Keeping a good thing going | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

To most on hand, the Anne Arundel U-15 All-Stars' 12-7 win over the U-15 Stockport Metros simply meant the Friendship Cup would stay in the hands of the United States for at least one more year. Anne Arundel County accepted the Cup for the fourth consecutive year, and the evening's multitude of penalties and short-handed goals were lost between plates of Adam's ribs and baked beans.

But for Smith and Rehorn, lacrosse under the stirring lights of Laurence E. Knight Stadium brought a 32-year tradition full circle.

Nearly four decades ago, led by British youth lacrosse linchpin Les Granger, the Stockport Metros made their first trip across the pond to challenge Baltimore's elite preparatory schools.

The week-long tour of the Baltimore-Metropolitan area provided both sides with an opportunity to indulge in a series of casual lacrosse games with competitive implications.

The Stockport group, however, found little success playing against their American counterparts.

"When [Granger
came over, he never could understand how any school with just 200 kids could run his boys up and down the field," Smith said jokingly last night. "They were playing all of the private Baltimore schools not knowing most of them were on scholarship. That's when everything kind of fell into our lap."

Smith and Rehorn, both members of the Elks Club of Annapolis at the time, worked alongside Granger to revamp the annual trek across country lines.

Looking for competition more in the realm of rec-league play, the Anne Arundel Lacrosse England Tour was born in 1976.

"For the first few years, we, as the Elks club, played against [Granger's team
," Rehorn said. "But after a few years we realized we couldn't keep up with them so we brought in other coaches from the county and it just grew from there."

With the support of every local coach, Smith and Rehorn's dream became a reality the same year as the team traveled to England for the first time as the Anne Arundel County All Stars with a team composed of youth lacrosse players between the ages of 10-15.

Anchoring the belief that the trip was as much about the bonds and friendships generated through lacrosse as it was about the games themselves, Smith, Rehorn and Granger endorsed the idea that their players be given the opportunity to live with British families.

At the time, the decision gave young players a chance to experience an unfamiliar culture. Today, the experience is a staple of the program.

"In the beginning it was about seeing a completely different culture and living it," Smith said. "From then on it just became family oriented. When we went we stayed with the [Gosnay
family, with Ian and Martin. Now Malcolm Gosnay is the head coach of this year's Metros team. Being here just brings back all of the memories."

The passion and devotion at the base of the program has yet to dim despite Smith and Rehorn's absence from the association.

Davidsonville coach Chris Kelly, who has been with the program since 2004, has taken on the role of preserving the values that have shaped the Anne Arundel Lacrosse England Tour for over 30 years.

"It's so great for the kids to be a part of something like this," Kelly said. "It's an unbelievable opportunity, and it's something that they will never forget. For a lot of these kids, they've seen their brothers and sister go through it, so to be a part of it means a lot."

For St. Mary's Mike Bonacci, whose brother Nick Bonacci played for the Anne Arundel County All Stars nearly a decade ago, Tuesday night's game was the culmination of a dream come true.

"It really means a lot," Bonacci said. "To be able to play lacrosse and experience a culture from halfway around the world is something I will never forget."

This time next year, it will be the Anne Arundel All-Stars' turn to head across the Atlantic Ocean. And while over half of this year's U-15 team will be ineligible for the journey, Smith and Rehorn are both certain that the program continues to head in the right direction

"The program is in the right hands," Rehorn said. "We are still very much in touch with Les [Granger
today. Even at 87, he still comes to all of the Metros home games. He's the guru of youth lacrosse over there. We're still in contact with him, and everyone still cares about this program. We are so proud to see how far our dream has come."