The #1 Rye Boys Lacrosse team’s half-decade of dominance experienced its first hiccup on Tuesday, June 3, as the Garnets fell to #2 Somers 12-7 in the Section 1 Class C championship game. The loss marks Rye’s first in the sectional tournament since 2018 and ends a streak of five consecutive championships.
Rye hung around for three quarters despite getting a slow start on offense. They did not score in the first quarter and headed into the final frame down 6-4. There, the Tuskers pulled away with a barrage of goals to hand the Garnets their first loss in Section 1 play all season. Somers ends the year undefeated in those circumstances. It was truly a battle of two elite teams.
Rye concludes the season 15-4. While this was not the ending Head Coach Steve Lennon and his group anticipated, it marks the end of yet another winning season. Tyler McDermott broke the program points record on May 30. Tucker Hess set a new modern-day single-game assist record with nine against Mountain Lakes. Several underclassmen such as scorers Charlie Brady and Will Niejadlik and faceoff specialist Wilson Redd made strong contributions all season and seem poised for even more success next year. Rye will enter 2025-26 without their strong graduating Class of 2025, but with plenty of pieces to be dangerous once again.
