Sports of all Sorts: An Eventful Offseason for John Jay Lacrosse

When the John Jay boys lacrosse team walked off the field at White Plains High School on June 4 after losing to Somers 14-9 in the Class B championship game to fall short of a fourth straight Section 1 title, many Indians fans undoubtedly thought there wouldn't be much news involving the team until the start of this coming season.

Well, nothing could be further from the case.

On July 1, assistant coach Joe Scarsella died at age 49 after a long illness.

On Oct. 7, attackman Mike Daniello, the No. 9-ranked junior in the nation by Inside Lacrosse, had a change of heart a week after verbally committing to North Carolina. Upon further review, Daniello decided on Johns Hopkins.

On Dec. 15, 10th-year varsity head coach Nick Savastano, varsity assistant Vinny Savastano and junior varsity head coach Erik Hoaglund were relieved of their duties after the Katonah-Lewisboro  School District concluded a months-long investigation of the program that Savastano said began following a parental complaint that cited verbal abuse by one or more of the coaches.

Now, John Jay prepares for the start of its 31st varsity season by welcoming in just the third head coach in program history.

Tim Schurr, one of the top defenseman in Yorktown High School's storied history who served as a varsity assistant there before becoming an assistant and then head coach at Somers, is the Indians' new coach. Geoff Nolan, who has been a part of the John Jay program for 19 years as a player and coach (including the last eight as a varsity assistant), will remain on the coaching staff.

Schurr met with varsity players for the first time this past week when he attended a weekly box lacrosse session at the high school that Nolan has been running in the offseason.

An interesting sidelight is that Schurr's sons, junior Eddie and sophomore Kevin, play for the same Somers team that beat John Jay in last year's final and that will play John Jay twice during the upcoming regular season.

Schurr does not see a conflict. He pointed to a similar situation involving former Yorktown head coach Jim Turnbull.

"I coached for 10 years with Jim Turnbull (at Yorktown) when we played against (son) Merrill (Turnbull) at Mahopac," Schurr said.

Schurr also saw some positives in the situation.

"I tell them (his sons), 'Look, I don't want to be at all your games.' I want there to be a dialogue of what went on at the game that night," Schurr said." It's not always a lengthy conversation. It doesn't have to be play by play. But sometimes, it's better that you're not always there."

Schurr succeeds program founder Bob Kear (1979-99) and Nick Savastano (2000-09) as John Jay varsity head coach.

Savastano and his brother, Vinny, meanwhile will be coaching close by. They have gone to John F. Kennedy Catholic in Somers where they will serve as co-head coaches. Hoaglund has joined them as an assistant.

"We are very excited," said Vinny Savastano, who has served as a varsity head coach at both Hendrick Hudson and Greenwich (Conn.). "We  feel that it is a hidden gem and that this is the start of something special ."