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There appears to be a new high-school all-star event in the works. Victory Events has announced Texas vs. The World, a game which will feature the top rising freshman in Texas versus the top rising freshman from every other state. The game will take place at Russell Creek Park in Plano, Texas. Prior to the event, there will be clinics put on by the various coaches in attendance, and on the following day, the Texas Draw lacrosse tournament will commence.
As for the 'Cuse connection, Syracuse Orange Head Coach John Desko will be instructing one of the all-star teams. Other coaches include: Kyle Turri (Ohio State Buckeyes, Volunteer Assistant Coach), Corey Bulken (Virginia Cavaliers, Volunteer Assistant Coach), Mike Bartomioli (Penn Quakers, Assistant Coach), and Joe Martin (North Carolina Tar Heels, Director of Men's Lacrosse Operations).
Lacrosse has gained a hold in the Dallas region of Texas. The Orange currently have two Texans on its roster, Sam Romano and Brandon Mullins. This will be an excellent chance for players from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to get noticed on a national level. As for players from outside of the Lone Star State, the Inside Lacrosse high school freshman rankings don't come out until about December of 2016, so it could be a great opportunity for players coming from highly competitive areas of the country to stand out and make a case for a spot in the rankings. That being said, there are plenty of other tournaments which are closer to home for most of these players, so I'm not sure how many families will be willing to send their freshman boys to Plano, TX for a lacrosse game.
Don't forget though, this is a competition open to the best players from the world not just America. Therefore, don't be surprised if we see a few Canadians in the mix as well.
Furthermore, I like that Desko is taking part in this event. This will help create mental recognition of Syracuse and possibly some sort of emotional attachment or affinity for the school in the minds of area players. For years, SU cultivated the connection to Canada and to the Native American communities like no other school could. The road map is simple: get into an area early, build a relationship, create a connection.
