CLARKS SUMMIT – The NEPA Lacrosse High School Boys All-Star Game June 26 turned into a showcase for the leaders of the Wyoming Valley Conference’s top two teams.
All-American Peyton LaRocco from WVC champion Delaware Valley and Brady Holmes from state quarterfinalist Scranton Prep earned team Most Valuable Player honors.
LaRocco had a hand in the first five goals by Team Zabroski in its 11-6 victory over team Toolan in the game at Abington Heights High School.
The game for recent WVC graduates was organized by Abington Heights graduate Ben Magnotta through his NEPA Lacrosse social media accounts.
“Just playing some good lacrosse and having a good time,” LaRocco said of the approach to the game. “Ben and the NEPA Lacrosse team did a great job.”
Team Zabroski, coached by Crestwood’s Brian Zabroski, featured players from Dallas, Holy Redeemer, Lake-Lehman and Wilkes-Barre Area along with those from Crestwood and Delaware Valley. Scranton Prep’s Keith Toolan coached the team with his players along with those from Abington Heights, Lakeland, North Pocono, Wyoming Seminary and more from the Delaware Valley team.
LaRocco led the win with three goals and five assists.
“Every time you step on the field you have to have the same mentality and try to win,” LaRocco said, “but at the same time, we all knew this was supposed to be fun and we were not trying to take each other’s heads off.
That fun showed through a goal and assist by Stevenson University commit LaRocco on over-the-shoulder flips that he admitted he may not have been able to try in a regular-season game.
Holmes, an Abingtons resident, was the top scorer for Team Toolan with two goals and an assist.
“It’s a privilege to get back out there with everyone,” Holmes said. “ … Everyone was just out there to have a good time. I think we achieved that today.”
After 11 years of playing lacrosse, Holmes is hoping to continue in the sport on the club team level while at Bucknell University where he will study business management.
Holmes scored two of the first three Team Toolan goals. His second highlight-reel caliber goal forced a 3-3 tie 3:03 before halftime.
LaRocco and Noah Greco from Dallas then teamed for three straight goals to put Team Zabroski ahead to stay. LaRocco assisted Greco’s score 1:56 before halftime, then each scored unassisted in the first 2:50 of the second half.
The goal was the second for Greco.
Noah Raboli, Jaxon Barbalich and Bryson Mackey from Delaware Valley also scored along with Lake-Lehman’s Hayden Evans, Crestwood’s Jack Augustine and Holy Redeemer’s Tristian Block. L.J. Long from Dallas had an assist.
Holmes from Scranton Prep and Evan Davis from Abington Heights scored two goals each for Team Toolan. Jake Laboranti from North Pocono and Jesse Kovaleski from Lakeland also scored. Marco Rinaldi from Scranton Prep joined Holmes with assists.
Abington Heights defender Anthony Chillari, Scranton Prep midfielder Ryan Davis, Scranton Prep midfielder Grady Toolan, Scranton Prep faceoff specialist Gregg Schur, Scranton Prep defender Will Ramey, Scranton Prep midfielder/attack Chris Ramey and Scranton Prep defender/attack Nick Ide were also part of Team Toolan.
