Garden City's Stevie Finnell named recipient of Tom Flatley Award
Garden City's Stevie Finnell (27) gets ready to shoot in the third quarter during the state Class B boys lacrosse championship between Garden City and Victor on Sunday, June 11, 2023 at Hofstra. Credit: Bob Sorensen
There aren’t many better ways Stevie Finnell could have written his senior year story.
He won the Thorp Award after leading the Garden City football team to its seventh straight Nassau II title last fall, and second straight Long Island Class II championship, while extending the program’s win streak to 30 games.
Then came the boys lacrosse season where Finnell helped the Trojans capture their second straight Class B state championship.
Finnell, an All-American boys lacrosse player, collected one more honor: the fourth annual Tom Flatley Award.
“It’s a really big honor,” Finnell said. “Obviously, I knew coach Flatley growing up. I never got to play for him unfortunately, though. My dad always talked about him — what a great guy and coach he was.”
Stevie Finnell of Garden City is awarded the Tom Flatley Award during the Nassau boys lacrosse awards dinner on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 in Woodbury. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Flatley Award is given to the top male Nassau student-athlete that excelled in both lacrosse and football, thrived in the classroom, participated in extracurricular activities and/or community service and exhibited leadership on and off the field.
The Nassau County Football Coaches Association (NCFCA) and the Nassau County Lacrosse Coaches Association (NCLCA) handed out the award at the NCLCA awards dinner on Tuesday at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.
The NCLCA began giving out the award in 2020 to honor the late Flatley, a long-time lacrosse coach at Sewanhaka, and football and junior varsity lacrosse coach at Garden City.
“Definitely a big impact,” Finnell said.” More of a big impact on my dad. (My dad) taught me (what Flatley) taught him.”
A Garden City player has won the Flatley award in back-to-back years as Brendan Staub and Jack Cascadden shared the honor last year.
Finnell finished the lacrosse season with 41 goals and 17 assists as Garden City went 18-4. During the football season, he rushed for 1,520 yards and 21 touchdowns and had 12 receptions for 220 yards and four touchdowns.
“I can’t really think of a better way (to end the year),” Finnell said. “Pretty awesome football and lacrosse seasons.”
