all, reminding us of the power of selflessness and the importance of giving back."

• Jack Faiola- Canandaigua senior goalie - Hobart
  Head Coach Deven York says: "Jack is the best goalie I have seen at Canandaigua. He has built himself in the off season weightroom. Attending our 5:00 am Breakfast club. He hones his craft at goalie camps and club, has never missed an optional workout. He sets the standard. No one outworks him. For our defense to perform like it has this year is a direct result of Jack's ability and leadership." 
  
  
• Thomas Gravino - Victor senior midfielder - Maryland
  Gravino returns as a two-time All-American. Head Coach Dan Stone says: "Thomas leads by example on and off the field. He is the first to congratulate teammates on good plays and to remain calm in challenging circumstances. He challenges teammates to let our play speak for us. Thomas was selected to participate in the Section V Student Athlete Advisory Committee based on his leadership skills and is one of a small group of athletes selected for the All-Greater Rochester First Team in two varsity sports in the same year." 
  
  
• Robert Kinslow IV - Pal-Mac senior defenseman - Hobart
  Head Coach Joe Hill says: "Robert is a model citizen, he not only follows rules but he expects others to as well. He holds everyone to a high standard. Robert has been a Captain since he was a Sophomore at Pal-Mac where he started playing Varsity Lacrosse as a starter in 8th grade. Robert is also instrumental in our youth program working with our future defenseman that have looked up to him as leader for years. Robert is our coach on the field!" 
  
  
• Sam Ricci - Victor senior face off specialist - Cornell
  Head Coach Dan Stone says: "Sam Ricci is a student-athlete any coach could use as a textbook example of what they want members of their program and school community to become. His work in the classroom earned him a GPA of 93.1, Scholar Athlete and Team Captain honors for multiple seasons in Wrestling, Lacrosse, and Football. Sam is well-respected by teammates, peers, and teachers and goes out of his way to support everyone in achieving success by meeting their needs first and leading by example." 
  
  
• Preston Steve - Newark senior attackman - Roberts Wesleyan
  Head Coach John Hicks says: "Take away his playing ability which is outstanding he just is a great young man that plays this game with honor and respect and gives it his all and never backs down. He's not big but he plays like a giant. His stats are great but take them away and you still have the makings of a All-American young man. He has done everything ever asked of him and more. He's always trying to help his teammates get better and genuinely cares about how they are doing. I've coached for nine years now, and Preston is by far the best overall player and young man I have ever had the pleasure to coach."
  
  
• Mike Valent - Rush-Henrietta senior face off specialist - Last Year as selected as an All-Academic - Hobart
  Head Coach Tom MacMillan says: "Mikey is one of the best kids that I have ever coached. He has been a captain for me for the past 2 years and I trust that he will always make the right decisions. He is a responsible player and a great teammate. He is always willing to help out his younger teammates and is always willing to share his skills with our youth players. He is also just a great person who is respectful of others and the rules of lacrosse. I think above else he honors the game of lacrosse. He always gives 100% no matter what. In drills and in games Mikey is always the hardest working player."
  
  

• Sam Gotham - Victor senior attackman - Stony Brook
  Head Coach Dan Stone says: "As a student-athlete, Sam's achievements on and off the field are remarkable. He has earned High Honor Roll 15 consecutive semesters while completing challenging courses with electives intended to challenge himself. Sam is a member of the National Honor Society and the Business Honor Society. He is a voice for teammates and actively seeks their ideas and opinions, and also advocates for others when they may not feel comfortable doing so themselves. Sam's advocacy makes a positive difference for the entire team. These same qualities are present in the work he does as a leader with many school and community groups." 
  
  
• Jackson McEnerney - Livonia-Avon senior attackman - RIT
  Head Coach John Sciera says: "Jackson has taken a leadership role on this team starting his sophomore year. It is not easy to take athletes from two schools and mend them together as a cohesive unit. Jackson has stepped up in many ways in helping both on the field and off organizing activities to bring his team mates together as a cohesive unit. Jackson is fiercely competitive on the field but demands that his teammates honor the game and each other with their play on the field."
  
  
• Andy Mcfadden - Bloomfield-Honeoye senior defenseman - Uncommitted
  Head Coach Joe Sidari says, "As a captain this year, he has been a positive and uplifting voice for our younger players and goes out of his way to make sure they are getting the help they need and understand what they are supposed to do. He is also a student who is taking full advantage of his senior year by taking a full course load of AP and IB classes and still maintaining a high weighted GPA. Andy is part of the National Honor Society and is the recipient of the College Board National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program Award."
  
  
• Cameron Mesh - Spencerport senior midfielder - Uncommitted
  Head Coach Bill Buttaro says, "Cam Mesh is a rare talent. He faces off, he plays offense, he plays defense... He's on man up and he's on man down. Cam is the true definition of a midfielder. He plays almost 48 minutes a game and never says a word. He does whatever it takes to win and is everything our section and area could want to represent us. He is one of the hardest working players I have ever seen play the sport. The younger kids on the team look up to him and feed off of his energy. He is an outstanding citizen who puts in time with the Youth in our community."
  
  
• Ben Steingass - Pittsford senior midfielder - Amherst
  Head Coach Andrew Whipple says, "Ben has been an Honor Roll Student throughout every semester in high school. He has a 4.0 unweighted GPA with a very rigorous coarse load. He is a member of the National Honor Society at Mendon High School. He was also selected as Mendon High School's sole nominee for the Harvey E. Anderson Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to students who have participated in Section V sports, have been diligent in academics and athletics and exhibit self-motivation and extraordinary effort. He is an amazing young man and one of the best in lacrosse."
  
  

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