As Syosset High School made its way through the Nassau County varsity boys lacrosse playoff grid, one student-athlete in particular stood out.
Christian Lyons, a midfielder for the Braves, took over. He scored at least one goal in all but four matches in 2019, totaling 21 on the year. But most of all, Lyons became a leader for the team.
“This year was probably my best year on varsity out of all three because everyone was so close and the team was so amazing,” Lyons said. “Even the younger kids were great.”
Lyons was so impressive during his senior year that he was presented with the annual James C. Metzger Leadership Award for Nassau County high school boys lacrosse. The award is given to a player on each of the six squads that compete in the finals of the Section VIII county title.
“Every school in Nassau County gets to pick one kid for that award,” he said. “It’s just a great thing and it’s one of the things that gave me a morale booster before I head to college.”
Now a high school graduate, Lyons was also named to the All-County team and won the Unsung Hero Award. The awards show not only his prowess on the field, but his ability to be a leader.
While the Braves came up short in the county championship match, losing to Massapequa, 11-8, Lyons set the bar high. While he wanted to score more, he understands that his ability on the defensive side of the ball is just as important.
“I help out with ground balls and defense,” he said. “I do just about everything. After practice, I’ll go outside to shoot. I take some time outside of actual practice to work on myself.”
Lyons has been playing lacrosse since he was about 3 or 4 years old, largely thanks to his father’s dedication to the game. Ever since, it’s a sport he can’t get away from.
Besides playing high school lacrosse, Lyons also joined the football team during his senior year. He didn’t compete on a team since middle school. But it was a challenge he wanted to take on.
“I played corner back at the beginning of the year and then, one of our safety’s got hurt, so I played safety,” he said. “On offense, I was a wide receiver. I stopped because of recruiting for lacrosse and I didn’t want to get hurt.”
Next up, Lyons heads to Manhattan College, where he’ll play Division I men’s lacrosse and majoring in physical education. Overall, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime for this Long Islander.
Lyons said, “I’m very excited because the coaches are great over there.”
