Yorktown Laxers Lead Academic All-American Parade
Huskers Beck, Embury, Andrews Named, Six Other Locals Make Grade
By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
The mythical Yorktown High School boys’ lacrosse program has been under some scrutiny since the Cornhuskers lost their third-straight Section 1 title game in early June; something that has never happened before to the 40-time Section 1 champs.
After losing to Rye, 11-7, in the 2021 Class B title game, there are folks in and about Yorktown lumping blame wherever they see fit for the program’s recent lack of championship production. Sadly, I suppose that’s human nature these days, but as we stated in a season-ending piece a few weeks back: It’s not anything that seven-time NYS champion Yorktown has done wrong since winning its last title back in 2017, it’s simply the fact that the rest of the country has slowly crept up while the game has grown exponentially in popularity.
And that, my friends, is what we call a good thing. In fact, it was bound to happen, and could continue.
What hasn’t been lost on Yorktown during this alleged “down time” in its fabled history is the importance of being top-notch student athletes. I’m more impressed by the academic standard the Yorktown kids are setting, including the three US Lacrosse Academic All-Americans the boys’ program produced this past year, including 2021 class salutatorian, Will Beck.
After leading the team in goals this season, the Yorktown senior attackman led the parade of academic excellence along with fellow Academic All-Americans, senior D Ethan Andrews and Will Embury, a senior attackman, and third Embury sibling to receive such a nod (joining Hunter and Jamison). This talented trio set the standard on the field and in the classroom. To boot, Yorktown would have had a fourth Academic All-American had injured Duke-bound long pole Keith Boyer been able to take the field for what would have been a special senior campaign (Yorktown also saw junior A Harry Griff and senior G Adam Norris earn on-field All-American honors).
“It takes a lot to perform at such a high level in the classroom and play lacrosse at Yorktown with all the time commitments that come with pushing to win each year,” Yorktown Coach Sean Carney said. “Each year we have been lucky to have amazing student athletes. Our kids have really been focused on the classroom and athletics. They are truly focused young men on and off the field. It shows a dedication to excellence. You won’t always win every game, but these young men will win in life because they know how to work and how to be successful.”
So, while people are banging the Huskers for not winning sectional titles, they aren’t hanging their heads in the classroom; instead the program is producing its highest level of academia, and, in the end, that’s what it’s all about. So, cast your aspersions elsewhere since the Cornhuskers had three of the nine academic honorees in Section 1. That said, all nine awardees were Examiner-area studs, who enhanced their personal résumés (see inset box)…
I was inches away from smashing the panic button on the suddenly-slumping NY Mets midway through Saturday’s 8-3 win over the host NY Yankees until the unit finally ignited. So, I can only imagine Yankee fans going code-red nuclear given the current state of affairs after the neighboring Mets, who were hard-pressed to score two runs a game, dropped 18 on the Yanks in a pair of wins while taking two of three games in the Bronx.
The Mets have a ton of injury-related excuses for not meeting their lofty pre-season expectations but have maintained a hold on first place in the NL East for over a month. The Yankees, well, let’s just say we’re all at a loss for words to describe the current state of ineptness. There’s still time for Aaron Boone’s fourth-place Yankees to turn this thing around, but they’ve given little indication that they are capable of doing so against a stacked AL East. It might be time to smash that panic button.
Happy 4th of July, gang #HoldTheLine.
9 Who Shine!
2021 Section 1 Academic Boys’ Lax All-Americans
- Aidan Murnane, Briarcliff
- Jacob Wollman, Fox Lane
- Sam Rosenberg, Horace Greeley
- Garrett Leitman, Putnam Valley
- Cole Zampaglione, Somers
- Kieran Gill, Somers
- Dylan Beck, Yorktown
- Ethan Andrews, Yorktown
- Will Embury, Yorktown
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.