By Patrick Shannon
Photography By Mike Virgintino and Don Fitzgibbon
This year, awards to 14 student athletes were presented by James C. Metzger, the chairman and CEO of Whitmore, a leading regional insurance brokerage and financial services firm that opened in 1989. Metzger is a former All-American lacrosse player at Half Hollow Hills and Hofstra University.
Metzger grew up in Dix Hills, and went to high school at Half Hollow Hills where his success as an athlete in the early part of his life was a strong influence on his later approach to business. His personal blog is titled “Everything I ever needed to know about business I learned on the sports field.” Sports during the early years of his life also had a major impact on the focus of Metzger’s philanthropy.
The annual awards include:
Long Island Lacrosse —James C. Metzger Championship MVP Award
Awarded to the MVP on each of four games. Includes all of Nassau and Suffolk counties (Sections A, B, C, and D)
The James C. Metzger Leadership Award
Awarded to one player on each of the six teams that compete in the finals of the Section VIII Nassau County high school boys lacrosse championships.
Half Hollow Hills High School East — James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award
Awarded to a Half Hollow Hills High School East senior for outstanding lacrosse performance.
Half Hollow Hills High School East or West — James C. Metzger Mark of Excellence Award
Awarded to honor outstanding accomplishments on and off the lacrosse field by a Half Hollow Hills High School East or Half Hollow Hills High School West player. Future awards will be presented at the alumni game as part of the Hills vs. Autism program.
Hempstead PAL Lacrosse — James C. Metzger Leadership Award
Awarded to a fifth or sixth grader who demonstrates a strong work ethic and improvement throughout the lacrosse season.
Hofstra University — James C. Metzger Outstanding Sophomore Award
Awarded to the outstanding lacrosse team sophomore.
LONG ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL LAX NEWS!
Metzger is proud to announce that the New York State High School Boys Lacrosse Championships will be played at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, for which he played an instrumental role.
JAMES C. METZGER MVP CHAMPIONSHIP AWARD
2019 Awards Presented by Vincent Sombrotto and James Metzger — June 1, 2019
Championship Game MVP Award for each of four games. Includes all of Nassau and Suffolk counties (Sections A, B, C, and D).
THOMAS GREENBLATT
2019 Long Island Lacrosse Championship — Class A
Massapequa 10, Ward Melville 5
MARC PSYLLOS
2019 Long Island Lacrosse Championship — Class B
Manhasset 16, Harborfields 3
GAVIN GREGOREK
2019 Long Island Lacrosse Championship — Class C
Shoreham-Wading River 13, Cold Spring Harbor 12
MAX KRUSZESKI
2019 Long Island Lacrosse Championship — Class D
Mattituck/Southold 16, Oyster Bay 6
JAMES C. METZGER LEADERSHIP AWARD
The annual James C. Metzger Leadership Award for Nassau County high school boys lacrosse is presented to one player on each of the teams that compete in the finals of the Section VIII Nassau County high school boys lacrosse championships.
2019 Winners
Colton Teitelbaum
Locust Valley High School
senior goalie
Danny Striano
Cold Spring Harbor High School
senior midfielder
Angelo Petrakis
Massapequa High School
senior faceoff specialist
Joe Scattareggia
Garden City High School
senior midfielder
Christian Lyons
Syosset High School
senior midfielder
Louis Perfetto
Manhasset High School
senior attackman
HALF HOLLOW HILLS EAST — JAMES C. METZGER OUTSTANDING PLAYER AWARD
This is awarded to a Half Hollow Hills High School East senior for outstanding lacrosse performance.
Previous James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award Winners. James C. Metzger with Sal Pascarella (Saint Joseph’s University), Nick DiPietro (Syracuse University), Matt Garziano (SUNY Albany), Sean Lulley (University of Pennsylvania), and Drew Martin (United States Air Force Academy)
HALF HOLLOW HILLS HIGH SCHOOL — JAMES C. METZGER MARK OF EXCELLENCE AWARD
The award was established to honor outstanding accomplishments on and off the lacrosse field by a Half Hollow Hills High School East or Half Hollow Hills High School West player. Future awards will be presented at the alumni game as part of the Hills vs. Autism program.
Mulé scored 105 points as a junior, 103 points as a senior, and 331 for his high school career. He set district records that included breaking Metzger’s scoring record for points in a season (102 points in 1977), which had stood for more than 40 years. Mulé has committed to play lacrosse at Duke University.
James C. Metzger and Christian Mulé
HEMPSTEAD PAL LACROSSE — JAMES C. METZGER LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Hempstead PAL lacrosse team of fifth and sixth grade players is celebrating its championship season in the Nassau County PAL Lacrosse League. The Tigers 6 to 1 record was recognized at an awards ceremony at Lincoln Park that brought together players, coaches, family, program boosters, and other supporters of the team. “We had some players return from last year along with several new players who never picked up a lacrosse stick until they joined us,” said Coach Alan Hodish. “With the help of so many people, these kids are experiencing a wonderful game and that experience will give them an opportunity for future success in sports and education.” Each season, the James C. Metzger Award is presented to a player for “his strong work ethic and improvement made throughout the lacrosse season.” Recently, Metzger presented the award to Adrian Ayala, and enjoyed the opportunity to talk with all the players and their families about the fun of lacrosse and the many opportunities the game provides by opening doors for students in high school, college, and later in life.
Some Extras . . .
Whitmore Sponsorship of The National Football Foundation
New York Chapter
Presentation of Mr. Football New York City Player of the Year Award
2018 Winner, Adisa Isaac, Canarsie High School, Penn State, with James Metzger
New York City’s 2018 outstanding high school football players were honored at the seventh annual “Elite Eleven” Scholar-Athlete Award Banquet earlier in the year in at the NYAC in Manhattan. The awards were presented by the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. For the last three years, Whitmore of Garden City and its founder and CEO James C. Metzger sponsored the Mr. Football New York City Player of the Year Award.
James Metzger with Nancy Locker, Vice President / Board member of the Citizen’s Committee for Children
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan child advocacy organization. They educate and mobilize New Yorkers to make the city a better place for children. Their advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. They cast light on the issues, educate the public, engage allies, and identify and promote practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe.
Vincent Sombrotto, Jim Amen, James C. Metzger
Bringing the New York State High School Boys
Lacrosse Championship to Hofstra
2020 | 2021 |2022
“Mr. Metzger was instrumental in bringing the NY State High School
Lacrosse Championship to Hofstra for the next three seasons. Thank you again.”
Jim Amen,
Manhasset High School
Director of Physical Education,
Interscholastic Athletics and Health Services
