South wins boys’ lacrosse all-star game in overtime
Sports stopped making sense in the spring of 2020 when senior seasons were shut down due to an invisible novel virus with more nicknames than a Sussex County chicken catcher.
At the DE Turf complex June 15, the North versus South all-star boys’ lacrosse game was played to a packed house of penned-up fans ready to rock some raucous enthusiasm.
The South squad included Henlopen Conference players with the addition of Hodgson, Red Lion Christian, MOT Charter, Appoquinimink and First State Military.
The North team was stacked with all-state players represented by Salesianuim and Sanford.
Gabe Best of Cape Henlopen sent the game into overtime by making a medium-range goal with nine seconds left to play, tying the game at 11-11.
Then in the sudden-death, four-minute overtime period, it was Ben Yelverton, a Sussex Tech Raven, with the game-winner for a 12-11 South side victory.
An impressive celebratory high-flying, crash-landing dogpile ensued among players who had known each other less than four hours.
Cape’s Jaden Davis had a pair of goals, including a left-handed whipsaw bellringer as the defense screamed “He can only go right.”
Cape’s Nick Arnold, Landon Best and Drew Dennis all excelled in long pole land. Arnold picked up a crucial ground ball off the overtime face-off.
Riley Custodio of Sussex Academy, a long stick middie, had a crucial second-half goal from way downtown.
The game was a showcase of sorts for senior players from programs that don’t win many games or attract much of a crowd. Michael Brummell of Woodbridge, Landon Hajak of Milford and Jacob Snarsky of Sussex Central all got a chance to show what they could do and to feel the energy of a meaningful game played in front of a loud crowd.
Notes: All-state, All-American and Academic All-State players were honored at halftime of the game. Most but not all of the honorees showed up. DE Turf remains a great venue for championship games and long weekend tournaments. Expanded stats for the game (goal scorers and goalie saves) were not available a day after the game. Sanford coach Tim Lucky and his son Tim Lucky were honored as Coach and Player of the Year. Younger son Devon Lucky, a junior, was also named to the all-state team.The South team was coached by Dave Spencer, Indian River; Brooks Johnson, Caesar Rodney; and Justin Hetherington, Sussex Academy. The North team coaches were Sean Dunn, Newark Charter; Jake Rashkind, Wilmington Friends; and Pete Duncan, Archmere Academy.
