submitted by Eric Crawford
On Saturday, June 5, a rivalry was born. The Cambridge and Hoosick Falls boys lacrosse teams met for the first time in Cambridge for an exhibition game. The score was 14-7 in favor of Cambridge, but that is not the whole story. What is most important is that a rivalry was born and history was made by the boys who played the game. There was a large crowd on hand to support the teams during the Cambridge Balloonfest weekend. It was great to see these teams meet for the first time and to say we were there to be a part of it. It’s a part of history and just the beginning.
Though the boys are the real story, the game would not have been possible without the efforts and support of Ken Facin in Hoosick Falls and Geoff Hoffer in Cambridge. Facin, Superintendent of HFCS, along with the School Board, supported the inception of a 9-12th grade Club Team this spring. Mark Marquart, a first grade teacher at HFCS, volunteered his time to coach the team.
To say resources were limited is an understatement. Only through a passion for the sport and the desire of some hard working kids did lacrosse became a reality. The boys from Hoosick Falls took a chance with no promises when they decided to play this season. They worked hard this spring and the Hoosick Falls/Cambridge game was their reward. They deserved it.
Geoff Hoffer, Director of Cambridge Youth Lacrosse, was also a huge factor. He fully supported the concept, made the fields available and put a Cambridge team on the field to make the game fun and competitive. Cambridge Head Coach Len Darcy did a great job managing the Cambridge roster as they faced Coach Marquart’s Panthers. We were all proud of the boys on both sides. It’s a bitter rivalry, but sportsmanship prevailed. The boys represented themselves, their schools and their towns extremely well.
Cambridge has played Lacrosse for the better part of a decade. Through building momentum and with a desire for more spring sports, lacrosse was born in Hoosick Falls. Adding lacrosse is not popular with everyone in Town, but in the long run it’s for the kids. More kids playing more sports is a good thing. Fall sports participation rates are high because there are multiple sports offered. In the spring they are low as there are only two options, baseball or softball. HFCS needs lacrosse, the kids need Lacrosse.
In addition to the boys high school program, girls and youth lacrosse also started this spring. HFCS physical education teacher Lisa Ferrannini coached a successful girls high school club team.
Close to a dozen Hoosick Falls boys from third to sixth grade played in Cambridge this spring. This partnership will lay the building blocks for a youth program in Hoosick Falls in two to three years. HFLC is also part of the Tri-Mountain Youth Lacrosse League which is comprised of teams from Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. We had a fun season. It was a great learning experience for the kids, parents and coaches.
The goal of HFLC is to eventually field youth teams from third to eighth grade in Hoosick Falls. These youth teams will develop young lacrosse players who will eventually fill the JV and Varsity roster at HFCS. The key to any successful high school program is a strong youth feeder program. To learn more, or to get involved, please email hflclax@gmail.com.
