Rye Neck boys lacrosse flips the script with twin players
MAMARONECK, N.Y. — If you鈥檝e been sleeping on Rye Neck Boys Lacrosse, perhaps you aren鈥檛 aware of all the twinning.
Sandwiched between two powerhouse lacrosse programs in Mamaroneck and Rye located just a couple of miles on the Post Road in each direction, Rye Neck had never generated the talent or earned accolades as its neighboring schools. But 2022 saw a remarkable change as Rye Neck climbed the ladder several rungs in Section 1 Class D while grabbing a League title. And the 2023 season has seen Rye Neck ascend even higher, with a Top-20 ranking in Class D in NY state.
So just how did Rye Neck flip the script on everyone?
鈥淚 knew this group was going to be a special group when Luke and Ronan West first showed up at our youth lacrosse clinic,鈥� states Coach Jon Sable. 鈥淲atching this team develop over the past few seasons has been fun to watch.鈥�
The catalyst for their success has been the West twins (Luke and Ronan), but another set of twins, the young Reese boys (Jake and Owen), aren鈥檛 waiting to jump into the spotlight. Oh, and star goalie Zefi Zyngier is also a twin (his brother is on the RN Baseball team).
It鈥檚 stunning how similar the West and Reese brothers are in appearance, style and sport. The senior Wests are blond with blue eyes. So are the freshmen Reese boys. All of them are around 6鈥�+ tall with long limbs. All four boys played in the youth lax factory LMYL travel program and the same club program in the offseason. The quartet are also coming off successful basketball seasons playing for Rye Neck HS.
鈥淭here is definitely a different type of chemistry with twins because they have grown up playing together and know each other’s habits,鈥� comments Coach Jon Sable.
鈥淗aving a pair of twins on the team is a huge asset for us,鈥� declares Ronan. 鈥淟uke and I have been playing together forever, and the same is true for Jake and Owen. Part of being captains this year has meant an expanded role leadership-wise for Luke and I. One aspect of that has been connecting with our younger guys, who have become good friends of ours over the course of the season, Jake and Owen especially.鈥�
So far in 2023, the Rye Neck is showing that last season was no fluke. The Panthers are currently 12-3, with their only defeats being 1-goal losses to larger class foes and a gritty 12-8 loss to nationally-ranked Pleasantville.
On the offensive side of the field, co-captain Luke West is building off last season鈥檚 All-Section momentum when he led Section 1 in scoring with 134 points. So far this year, Luke again is leading Section 1 in scoring with 97 points behind a strong mix of goals and assists. The Muhlenberg-commit is too big and strong at 6鈥�1鈥� 190 lbs for small opponents, and too savvy for thick defenders. He has been a marked man all season so he鈥檚 dialed up his physicality to generate more opportunities.
鈥淟uke has developed so much over the past few seasons and has become a dynamic player who has the capability of taking over a game. He has great vision and does a phenomenal job drawing doubles and finding his teammates in space,鈥� says Sable.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe Luke gets the credit he deserves,鈥� declares goalie Zyngier. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the leader in points in Section 1 for a reason! People need to understand he鈥檚 out of this world.鈥�
His young attackmate Jake Reese poured in 40 goals as an 8th grader and already is on the edge of surpassing 100 career points as only a freshman. Jake stands out in both size and skill for such a young player. He also has jacked up his playmaking beyond scoring.
鈥淛ake developed confidence throughout their first year on varsity as eighth grader,鈥� states Sable. 鈥淭his season he has really stepped up.鈥�
鈥淎gainst Blind Brook, League title on the line, for Jake to step up and rip the winning goal in the closing minutes as a freshman when our top offensive guy went down with injury was absolutely huge,鈥� says Ronan. 鈥淐oach Sable always talks about 鈥榟olding the rope鈥� for each other and that was a great example of one guy stepping up for his teammates.鈥�
Middie Owen Reese played a major role as an 8th grader while battling defenders 3-4-5 years older in most cases. So far in 鈥�23, Owen鈥檚 rifle of a shot and his 6鈥�2鈥� frame make him the target of team鈥檚 top defenders. More importantly, Owen is the lynchpin that settles the offense and plays a key role on defense as a two-way player.
鈥淥wen plays with an edge that helps elevate him and his teammates moving forward,鈥� says Sable. Zyngier concurs: 鈥淗e does the dirty work on the team and we wouldn鈥檛 be who we are without him.鈥�
But the final twin, co-captain Ronan West, is the one twin who opponents have the hardest time solving.
鈥淩onan is a difference maker,鈥� says Sable. 鈥淩onan is a very special player who is has the opportunity to make a big impact at the next level.鈥�
In 鈥�22, long-stick midfielder (LSM) Ronan, like his brother Luke, earned All-Section status and led all of Section 1 in major statistics: for Ronan it was defensive category of takeaways plus he scooped up 159 ground balls. So far in 2023, Ronan has raised his output with 183 groundballs and 52 takeaways in just 14 games. The Haverford-commit knows he has to rise to the challenge to stop the opponent鈥檚 top players each game while also being an offensive catalyst.
鈥淭here is no better LSM in the section or even lower Hudson Valley,鈥� chimes in goalie Zyngier. 鈥淗is skill and grit is unmatched.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e yet to see a player in Section One, let alone a longpole, with his impact,鈥� confirms Jake. 鈥淗e plays shutdown D, takes faceoff, scores points, and grabs every ball. You do not want to go against Ronan West.鈥�
Ronan has taken over as the team鈥檚 primary faceoff man, winning 66% of the draws. It鈥檚 worth mentioning he鈥檚 also scored 13 goals + 22 assists this season. The 3rd leading scorer is the LSM? He is playing at a level that is seeing him dominate games with his all-around play.
Certainly the Panthers will rely on the twin sets but Rye Neck also has major security in two returning All-League players, junior goalie Zefi Zyngier and senior defender Russell Foster. Zyngier averages over 10 saves a game on a 65% save rate, filling with goal with his large frame that masks his quick reflexes. The emergence of freshman Eli Thurer has been a major plus, too, as his transition to longpole has allowed the team to generate more transition chances, taking advantage of his insanely long frame to cover ground like few can.
鈥淣o doubt Zefi’s one of the most underrated players in the section,鈥� asserts Ronan. 鈥淎t the goalie position, he’s kept us in a number of games this year with some downright robberies of saves.鈥�
With 1 final regular season game remaining, Rye Neck stands on the edge of setting several program records, most importantly a record number of wins. But the playoffs loom large. They play in the stacked Section 1 Class D with small-school powerhouses Pleasantville, Bronxville and Briarcliff. In fact, 4 of the Top 10 Class D teams in all of NY State all are in Rye Neck鈥檚 way. With playoff seeding very much in the air, the future is far from known.
鈥淲e are constantly looking to prove people wrong and capturing the first ever back-to-back League titles in program history is a nice way of doing that,鈥� proclaims Luke.
What is ultimately in store for this team at the end of this season? Everyone slept on Rye Neck last year. Coming into this season, the team garnered a little more positive publicity. But this team doesn鈥檛 get the attention of other programs and that鈥檚 just fine by this team who, as any twin will tell you, seem to know something the rest of us do not: it鈥檚 about love.
鈥淚鈥檓 having lots of fun, I鈥檓 just loving this鈥� reflects Zyngier. 鈥淣othing is better than playing lacrosse with the people you love.鈥�
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