BERLIN- Relegated to just scrimmages this year because of scheduling issues, the early season matchups between the Stephen Decatur and Worcester Prep boys’ and girls’ varsity lacrosse teams on Tuesday did not lack the drama and big crowds associated with the rivalries over the past several years.

The Worcester Prep boys’ and girls’ varsity lacrosse teams hosted their neighborhood rivals from Stephen Decatur on a picture-perfect mid-March afternoon on Tuesday in a pair of games complete with big goals, strong early season performances by both teams on both fields. For the record, the Worcester boys edged Decatur, 9-8, in a see-saw contest, while the Mallard and Seahawk girls played to a 6-6 tie after a late goal by Decatur.

For the first time in many years, the two Berlin schools will not face each other in the regular season thanks to scheduling difficulties, but the two contests played simultaneously on adjacent fields at Worcester on Tuesday did not disappoint the big, bi-partisan crowd that filtered back and forth between the two games. While the games had no bearing on the official records of the teams, they did not lack the intensity the rivalries typically bring to bear.

With the close proximity of the two schools and the familiarity between the coaches and players, most of whom grew up playing on the same youth teams and off-season teams and camps, it’s always special when Decatur and Worcester face off in lacrosse and this year was no different, despite the scrimmage status of the games.

The Worcester girls led 6-5 with just over a minute remaining before the Decatur girls scored a late goal to tie the game. Because it was only a scrimmage, no overtime period was played. On the boys’ side, despite being only a scrimmage, both teams appeared to be in mid-season form in a contest that went back and forth before the Mallards pulled out the 9-8 win.