
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994                    TAG: 9406120260 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C10    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940612                                 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH

LACROSSE COMPETITION TURNED INTO A BACKYARD SCRIMMAGE

{LEAD} While the competitors in some sports at the Virginia State Games may have represented a cross section of the Commonwealth, at the lacrosse field Saturday afternoon it was strictly a local affair.

Lacrosse organizer Stock Watson, the varsity coach at Cape Henry, had hoped to bring in players from Northern Virginia and Richmond and put together a game against a group of local all-stars.

{REST} But when the out-of-towners couldn't make it, Watson got on the phone Thursday night.

Watson raided his Rolodex and came up with enough players to form two teams to contest for a gold medal Saturday.

``I know all the guys,'' Watson said. ``I literally just split `em up as evenly as possible.''

The bulk of the players were from Norfolk Academy and Cape Henry, with some Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Saints mixed in.

The result was a little backyard scrimmage, with the players divided into Orange and White teams.

To the consternation of Watson, who was coaching the Orange team, White controlled the action early and jumped out to a 5-2 lead.

The Orange squad tightened up in the second half, but White, behind three goals from Norfolk Academy's Chris Totushek, came away a 7-5 winner.

``Most of us know each other, and it was nice to come out here and throw it around a bit,'' said Totushek, who just finished his junior year.

Norfolk Academy's Dee Lawrence, who is headed for Yale in the fall, took a similarly relaxed approach.

``Our coach said they were looking for some players,'' Lawrence said. ``It's always fun to come out and run around.''

by CNB