With family roots to basketball and baseball in Prattsburgh, the Underhill’s are enjoying lax success
(Photo: Sam Underhill celebrates after scoring his 200th career goal for Newark)
By Bill Collmer, Sun Senior Sports Writer
NEWARK — The Legendary hip-hop group the Beastie Boys have a famous song lyric that says, “Sam I am down with the program green eggs and ham Yosemite Sam.”
Newark Senior Sam Underhill is certainly down with the program — the lacrosse program that is.
Underhill recently reached a milestone on the field recording his 200th career goal. Underhill was called up to varsity in 2022 as an eighth grader and scored 20 goals. He was named Finger Lakes League Honorable Mention that spring and has gotten better each year since. As a freshman Underhill scored 28 goals and dished out 19 assists for 47 points and a spot on the All-League 3rd team as a midfielder.
As a sophomore, Underhill took another step forward nearly doubling his production, scoring 58 goals with 15 assists. He was named a Finger Lakes East First Team All-Star at Attack. As a junior, he scored 84 goals with 14 Assists and was named 2nd team All-League in the Finger Lakes East.
On Saturday April 4th 2026 Underhill scored 9 goals in a 18-10 loss to the Greece Storm including his 200th career goal. He now has 201 for his career and 11 goals this season for the 0-2 Reds from Newark.
Underhill comes from an athletic family his father Jim Underhill was a star basketball and baseball player at Prattsburgh Central School in Steuben County. Underhill graduated from Prattsburgh in 1995 and went on to play Basketball at Alfred State College. He still holds several individual records at both Prattsburgh and Alfred-State.
Sam Underhill played four sports (Soccer, Football, Basketball & Lacrosse) at Newark this school year and juggles three part-time jobs as well, which is very rare for a high school senior.
John Hicks was the lacrosse coach at Newark who brought Underhill up to varsity as an eighth grader in 2022 and coached him his freshman year as well before leaving to take over as the head lacrosse coach at Midlakes.
“What makes Sam such a good lacrosse player is his passion for the game. He truly loves the sport, and he has never stopped working to master his craft,” Hicks said. “Sam has worked extremely hard to get to where he is at. He has probably shot over a million shots in his life. He has worked extremely hard on his shot and his stick work. Sam’s improvement since eighth grade has been the growing love for the sport, his shiftiness and craftiness has improved a ton his maturity even though he was pretty mature for an eighth grader. He has gotten bigger which has given his shot a ton of power. He also rides well and knows how to get his stick up in a passing lane better.”
Underhill recently committed to Alfred University to play college lacrosse and continue his education.
“To say I am proud of Sam is an understatement. I have never lost touch with Sam or Jimmy. Especially around lacrosse season we always talk, I try to make every game of his I can still. He was one of the players that when I left Newark was really, really, hard to walk away from, he was coachable and did whatever the team needed. I believe Alfred U is getting a top tier recruit and that he will contribute very early on,” Hicks added.
According to Hicks, Sam should have 202 career goals right now, if it wasn’t for him.
“He should actually have one more goal than his total now, but I called a time out against Batavia as the ball went in the goal our first ever game together. I know Jimmy and Sam will remember this story; he was mad but quickly scored again to make up for it. We had great times and I am forever grateful to have coached him,” Hicks said.
Hicks loves the player Underhill has become and thinks he can get even better with more hard work.
“It didn’t matter if he was getting double teamed or triple teamed Sam fought his way through it. Never missing games, showing resilience and toughness that many could not. I still get sad at times knowing I could not finish coaching Sam as I feel like there is even more unlocked potential that I know college will bring out. Sam changes a team with his offensive presence. It is funny to think about, I brought him up as an eighth grader to face off and play offense and he no longer faces off,” Hicks concluded
On Saturday, May 2, Midlakes will host Newark and Underhill will play his mentor and Coach John Hicks.
Underhill has been able to have a successful lacrosse career at Newark, and worked through the challenges of playing for four coaches in five years. He is now clicking with Nick Casal, the new varsity lacrosse coach at Newark, who came to the program from Brockport.
“Having an experienced senior like Sam has been a big asset, especially in my first year. He brings stability, sets the tone, and helps younger players adjust to the expectations of the program,” Casal said. “Sam’s work ethic is outstanding. He’s consistent, disciplined, and leads by example every day—whether it’s in practice, games, or preparation off the field.”
Underhill’s leadership ability and experience have already been key early in the season for both Coach Casal and his teammates.
“He’s definitely a leader on the field. His communication, awareness, and composure make it feel like having an extension of the coaching staff out there. Players look to him, and he delivers. Overall, Sam is a complete player — reliable, coachable, and team-first. He elevates the group around him and plays the game the right way,” Casal added.
During the off-season Underhill plays with the Heat Lacrosse travel team headed by former Penn Yan and Syracuse Lacrosse standout Bradley Voigt. Voigt played five years at Penn Yan and won four sectional championships and finished as the school record holder with 252 goals, 164 assists and 416 points. He went on to play four years at Syracuse University where he finished with 54 goals and 19 assists. He played professional Lacrosse for the Dallas Rattlers and was a finalist for Major League Lacrosse Rookie of the Year honors.
Voigt started the Heat Lacrosse travel team shortly after graduating from Syracuse University, Underhill has been playing for Heat Lacrosse for the past four years.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching and being around Sammy. He always showed up with a smile on his face and was ready to work. He has a passion for the sport and a drive to get better. I am very proud of the work he has put in over the years. One of the strongest parts of Sam’s game is his shot and how physical he plays,” Voigt said.
Like most coaches, Voigt is able to use his own experiences playing Lacrosse to help the players he’s now coaching.
“Having gone through many experiences throughout the years in the sport and or being around players/coaches who have gone through certain things, you pick up a lot. I am trying my best to prepare these players from youth to high school for what is next for them,” Voigt Said.
“I am very proud of him; he has been with us since the start and to watch him progress as a player and person has been great to watch and be around. I know he will go on to do great things on and off the field in the future,” Voigt concluded.
Underhill is a great role model for younger Lacrosse players and athletes in any sport; he wasn’t born a Lacrosse player; he didn’t inherit the skills from his mother or father but thanks to Coach Hicks he fell in love with the game and did everything humanly possible to get better at it and he has.
With hard work and a lot of determination Underhill is now one of the top Lacrosse players in all of Section V and will continue to play the sport he loves at the next level. It just goes to show you; with hard work and determination anything is possible.
