The 2026 Rye boys lacrosse team is New York’s Class C state champion.
Rye defeated Jamesville-DeWitt 15-9 Sunday on the turf field of Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., to earn the school’s first-ever boys’ lacrosse state title
In a masterclass in team lacrosse, combined with a brilliantly executed game plan from first-year head coach Jeremy Guski and his staff, the 2026 Garnets will officially enter the record books as the greatest lacrosse team in Rye High School history.
“Since getting it done against a really strong Jamesville-DeWitt team we’ve all been on cloud nine,” Guski said. “So many friends, family members, Rye lacrosse alumni, folks from the Rye community have all reached out to me and my coaches to congratulate us. This season, from start to finish with this incredible group of kids, is something we’ll all cherish forever.”
In an academic calendar year already teeming with Rye athletic success, this win was extra-special.
The Red Rams of Jamesville-DeWitt were making their fourth straight appearance in the state title game. Despite having lost each of the previous three, Rye anticipated a battle to the end.
End of 1st Quarter: Rye 2, Jamesville-DeWitt 2
With just under seven minutes gone in the second quarter, Jamesville-DeWitt led 4-3. Buffalo Bills be darned, maybe this would be the Red Rams’ year.
But from that moment on, Rye outscored Jamesville-DeWitt 11-6 over the next two and a half quarters to send the Red Rams home in search of answers as to how to crack the down-state lacrosse code.
Guski’s Garnets were too deep, too athletic, too determined, too physical, and too committed to each other to let this opportunity slip away. All season long, Rye had a process. Follow that process, ignore the outcome, and good things will happen.
Maybe even the best of things … such as a state title.
“I was hired in September of last year and wanted to connect with the Rye community and my future players as soon and as often as I could,” Guski said. “What became so obvious after watching the Rye teams accomplish so much this year in every sport was that these kids were not only next-level athletes, they were next-level leaders. And in a matter of months, they were going to be mine.”
On the biggest stage, juniors Charlie Brady and Henry Gilroy did what they have done all year: they took advantage of favorable matchups, and they scored goals. Brady had five of them, Gilroy three.
Nigel Strazzini, Jack Levine, and Luke Denvir did what they’ve done all year: they played powerful, intimidating, physical defense, and prevented Jamesville-DeWitt from ever getting comfortable in its offensive sets.
Then there were the Niejadliks and the Scullys. Two sets of twins who did what they’ve done all year: be right in the middle of almost every key play of every game on offense and defense.
Juniors Sam and Luke Scully pounced on loose balls and made accurate passes to extend multiple Rye possessions. Long stick middie Max Niejadlik was a shut-down defender AND a force between the boxes. And sophomore Will Niejadlik (two goals) was the player the Red Rams defense had to keep an eye on at all times. With a ball in his stick, he’s just wicked.
Halftime: Rye 8, Jamesville-DeWitt 4
Do-whatever-it-takes senior middie Thomas Goldszer, in his final day in a Garnet uniform, buried two goals to help the cause. His second goal looked like he was flipping a hamburger on the grill, blindfolded, with one hand tied behind his back. Effortless.
Seniors Henry Shoemaker and Carson Miller – as they have done their entire careers at Rye – added their unflappable leadership, poise, and athleticism, each scoring a goal.
End of 3rd Quarter: Rye 13, Jamesville-DeWitt 6
It was happening.
Late in the game, with everything on the line, Rye sophomore goalie Sam LaMonte did what he’s been doing over the past four weeks: make stop after stop in pressure-packed seconds to keep his team in every game. LaMonte’s decision-making and nearly mistake-free composure while clearing the ball had a calming effect in the fourth quarter.
And then there was junior face-off specialist Wilson Redd, who had to have been the least popular Garnet in the Red Ram cheering section.
With each face-off win (20 out of 26 on the day) Jamesville-DeWitt’s season looked more and more like a poker player who was rapidly running out of chips at the final table. Redd played his best in the biggest game of his high school career.
Final Score: Rye 15, Jamesville-DeWitt 9
In a season for the ages, with a team for the record books, and in a year unlike any other in the history of sports at Rye High School, one man was the real difference maker for the Garnets’ lacrosse team this spring: Coach Guski.
Guski’s process, his stewardship, and his infectious kindness, energy and love for lacrosse somehow resonated with this talented group of kids. And to get it done in the first year of his career as a head coach makes the whole story that much better.
“All year long, we talked about the importance in our culture of ‘we’ not ‘me,’” he said. “As our season wore on, that ‘we’ expanded to include not just our team, but every player who ever wore a Garnets lacrosse uniform. We were playing for our school, for the city of Rye, and for future Garnet lacrosse players and multi-sport athletes. With that type of love and commitment in our huddle, we believed we couldn’t lose. And stay tuned by the way, because we’ll be back next year.”
Players graduate, new leaders step in. Guski plans to be in Rye for a long time. And he intends to win much more along the way.
