CSH's Simonetti rises at Warrior camp

When Danny Simonetti looked at his teammates before a scrimmage at the Warrior 40 New York regional lacrosse camp on Tuesday, he had to laugh to himself when he noticed one defender in particular. It was only 10 days earlier that Simonetti and Rob Popdan had squared off against each other in the Long Island Class C final.

But Simonetti, the midfielder from Cold Spring Harbor, opted not to hold any grudges with Popdan, a defender from Bayport-Blue Point, the team that advanced to the state final. Popdan guarded Simonetti that day. On Tuesday, they jelled quickly as teammates.

"We actually became buddies," Simonetti said. "A little awkward at first but he's a nice guy."

Simonetti may have benefitted from Popdan's teamwork. He took home the Most Valuable Player award from a field of nearly 100 of the region's top underclassmen, and with that earned an automatic spot in next month's Warrior 40 competition -- an all-star showdown featuring the 40 best rising high school players from around the country.

"This definitely means a lot," said Simonetti, a rising senior-to-be. "I was definitely happy with how I played in the school year, but this is something else."

The Warrior 40 is looking to become the nation's premier underclassman showcase -- an equivalent to the UnderArmour All-America Lacrosse Classic for seniors -- when it convenes for its second annual event at Harvard from July 7-9. And new this year is its four regional camps, including one hosted Tuesday at Hofstra and produced by ESPN Rise. Players were to be selected from these camps to attend the Warrior 40.

So amidst passing rain showers, on the slick turf at James M. Shuart Stadium, dozens of the northeast's best players gathered for a four-hour clinic, workout and tryout. Participants came from all parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and even Michigan to train with professionals and earn a spot in July's event.

At the end of the session, 10 players earned automatic bids to the Warrior 40: Garden City's Patric Berkery and Justin Guterding, Chaminade's Danny Fowler, St. Anthony's Matt Chanenchuk, Jonathon LaMonica and Timothy Stackpole, Rocky Point's Ryan Palasek, Salmon River Central's Ky Tarbell, Birmingham (Mich.) Brother Rice's Riley Kennedy, Brunswick (Conn.) School's Curtis Townsend, and Simonetti.

More selections could be made after the final two regional camps are concluded, according to a Warrior spokesperson.

Simonetti arrived at Hofstra still simmering over Cold Spring Harbor's 13-6 loss to Bayport-Blue Point on June 4 but with another goal in mind -- to earn a spot in the Warrior 40. It was an aspiration he had set a year ago, when 11 Long Island natives were chosen for last year's inaugural event.

"It's pretty much the best players in the country all come out for this," said Simonetti, who has given his verbal commitment to Navy. "It's a great opportunity."

With its one-day regional camps in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Colorado, Warrior is trying to infuse a learning opportunity, outreach program and competition into one. Half a dozen professional lacrosse players coached the participants through an afternoon of drills, activities, workouts and scrimmages while also determining who stood out as the best of the best.

When it was over at Hofstra, the unassuming 5-foot-8, 165-pound Simonetti was recognized as the camp's top performer, emerging from the mass of local all-stars. He punched his ticket to Cambridge, Mass., and that was enough to draw a smile.

"I thought there were a lot of good kids deserving of this and I'm pretty lucky to get it," Simonetti said. "I didn't think I would."