John Jay High School has always been known to have a good men’s lacrosse team, but have never been tested with a schedule as challenging as this year.

This years roster is lead by four seniors; Jackson Rieger, Josh Rubin, Kyle Boera, and Mark Machado. The bulk of the team are juniors, as there are 16 of them. Five sophomores, and one freshman cap off the rest of the roster. with such a heavy upperclassman roster, there are high expectations going into the season. Senior Captain Jackson Rieger says, “I expect the defense to be our strong suit, anchored by 3 veteran junior defensemen and a goalie. Our offense will be our most productive when we move the ball quickly and efficiently. As long as our offense can put the ball in the goal, we should have a very successful year.”

Jay gets off rolling on Thursday, March 30th, against a strong out-of-conference opponent, Manhasset, who is the 17th ranked team in the country. In 2016, Manhasset beat Jay by 2 goals, leaving them thirsty for revenge. Out of conference play continues on Monday, April 3rd, when they play Smithtown East, who are ranked 7th in the country. This will truly be a test to the John Jay program, as they will attempt to steal the win, which would give them a lot of confidence going into their next game against a ranked opponent. This time, it is 20th ranked Cold Spring Harbor. They will play in front of their home crowd, at 3:00 on April 12th. Then, the game everyone is anticipating. Yorktown Vs. John Jay, arguably the biggest rivalry in JJHS history. The team will play at Yorktown and try to bounce back after falling short in the Section Championship last year.

Other big games include Wilton, Iona Prep, and Ridgefield. How will the boys of John Jay Lacrosse turn last year’s painful championship loss into strength this year? Hopefully by beating 3 of the country’s top 25 teams, and winning a Section 1 Championship for the four seniors who will be playing their last games.