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Four Floridians Set to Take Part in Historic Rivalry Game Tonight

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in .
This year a trio of freshmen and one sophomore from the Sunshine State will be on the rosters for one of the most historic and hotly contested rivalry games of the collegiate fall ball season, The Lee-Jackson Classic.  Two former Lake Highland Prep players, Warren Berenis (G-2011) and Austin Tamayo (A-2012) are on the W&L roster.  For VMI Zach Heard of St. Andrews (D-2012) and Trinity Prep’s Dylan Davis (M-F/O 2012) will be suited up. From VMIkeydets.com LEXINGTON, Va. – Once a year, the two institutes of higher learning in Lexington, the Virginia Military Institute and next door neighbor Washington & Lee University, meet on the lacrosse field for the annual Lee-Jackson Lacrosse Classic, now in its 26th year. The Keydets are keyed up for the annual match up after falling just short in a furious comeback last season. VMI fell 9-8 after a fourth-quarter explosion with five goals, including two each from Mickey Hofmeister and then freshman Mike DeBlasio. The 2012 edition of the Classic is set for Friday night under the lights at W&L’s Wilson Field. The opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Fans unable to make it to the Classic can follow the action through a live stats link, provided by VMI’s athletic communications department. The game will also be broadcast through WLUR 91.5 FM Weather.com Report Temperatures in Lexington are expected to be in the mid-50s during tomorrow evening’s game. There is a 20 percent chance of rain and winds are predicted to be around six miles per hour. Skies should be partly cloudy. The Series The Lee-Jackson Classic game between Washington & Lee and VMI marks one of the longest rivalries in NCAA lacrosse, dating back to the 1988 season. The game itself dated back to 1987, when the two schools battled on VMI’s parade ground. VMI, then in its fifth season with a varsity program, battled a W&L team ranked No. 1 in Division III into the fourth quarter before the Generals pulled away for a 15-9 win. “There were 1,200 to 1,500 people at the game and they had to stop it several times to move people off the end lines,” said former VMI head coach Doug Bartlett. “The atmosphere at the game was unbelievable and helped give birth to the Lee-Jackson Classic.” The inaugural game was played in 1988 on W&L’s Wilson Field, with VMI winning 15-9. The Generals then won 16 straight games from 1989 through 2004. The Keydets snapped the streak in 2005, winning the matchup 12-4 and also won a thrilling 15-13 victory in 2009 at the new Wilson Field. The featured honor of the annual event is the Worrell-Fallon Award, given to the most valuable player of each team. The trophy honors a pair of prominent community members in DeWitt (De) Worrell and Gary Fallon, who are credited in bridging the gap between the two institutions prior to their lives being tragically cut short.
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