WHS Lacrosse Set Records, Received National Honors in 1987

It was in 1987 that Westfield High School proved its true dominance in boys lacrosse.

Coming off of their first state championship in Coach Shaun Cherewich was not sure what to expect. With the losses of key players such as Rob Schmalz it was unclear how the team would respond. At the end of the 1987 season, Westfield left no doubt as they won their second consecutive state championship and earned a record of 19-1.

The 19 games Westfield won in ’87 still stands as a record for most wins in a single season in Westfield lacrosse history. The 1987 season also featured the most All-State and All-American players than any other Westfield lacrosse team. The team featured four All-American players, seven All-State players, and New Jersey’s player of the year, Steve Locker.

The All-American and first steam All-State players included Brendan Flaherty, who set the single season records for assists; Tim Nolan, Gregg Schmalz, and Steve Locker. Todd Prybylski and Jeff Hurley earned second and third team All-State honors respectively. Chris Miller and Paul Kieltyka were also outstanding in goal, posting saver percentages over 70 percent.

Cherewich won the distinguished United States Coaches Association Coach of the Year award. This award established Cherewich as a powerhouse coach nationally, not just in New Jersey.

Westfield suffered its only loss to Mountain Lakes, the team they eventually defeated in the state championship game. In 1987 Westfield won the Bristol Cup once again, and they also won the Gibbs division for the second straight season.

Flaherty and Nolan both racked up over 50 points each on attack while Schmalz and Locker both scored up over 60 points to lead the midfield. Telling and Prybylski led a defense that allowed the fewest goals in the entire state and both defensemen were among the leaders in groundballs for the entire team.

The 1987 lacrosse team was single handedly the most dominant team in the state of New Jersey, and this team was possibly the greatest lacrosse team ever at Westfield High School. The success achieved by the players and coaching staff was unprecedented, and set a standard of excellence for Westfield lacrosse.

Editor's Note: This is the fourth part of a multi-part series on the history of the Westfield High School Boys Lacrosse Team. The series came out of a paper written for the AP History class at Westfield High School by Westfield Patch Intern Will Gretsky and WHS student Drew Margolis, during the 2008-2009 academic year. Drew Margolis and Will Gretsky have both granted permission for the reprinting of the paper which was first proposed to Westfield Patch by faculty at Westfield High School. Minor edits have occurred from the original text. The paper was written using primary sources and articles on file in the Westfield High School archives.