The Jump, May 6: The case for a YAIAA lacrosse tournament; Kline shines at PSU
When it comes to high school sports in these parts, lacrosse is still the new guy. The sport is only in its second seasoned as a sanctioned PIAA sport, and it's still very much in its adolescence in this area.
And yet, the game has very obviously taken root in the York and Adams Counties. That was obvious Wednesday night, when a throng of people showed up at Red Lion's Horn Field to see the Lions take on local rival Dallastown in a prime time, senior night clash. No, the massive grandstand at Horn wasn't filled, but the crowd was as big and boisterous as any I've seen at a high school lacrosse game.
The fans got a treat, too. The Lions' fast-paced, 19-15 win was a showcase for lacrosse in the county. Yes, Red Lion and Susquehannock are still the lax elite of the area, but it does seem like others are catching up. Dallastown beat the Lions earlier this year. South Western, a team which has something of second-half resurgence this season, beat the Wildcats recently. And even York Suburban has pieced together a solid campaign in Division II.
With those factors in mind -- the uptick in talent, the increased interest -- I have to think a county lacrosse tournament isn't that far off. I get why there isn't one already ... heck, the sport's only been sanctioned by the YAIAA for two seasons. But boys' and girls' lacrosse tournaments seem to make sense, even if the tournaments would be condensed, four-team playoffs. Is there anybody who wouldn't want to see a rematch between Red Lion and Susquehannock, after the Warriors overtime victory this season?
A tournament would also make sense from a timing perspective. After Wednesday night's regular season finale, the Lions now have nearly two weeks until they begin District 3 tournament play on May 18. Red Lion coach Bill Simms give his support for a league playoff after Wednesday's game.
Who knows how long it will be until this idea becomes a reality. But from this end, a YAIAA lacrosse tournament seems to make too much sense.
States to VMI
Red Lion got a stellar outing Wednesday from senior captain Steve States, who notched three goals and four assists.
The midfielder has been one of the Lions most dynamic players this season, flashing shiftiness and a nose for goal. States will continue his lacrosse career next year at VMI (Virginia Military Institute), and Simms said he believes States is the first boys' lacrosse player from York County to earn a Division I scholarship. I haven't gotten confirmation on that fact ... we'll pass along any updates.
States also has an interesting middle name, as we learned last fall during a Q&A before the start of football season. An excerpt:
Do you have a nickname, and if so, how did you get it? I don't have a nickname. My name is Stephen United States. Yes, my middle name is United, so people talk about that. That has been kind of fun.
Kline shines at PSU
Dallastown linebacker Ben Kline attended the Nike Football Training Camp at Penn State this past weekend, and it looks like he impressed a few people. The following in an excerpt from an article by ESPN.com's Bill Kurelic:
The most impressive looking linebacker physically was Ben Kline (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown Area). The 6-2, 220-pound Kline looked every bit of those measurements. He has quick feet and was very aggressive Sunday.
Kline was also rated one of the camp's top performers by ESPN Rise.
As we reported last week, Kline has close to double-digit scholarship offers from schools like Maryland, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Michigan, Rutgers and Boston College.
Daily Links
- OK, I know I'm late on this. But a fifth-grader winning a state golf championship? You don't see that everyday... (Maxpreps.com).
- A bit more in-depth report on District 3's decision to go with a new power ranking system (Patriot-News).
- Another take on the new power system (rodfrisco.com).
- A look at the tennis pairings for the upcoming District 3 championships (GameTimePA.com).