MAMARONECK, N.Y. — If you’ve been sleeping on Rye Neck Boys Lacrosse, perhaps you aren’t aware of all the twinning.

Sandwiched between two powerhouse lacrosse programs in Mamaroneck and Rye located just a couple of miles on the Post Road in each direction, Rye Neck had never generated the talent or earned accolades as its neighboring schools. But 2022 saw a remarkable change as Rye Neck climbed the ladder several rungs in Section 1 Class D while grabbing a League title. And the 2023 season has seen Rye Neck ascend even higher, with a Top-20 ranking in Class D in NY state.

So just how did Rye Neck flip the script on everyone?

“I knew this group was going to be a special group when Luke and Ronan West first showed up at our youth lacrosse clinic,” states Coach Jon Sable. “Watching this team develop over the past few seasons has been fun to watch.”

The catalyst for their success has been the West twins (Luke and Ronan), but another set of twins, the young Reese boys (Jake and Owen), aren’t waiting to jump into the spotlight. Oh, and star goalie Zefi Zyngier is also a twin (his brother is on the RN Baseball team).

It’s stunning how similar the West and Reese brothers are in appearance, style and sport. The senior Wests are blond with blue eyes. So are the freshmen Reese boys. All of them are around 6’+ tall with long limbs. All four boys played in the youth lax factory LMYL travel program and the same club program in the offseason. The quartet are also coming off successful basketball seasons playing for Rye Neck HS.

“There is definitely a different type of chemistry with twins because they have grown up playing together and know each other’s habits,” comments Coach Jon Sable.

“Having a pair of twins on the team is a huge asset for us,” declares Ronan. “Luke and I have been playing together forever, and the same is true for Jake and Owen. Part of being captains this year has meant an expanded role leadership-wise for Luke and I. One aspect of that has been connecting with our younger guys, who have become good friends of ours over the course of the season, Jake and Owen especially.”

So far in 2023, the Rye Neck is showing that last season was no fluke. The Panthers are currently 12-3, with their only defeats being 1-goal losses to larger class foes and a gritty 12-8 loss to nationally-ranked Pleasantville.

On the offensive side of the field, co-captain Luke West is building off last season’s All-Section momentum when he led Section 1 in scoring with 134 points. So far this year, Luke again is leading Section 1 in scoring with 97 points behind a strong mix of goals and assists. The Muhlenberg-commit is too big and strong at 6’1” 190 lbs for small opponents, and too savvy for thick defenders. He has been a marked man all season so he’s dialed up his physicality to generate more opportunities.

“Luke has developed so much over the past few seasons and has become a dynamic player who has the capability of taking over a game. He has great vision and does a phenomenal job drawing doubles and finding his teammates in space,” says Sable.

“I don’t believe Luke gets the credit he deserves,” declares goalie Zyngier. “He’s the leader in points in Section 1 for a reason! People need to understand he’s out of this world.”

His young attackmate Jake Reese poured in 40 goals as an 8th grader and already is on the edge of surpassing 100 career points as only a freshman. Jake stands out in both size and skill for such a young player. He also has jacked up his playmaking beyond scoring.

“Jake developed confidence throughout their first year on varsity as eighth grader,” states Sable. “This season he has really stepped up.”

“Against Blind Brook, League title on the line, for Jake to step up and rip the winning goal in the closing minutes as a freshman when our top offensive guy went down with injury was absolutely huge,” says Ronan. “Coach Sable always talks about ‘holding the rope’ for each other and that was a great example of one guy stepping up for his teammates.”

Middie Owen Reese played a major role as an 8th grader while battling defenders 3-4-5 years older in most cases. So far in ’23, Owen’s rifle of a shot and his 6’2” frame make him the target of team’s top defenders. More importantly, Owen is the lynchpin that settles the offense and plays a key role on defense as a two-way player.

“Owen plays with an edge that helps elevate him and his teammates moving forward,” says Sable. Zyngier concurs: “He does the dirty work on the team and we wouldn’t be who we are without him.”

But the final twin, co-captain Ronan West, is the one twin who opponents have the hardest time solving.

“Ronan is a difference maker,” says Sable. “Ronan is a very special player who is has the opportunity to make a big impact at the next level.”

In ’22, long-stick midfielder (LSM) Ronan, like his brother Luke, earned All-Section status and led all of Section 1 in major statistics: for Ronan it was defensive category of takeaways plus he scooped up 159 ground balls. So far in 2023, Ronan has raised his output with 183 groundballs and 52 takeaways in just 14 games. The Haverford-commit knows he has to rise to the challenge to stop the opponent’s top players each game while also being an offensive catalyst.

“There is no better LSM in the section or even lower Hudson Valley,” chimes in goalie Zyngier. “His skill and grit is unmatched.”

“I’ve yet to see a player in Section One, let alone a longpole, with his impact,” confirms Jake. “He plays shutdown D, takes faceoff, scores points, and grabs every ball. You do not want to go against Ronan West.”

Ronan has taken over as the team’s primary faceoff man, winning 66% of the draws. It’s worth mentioning he’s also scored 13 goals + 22 assists this season. The 3rd leading scorer is the LSM? He is playing at a level that is seeing him dominate games with his all-around play.

Certainly the Panthers will rely on the twin sets but Rye Neck also has major security in two returning All-League players, junior goalie Zefi Zyngier and senior defender Russell Foster. Zyngier averages over 10 saves a game on a 65% save rate, filling with goal with his large frame that masks his quick reflexes. The emergence of freshman Eli Thurer has been a major plus, too, as his transition to longpole has allowed the team to generate more transition chances, taking advantage of his insanely long frame to cover ground like few can.

“No doubt Zefi’s one of the most underrated players in the section,” asserts Ronan. “At the goalie position, he’s kept us in a number of games this year with some downright robberies of saves.”

With 1 final regular season game remaining, Rye Neck stands on the edge of setting several program records, most importantly a record number of wins. But the playoffs loom large. They play in the stacked Section 1 Class D with small-school powerhouses Pleasantville, Bronxville and Briarcliff. In fact, 4 of the Top 10 Class D teams in all of NY State all are in Rye Neck’s way. With playoff seeding very much in the air, the future is far from known.

“We are constantly looking to prove people wrong and capturing the first ever back-to-back League titles in program history is a nice way of doing that,” proclaims Luke.

What is ultimately in store for this team at the end of this season? Everyone slept on Rye Neck last year. Coming into this season, the team garnered a little more positive publicity. But this team doesn’t get the attention of other programs and that’s just fine by this team who, as any twin will tell you, seem to know something the rest of us do not: it’s about love.

“I’m having lots of fun, I’m just loving this” reflects Zyngier. “Nothing is better than playing lacrosse with the people you love.”

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