Yorktown Patch Weekly Sports Report

Rebels to scrimmage

Lakeland/Panas, which made it to the state girls lacrosse championship game last season before losing 6-5 to Farmingdale, will give its fans a chance to see them in a scrimmage before playing for real.

The Rebels are hosting a scrimmage game against Pearl River, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24 at Lakeland High School. The Rebels will play two more scrimmages before the regular season begins on March 31 in a 4:45 p.m. game at Bronxville.

Rebel senior midfielder Anna Jeszeck, who will be playing lacrosse  next year at the University of Richmond in Virginia, said that participating in scrimmages is important in getting ready for the season.

“It’s a good way for us to tell what we need to work on,” Jeszeck said. “We’re basically starting over. Now that we have been practicing for three hours a day [since March 14], after playing against each other, it will be nice to play against another team.”

The Rebels, who finished last year's season with a 19-3 record, have won four straight sectional championships. Some teams may feel burdened by that level of success, but not Lakeland/Panas.

“It’s a positive thing, the streak,” Jeszeck said. “We look to win the section every year, that’s our goal at the beginning of the season. Luckily we have come out on top four years in a row and hopefully it will be five this year.”

The Rebels this year will also be hoping to add the one thing they haven't accomplished in their storied history, and that is a state championship. Coming so close last season is more than enough motivation to win it this season.

“We don’t talk about that game, last year’s state championship game, but without a doubt, it’s always in the back of our minds,” Jeszeck said. “Every single one of the returners all said the same thing on the first day of practice, and that is we want to go back, want to make it to states again.”

Ranagan contributes to Hopkins

Yorktown players producing while participating in big-time lacrosse in college is a long-time tradition, and continuing that tradition is John Ranagan.

Ranagan, who was an All-American while playing at Yorktown before graduating in 2009, now plays at national powerhouse Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Ranagan plays for a Blue Jays' squad that has won five of their first six games.

Ranagan, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound midfielder, has registered six goals and eight assists for a total of 14 points. His eight assists are second on the team, and his point and goal totals are the fourth highest on the squad.

Ranagan has registered at least one point in five of the Blue Jays’ first six games. He tallied an assist in a 10-6 triumph against host Towson; three assists in an 18-5 win at Delaware; two goals in a 16-6 romp against visiting Siena; two goals and an assist in a 10-3 triumph versus visiting Manhattan; and two goals and three assists in a 16-5 triumph against UMBC at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

The win against Towson was a historic one for the Blue Jays, giving  John Hopkins 900 all-time wins. The Blue Jays are the first team in the nation to reach that plateau.

Ranagan is joined on the Blue Jays by 2010 Husker graduate Kevin Interlicchio, a 6-feet, 200 pound freshman attackman. Interlicchio, who has recorded a goal for Johns Hopkins, was also an All-American while playing for the Huskers.

Ranagan and Interlicchio are continuing a Husker tradition at Hopkins that includes current Husker coach Dave Marr. Marr, a 1996 Hopkins graduate, is the Blue Jays’ all-time leader in assists.

SOAC baseball

The Shrub Oak Athletic Club will have tryouts for its 11u travel baseball program, which will be held from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27 at Lakeland High School. Tryouts will commence in the gym.

Those that haven’t registered yet and would like to attend, contact Mike Rosen at mikerosen00@gmail.com or 914-589-3577.