Hempstead PAL Lacrosse Enjoys Another Winning Season

The Hempstead PAL Tigers 33-game winning streak may have been stopped but the team finished the 2024 lacrosse season with another winning record (5-3). The Tigers successfully met the challenges of playing against stronger and older Nassau County competition than the team had faced during its previous two championship seasons. Traditionally a squad of fifth and sixth grade students, this year’s team was a little older (seventh and eighth graders) but also a little wiser and more experienced on the field.

The Hempstead PAL Program, which includes players introduced to the game for the first time, has continued to increase in popularity since its introduction to the community 12 years ago. The program is led by Alan Hodish, a former lacrosse and football coach at Hempstead High School. An attorney in Garden City and an East Meadow resident, he has coached youth lacrosse on Long Island for decades. Hodish is a member of the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.

Significant additional support for the Hempstead PAL Tigers was provided by coaches James Ford, Tim Pratt, L.J. Hough and Hempstead PAL Administrator Rakea Hightower.

Hempstead PAL Tigers 2024 Roster

• Patrick Bodkin
• Matthew Bucknor
• Kaylib Bruzon
• Jayden Butler
• Mikah Butler
• Bentley Cannon
• Kyle Damis
• Giovanni DeJesus
• K’Shaun Edwards
• Jasean Grafton
• Joseph Henn
• Jawaan “JuJu” Johnson
• David Jones
• Avery Ling
• Hayden Morales
• Juelias Morales
• Christian Pratt
• Major Simms
• Tyrell “Ace” Wilson

Special Recognitions

The 2024 season was celebrated with team, individual, coaches and other awards at Lincoln Park in Hempstead on June 20. Among the top awards were The Rob Pannell Award, The James C. Metzger Award, The Jim Brown Award and The Michael J. Piegare Award.

The inaugural Rob Pannell Award as the team’s outstanding player was presented to Bentley Cannon. Rob Pannell is a professional lacrosse player who formerly starred at Cornell University. He is the fourth leading scorer in men's Division I history and he holds the Cornell and Ivy League all-time scoring records. Pannell attended Smithtown High School in Suffolk County, where he played on the varsity lacrosse team for three years. He led Long Island in scoring during his senior year with a school record 130 points. Pannell was named offensive MVP of the team that season and earned a place on Newsday's All-Long Island second team. He also was named to the 2007 high school All-American team.

The James C. Metzger Award was presented to Kaylib Bruzon and Joseph Henn for "their strong work ethic and improvement made throughout the lacrosse season." James C. Metzger was a three-sport athlete at Half Hollow Hills East in Dix Hills. He received the 1977 Lt. Ray Enners Award for outstanding Suffolk County lacrosse player when he scored 102 points and received All-American honors. An All-American lacrosse player at Hofstra University, Metzger’s support for Long Island lacrosse includes boys high school leadership, MVP and outstanding player awards for teams in Nassau and Suffolk counties. He is the founder and chairman of Whitmore – The Agency, an insurance and financial services firm in Garden City now known as Acrisure.

The Pannell and Metzger awards were presented by Coach Hodish, Metzger and James Pannell, Rob Pannell’s brother and two-time All-American and career points leader at Smithtown West High School. He was an All-American at the University of Virginia and a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) All-Star.

The Jim Brown Award is a new annual award. Jim Brown was a Manhasset native, an All-American football/lacrosse star at Syracuse University and all-time NFL running back. The inaugural award was presented to JaSean Grafton.

The Michael J. Piegare Award was presented to Avery Ling and Major Simms. The Piegare recognition was established in memory of a Cold Spring Harbor High School and Pace University lacrosse player to honor a student-athlete who "best displays the character and outstanding attitude that was demonstrated by Michael Piegare in athletics and throughout the course of his life." The award is offered each season by parents Joe and Theresa Piegare.

More Awards

Each player received an award to commemorate the season. Additional awards were presented to individual players.

• Rookie of the Year Award – Matthew Bucknor
• Mr. Hustle Award – Jawann “JuJu” Johnson
• Dan Williams MVP Defense Award (named for three-time Army All-American, Class of 1976 at Hempstead High School, Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame) – K’Shawn Edwards
• James Ford MVP Midfield Award (named for Hempstead High School all-time leading scorer Class of 1976, Rutgers University Class of 1980, Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame, Rutgers Sports Hall of Fame) – Tyrell “Ace” Wilson
• Tim Pratt MVP Attack Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1986 and Adelphi University Class of 1993) – Christian Pratt
• Tiger Award – Jayden Butler and Micah Butler
• Don Ryan Coaches Award (named for the former mayor of the Village of Hempstead) – Hayden Morales and Juelias Morales
• Bell Ringer Award – David Jones
• Bill Beroza Goalie Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1973 goalie, former USA Lacrosse team member and captain, Israeli National Team coach) – Patrick Bodkin
• Vincent Louther Sportsmanship Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1976 midfielder who played at Ashland College, retired athletic director of Rockland County's Clarkstown South High School, former New York State High School Lacrosse chairman of Section I) – Kyle Damis and Giovanni DeJesus
• Piegere Foundation Scholarships awarded for the Long Island Recon Summer Lacrosse Tournament Program – Kaylib Bruzon, Bentley Cannon, K’Shaun Edwards, JaSean Grafton and Joe Henn
• Aaron Jones Academic All-Stars (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1983, Howdy Meyers Award recipient as best defensive player in Nassau County, Cornell University All-American) – Kaylib Bruzon, Matthew Bucknor, Bentley Cannon, Giovanni DeJesus, K’Shaun Edwards, Joseph Henn, Avery Ling, Hayden Morales, Juelias Morales, Christian Pratt and Major Simms.
• Eugene Grant Community Service Award – Brhyin Williams and Chartese Grant
• Alumni Award – Christopher Lake (Hempstead High School Class of 2024) will attend North Carolina A&T College and Dwayne Meadors (Hempstead High School Class of 2024) will attend New Haven University on a football scholarship.