By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/27/11
The schedule for the 12th annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival slated for April 28 at Radnor High has been released – and there are plenty of marquee games in what is typically the largest scholastic tournament of the year.
The event features 27 boys’ and girls’ high school lacrosse games and benefits the Katie Samson Foundation, which raises money and awareness for spinal cord injury research and development. The Katie Samson Foundation has raised over $1,000,000 since it was formed in 2001.
The top boys’ game is the rematch between Haverford School, the No. 1 team in the nation last year, and two-time defending Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association champion Conestoga (25-1). Haverford School went a perfect 23-0 last year and dealt the Pioneers their only loss of the season last year at Katie Samson, 11-6. At the time, the teams were ranked 1-2 in the nation and the game drew well over 2,000 people.
Other top games include: Inter-Ac League power Malvern Prep vs. New Jersey prep heavyweight Lawrenceville School; PIAA state finalist St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Central League power Radnor; Central League runner-up Garnet Valley vs. South Jersey power St. Augustine Prep; Ches-Mont power Downingtown East vs. 2008-09 state champion La Salle; state qualifier Downingtown West vs. New England prep power Brunswick School (CT); and Inter-Ac power Germantown Academy vs. Lehigh Valley Conference champion Emmaus.
The top girls’ game features a game between what figures to be two of the top-ranked teams in the nation as defending PIAA champion Garnet Valley faces Virginia powerhouse St. Stephens and St. Agnes. Garnet Valley lost only one senior from a team that went 24-3; St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes went 31-2 and features junior superstar attack Carly Reed (153 goals in 2011, 237 career goals).
Other top girls’ games include 11-time Catholic League champion vs. state qualifier Harriton; state semifinalist Great Valley vs. Inter-Ac power Notre Dame; four-time Central League champion vs. host Radnor and seven-time Inter-Ac champion Episcopal Academy; and state qualifier Upper Dublin vs. two-time defending Friends Schools League champion Friends’ Central.
12 Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival
Satusday, April 28, at Radnor High
Boys’ Games
Conestoga HS v. Haverford School
Downingtown East HS v. La Salle College HS
Downingtown West HS v. Brunswick School (CT)
Emmaus HS v. Germantown Academy
Springfield-Delco HS v. Episcopal Academy
Garnet Valley HS v. St. Augustine Prep (NJ)
Harriton HS v. Archbishop Carroll HS
Hatboro-Horsham HS v. Archbishop Wood HS
Haverford HS v. Shipley School
Malvern Prep v. Lawrenceville School (NJ)
Penn Charter v. The Hill School
Radnor HS v. St. Joseph’s Prep
Bayard Rustin HS v. Cardinal O’Hara HS
Girls’ Games
Abington HS v. Germantown Academy
Boyertown HS v. Baldwin School
Conestoga HS v. Mt. St. Joseph’s Academy
Downingtown East HS v. The Hill School
Garnet Valley HS v. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School (Va.)
Great Valley HS v. Notre Dame Academy
Harriton HS v. Archbishop Carroll HS
Haverford HS v. Agnes Irwin School
Methacton HS v. Springside School
Penncrest HS v. Shipley School
Radnor HS v. Episcopal Academy
Unionville HS v. William Penn Charter School
Upper Dublin HS v. Friends’ Central School
Henderson HS v. Villa Maria Academy
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