Patriot Cup Spotlights Lacrosse, Charity
Trystan Uphoff and Highland Park will face Frisco on Saturday as part of the Patriot Cup festivities at SMU. The Scots are 2-0 so far this season. (Photo: Chris McGathey)
The annual Patriot Cup lacrosse extravaganza comes to SMU’s Ford Stadium on Saturday, showcasing some good competition for a good cause.
The schedule includes an alternating mix of college and high school games. The action starts with St. Mark’s and Austin High at 9 a.m., followed by Marquette and Ohio State at noon. Highland Park and Frisco will face off at 2:30 p.m., before club programs from SMU and Arkansas wrap up the day.
Perhaps more importantly, all of the proceeds go to Bridge Lacrosse and HEADstrong Texas, a nonprofit organization that assists families affected by cancer.
Among the honorees on Saturday will be Bennett Williams, a 9-year-old Park Cities resident who recently conquered leukemia for a second time, and 12-year-old Luke Allred from Frisco who also is a former leukemia patient.
Both boys are lacrosse players, and have developed a bond during their recovery, which started during a charity tournament to support Luke’s struggle. Bennett organized a team and entered the event, then shortly afterward found that his own leukemia had resurfaced after being in remission for years.
Bennett’s courage has earned him the title of honorary captain for the HP varsity lacrosse team this season. The Scots opened the season with a pair of home wins last week, 7-3 over Southlake Carroll and 18-2 over McKinney.
Tickets for Saturday’s games start at $10 and can be purchased online in advance or at the gate.
