The other day I read a great piece in the New England Lacrosse Journal, written by Phil Shore - about the rivalry between New Canaan and Wilton Lacrosse Teams. The following is what Phil Shore, Lacrosse Coach had to say:
Having one legendary coach at a high school in a given state is rare, but two coaching at the same time, against each other?
That's something special.
That was the case for nearly 30 years in Connecticut when Guy Whitten at Wilton High School and Howard Benedict at New Canaan High School dominated the scene from the 1970s through Whitten's retirement in 1995.
"Those two guys were the founding fathers of Connecticut lacrosse and had a huge part in the success the sport has had in that state," said Andy Towers, the current Dartmouth men's head coach, who played for Benedict at New Canaan and Whitten on the 1988 U.S. Under-19 team. "We're just lucky to have played for them. The people that played in that rivalry were fortunate to be part of something very special."
Whitten was named head coach of the first boys lacrosse team at Wilton in 1969. New Canaan made Benedict the school's first lacrosse head coach in 1973, and he coached through 2007.
The two of them won a combined 19 Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference championships and 25 state championships. Their winning ways inspired many to pick up the sport and want to be a part of the success and tradition.
"Once the sport started to grow, the kids wanted to jump on the bandwagon," Whitten said. "By the time (I retired), the sport had really caught on in Wilton. The best athletes, most of them wanted to play lacrosse. When you have that winning tradition, good athletes and pretty decent coaching — that was a formula for success."
Not only did the coaches win, but their reputations preceded them.
Towers' older brother, Tom, also played for Benedict and was a part of the 1982 team that beat Wilton to win the school's first state championship. Andy Towers got a firsthand view as a youngster of just how important Benedict was.
"I saw a positive impact he made on my brother and his friends. It was real easy to become a believer fast," he said. "You got to hear at dinner each night how much a positive experience my brother and his friends had. We thought of him as a genius then, and we still think of him as a genius."
Whitten also had a rather large presence that the youth in the community gravitated toward.
Mike Pressler, the men's coach at Bryant University, originally played baseball. But Whitten put a stick in his hands, and Pressler became a lacrosse player regarded as one of the best to have come out of Wilton.
"He was a guy that just inspired you. You wanted to be him. He reeked of class. He was such a leader," Pressler said. "You wanted to please him. You wanted him to be proud of you. I'm a much better man for having Guy Whitten in my life."
Pressler and Towers both said the key in practice was a strong focus on fundamentals, but it was how the coaches motivated their players that both said made them special.
"(Benedict) used to challenge me," Towers said. "He had different ways of motivating every kid on the team. He would get an idea of what type of personality you had and motivate you accordingly."
Pressler and Whitten also joked that fear was a good motivational tool.
"You didn't want to be a player in practice on Monday after you lost on Saturday," Pressler said. "Losing was not tolerated or accepted, ever. When we did lose, and it wasn't too often, you didn't want to be the next team on the schedule."
The ideas of playing your best, playing to win, and being challenged were all at play when Wilton took on New Canaan.
The two programs combined to win the first 20 state championships. The teams were coached by two of the most successful coaches in high school lacrosse. Both squads boasted numerous All-American players. Being only 10 miles apart and the next town over from each other, area bragging rights always were on the line and — more times than not — a conference or state championship was on the line.
"It was very competitive," Whitten said. "Howard was very driven. For a long time, we were the two main teams in Connecticut."
Pressler fondly recalls the intensity of those games, saying, "It brought the best out of everybody."
Towers recalled the mutual respect the programs and coaches had for each other despite being rivals.
"You had Coach Benedict coaching us, who was basically trying to create an environment on our team where we were there to win and knock these people out," he said. "I know they had a ton of respect for each other and had an unbelievable rivalry but were friends at the end of the day."
The relationships between the coaches and their players remain strong today.
"Every year I get emails from Coach Benedict at the strangest times, like he can sense where my brain is at," Towers said. "He has a feel for what motivates you. It's really unique."
Before Bryant, Pressler was in charge of the program at Duke University and coached both of Whitten's sons. He said he still goes up to Maine and goes hunting with Whitten, and they were in each other's weddings. He has some of the same experiences with Whitten that Towers does with Benedict.
"He was the father I always wanted growing up. He was there for me privately when I had tough times as a youth," Pressler said. "When I faced all the adversity in my coaching career, I went back to the four years of training I had at Wilton High School."
To Whitten, those relationships — including strengthening the bond with his two boys — are the most important aspects of his entire coaching career.
"The highlights were my associations with really fine young men, people I maintain contact with," he said. "I'm looking at a business card from someone in Mike Pressler's class who was recently in the area from North Carolina and decided to just stop by and say hello. I'm proud of who've they've become in life."
THE HOWARD BENEDICT FILE
Head boys coach, New Canaan (Conn.) High School
Years: 1973-2007
Playing career: Lafayette (1964-67)
Trophy case: Eight state championships, eight FCIAC championships, Connecticut High School Coach of the Year (1996), Connecticut Man of the Year (2008), inducted to Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2011)
Top players coached: Andy Towers (Brown, Boston Cannons, Bridgeport Barrage), Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2011), high school All-American (1987), Connecticut Player of the Year (1987), three state championships (1985-87), three-time All-American at Brown, MLL All-Star (2002); Dave Curry (Gettysburg, Virginia, New Jersey Pride, Baltimore Bayhawks), high school All-American (1993), two-time Division 3 All-American (1994-95), two-time Division 1 All-American (1996-97), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1996), three-time MLL All-Star, named to 1998 U.S. national team and won gold at 1998 World Championships
Coaching tree: Andy Towers, Dartmouth head coach (2010-present); Dave Campbell, Middlebury head coach (2007-present); Mike Murphy, Penn head coach (2010-present)
Miscellaneous: In 2001, Benedict was honored by Major League Lacrosse at "The Reunion Celebration" at halftime of the MLL All-Star Game, celebrating him as one of the most influential and prestigious contributors to Connecticut Lacrosse.
THE GUY WHITTEN FILE
Head boys coach, Wilton (Conn.) High School
Years: 1969-95
Record: 410-77
Trophy case: Four-time Connecticut Coach of the Year, 11 FCIAC championships, 17 state championships, 1980 New England Coach of the Year, three-time Connecticut Man of the Year; inducted in to Wilton Lacrosse Association, Connecticut Lacrosse, FCIAC and National High School Coaches Association Halls of Fame.
Top players coached: Mike Pressler (Washington and Lee), high school All-American (1978), graduated as Wilton's all-time leader in points, four-year college starter, captain senior year, inducted into school's Hall of Fame (2001); John Ward (Penn), high school All-American (1994), USILA honorable-mention All-American at Penn (1997), All-Ivy (1996, 1997), Penn's all-time leader in goals (129) and third in points (180)
Coaching tree: Pressler, Ohio Wesleyan University head coach (1986-90), Duke University head coach (1991-2006), Bryant University head coach (2007-present); Alex Whitten, New Canaan High School head coach (2008-12), Western Albemarle (Va.) High School (2012-present)
Miscellaneous: Wilton dedicated its home field to him, naming it "Guy Whitten Field" ... Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd (1992) ... Organized the Connecticut High School Lacrosse Coaches Association (1974) and the first Connecticut North-South Senior All-Star Game (1979)
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of New England Lacrosse Journal.
Image Credit: New Canaan Lacrosse Official Website