Yorktown reached the sectional title game for the 45th straight season last year as the No. 3 seed, falling 17-15 to No. 1 Horace Greeley in the Section 1 Class B championship game at Yorktown High School, giving the Quakers their first boys lacrosse sectional title.
The Huskers (11-8), which have won 42 sectional crowns, had defeated Greeley the previous year in the title game and won against Mahopac in the championship tilt in 2023.
Yorktown five-star senior goalie Hunter Mezzatesta, who will play next year at the University of Virginia, is a three-time All-Section player who was a captain as a junior in 2025. He said the Huskers’ main goal is to recapture the Section 1 title.
“We won it two years in a row after a five-year drought, and last year we came up just short in the finals in a close game against Greeley,” Mezzatesta said. “That definitely motivates us.”
At Yorktown, though, the bigger goal is always the same, to compete for and win the state championship, which Yorktown has won seven times, most recently in 2014.
“To get there (state title), we have to do the things Yorktown lacrosse has always been built on: working hard every day, whether that’s in the gym, on the field, or watching film,” Mezzatesta said. “It’s about learning from mistakes, improving every day, and leaning on the chemistry we’ve built from playing together for so many years since first grade in the Yorktown Athletic Club.
“The biggest thing for us is playing as a team on both offense and defense. We might not always have the biggest roster or the most superstars compared to some programs on Long Island or upstate, but the Yorktown way has always been about winning as a team and out-teaming our opponents.”
Senior middie Gianluca Marchini, who will also play Division I lacrosse at UMass, is a two-time All-Section Husker.
Michael Desiderio (senior, defense, Pace University), Brady Sheridan (senior, middie, Skidmore), Chase Reynolds (senior, defense, Endicott), JT Carney (senior, attack, Endicott), Frankie Ofrias (junior, attack, SUNY-Cortland), Ryan Fastiggi, (junior, middie, VMI) and Tyler Caricati (junior, FOGO/SSDM, Skidmore) are the other Huskers committed to play in college.
Evan Kurth (defense), Nick D’Andraia (senior), Jayden Tyndal (middie) and Tommy Carney (attack) are top returning seniors as well.
Freshman Vinny Marchini (scored three goals last year as an eighth grader on varsity) and sophomores Daniel Weissman (long-stick middie, impact defender who can run the field and score), Adian Concannon (impact middie, 11 goals last year as a freshman on varsity) and Dominic DeBellis (3-year starting goalie on JV from 7th grade-9th grade) are Yorktown’s up and coming impact varsity players.
As of now, the Huskers have not named captains yet.
“Regardless of who ends up wearing the ‘C’ this season, we have a really experienced senior group,” Mezzatesta said. “We have 11 seniors returning, and a lot of us have been on varsity for two years, with some of us — including myself — going into our third year on varsity. That experience brings a lot of leadership to the team.
“So even though the official captains haven’t been announced yet, leadership will really come from the entire senior class. It’s on us to set the tone every day — bringing consistency, working hard, and making sure we play the kind of team-first lacrosse that Yorktown has always been known for. Our job as seniors is to lead by example and help drive the team culture that gives us the best chance to compete for championships.”
Coaching the Huskers in his fifth season at the helm is 1980 Yorktown graduate Tim Schurr.
“During his time here, the program has had a lot of success, including Section 1 championships in 2023 and 2024,” Mezzatesta said. “In 2024 we made a deep run, reaching the state semifinals before losing to eventual champion South Side. Coach Schurr has continued to build on the strong tradition of Yorktown lacrosse and keeps pushing us every day to compete at the highest level.”
Yorktown will open the season at home at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 vs. Pleasantville.
Lakeland/Panas is coming off a season where it won its league, lost as the No. 6 seed at No. 3 Yorktown 19-3 in the Section 1 Class B Tournament quarterfinals, finishing 7-10.
The Rebels will have seven top returnees fourth-year coach Joe Macchi will rely on including All-League senior attackman CC Savastano, a smooth and athletic player who can score and feed with both hands. Another senior, All-League defenseman Dom Lemma, is a physical and skilled player who brings the toughness mentality to the defensive end of the field.
Sophomore All-League goalie Dan Horowitz brings the experience of starting every game as a freshman last season while junior attackman Jesse Dipaola is a returning starter who made an immediate impact as a sophomore last season. He is an athletic and strong dodger.
Junior midfielder Mike Zumatto, who played multiple positions in every game last season, is an athletic player who can impact the game both offensively and defensively. Another junior, Anthony Ray, is a shifty and athletic midfielder who can put pressure on defenses with his ability to draw slides.
Junior Brandon Lewis is an athletic defender who relies on strong positioning to shut down attackers.
One of the Rebels’ top newcomers is junior attackman Anthony Costa, a big and strong finisher who can handle the ball inside.
Two other top newcomers are junior midfielders Aaron Federoff and Keaton Wolf. Federoff is a shifty player who can get to the goal from multiple areas on the field while Wolf is a skilled and smart player who understands where and when to attack.
“Our goals are always the same,” Macchi said. “We want to represent the program, and the players that have come before us, in the best way possible. We strive to do that every day by working extremely hard, focusing on ourselves and getting better. We don't worry about wins and losses, records, or stats, we focus on being transformational over being transactional. If we can accomplish these goals, I am confident we will be playing games well after Memorial Day.”
At this point senior midfielder Patrick Harkins is the Rebels’ sole captain.
“We expect our captains to lead by example, and Patrick has done that since we started offseason training last summer,” Macchi said. “He has been a consistent and constant example of what we want each and every one of our players to represent both on and off the field.”
Lakeland/Panas will open the season at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 against visiting Carmel, with all home games this season being played at Walter Panas.
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