Sports

‘Fort Apache’ lacrosse tourney set for 20th year at Vets Park

July 7, 2021 | Reprinted from oleantimesherald.com

Above: These trophies, displayed at the Allegany Community Center, are presented each year to the Fort Apache Cup lacrosse tournament’s three award winners: the top gunner, MVP and top goalie. Photo credit: Sam Wilson

A tradition started in backyards on the Allegany Reservation of the Seneca Nation will turn 20 years old this summer, so Chad Whitcomb wants to throw a party to celebrate.

That’s why Whitcomb reserved the new box lacrosse fields at Veterans Memorial Park in Salamanca to host his annual Fort Apache Cup lacrosse tournament on Aug. 14. The event started in the backyard at his former home on Newton Farm Road, in a housing project neighborhood nicknamed “Fort Apache” by its residents.

Out of those humble origins, the tournament grew as traditions started, eventually moving to a since-closed outdoor box field at the Allegany Community Center, then to Steamburg.

“The very first Fort Apache was in the yard at my old house there, 93 Newton Farm, and the yard was tiny,” Whitcomb said. “If you looked at it now you’d probably laugh that we played there, but that’s where we started. In the side yard, a bunch of neighborhood kids got together, we started it, ordered pizzas, gave out a trophy and after that we did it every year. The first five were at Fort Apache, then we went to where there used to be a box (field at the ACC); they tore it down though. So then we started going to Steamburg.

“The last eight years we’ve been doing it down at the Steamburg box. We could do it (at the ACC), but we wanted it to be more of a community thing, like an outdoor event.”

THE OPENING of the new Vets Park timed perfectly with the tourney’s 20th anniversary.

Whitcomb said the event is open to individuals from the Allegany territory, or those who have played for the Allegany Arrows, from age 14 and up. The oldest players — Whitcomb included — play into their mid-40s. Just last year, the tournament saw its first girl sign up to play.

“We’ll get community members or other players that aren’t playing, they’ll ref the games,” Whitcomb said. “Everyone pitches in, there’s no alcohol, no drugs, no drinking, no fighting. If you throw a punch you’re done. So everyone knows it’s not a rowdy day, it’s supposed to be a fun, community hangout-type day. It’s pretty laid back. The younger kids get nervous at first, but nobody’s trying to hurt anybody. They’ll check and hit but rarely does anybody try to hurt anyone. Everybody knows it’s our local thing.”

Pictured is the winning team from last year’s Fort Apache Tournament. Photo credit: Sam Wilson

He’s often heard from people outside of Allegany interested in playing, but Whitcomb wanted to keep the event exclusive to those from here.

“It’s more of a community thing, a local thing,” he said. “I just want something for us, something for Allegany. So that’s basically what it is, just for us.”

Over the years a number of eventual professional players, including Zach Miller, Frank Brown, Zed Williams, Audi Staats, Leland Powless, Gowah Abrams and Craig Seneca, have played in the Fort Apache.

“I always brag too because there’s eight people that played in Fort Apache that went pro,” Whitcomb said. “It’s not because of Fort Apache, but it’s kind of cool.”

INSIDE the Allegany Community Center, where Whitcomb works, sits a display of trophies and mementos from the tournament, from old trophies and plaques to labeled sparkling grape juice bottles for the winning teams.

On top sit three trophies, presented to the top gunner, top goalie and MVP inscribed with the winners’ names each year. While those trophies stay at the ACC after the tournament, the award winners will receive chains in the style of the University of Miami football “turnover chains” but with a large lacrosse stick on them, while the winning team will get pro wrestling-style championship belts.

Plans for the 20th tournament at Vets Park include food truck vendors, a bounce house for kids, smoke dance competition, a youth camp instructed by local Buffalo Bandit Frank Brown and a fitness class instructed by Brad Poole.

“I just wanted to let people know they can come down; it’s for anybody to come down,” Whitcomb said. “We’re going to make it a nice, fun community day.”

The official tournament t-shirt this year will be orange in recognition of the missing Indigenous children being found recently in Canada. Additionally, each year, the tournament is dedicated to an individual connected to the Allegany lacrosse community who has passed away. This year, the Fort Apache will honor Darryl John, a dedicated youth lacrosse coach and former Seneca Nation councillor.

“I’ve known Darryl for 25, 30 years, and he coached my son when he first started playing when he was four,” Whitcomb said. “He coached the Allegany minors lacrosse for probably over 20 years. All these kids, he brought them right up and he had good teams. He was huge in the Arrows, huge in lacrosse and he’d ask how your kids are doing. He was a big part of the community, but he was just a good friend mainly.”

Whitcomb said he is open to ideas for how to build the event for this year, and anyone interested in helping — such as donating food or drinks, setting up a vendor or other ideas — may contact him at chad.whitcomb@sni.org.

In 2019, the Fort Apache Tournament was held at the box lacrosse field in Steamburg.