South Top 10
1. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 11-0
The Sharks survived a tight 9-8 contest against Creekside (Fla.) on March 27 to continue their unbeaten campaign. Joe Tarabolletti scored the tying goal and the eventual winner. Ponte Vedra next plays Menendez (Fla.) on March 30. Previous: 1
2. Highland Park (Texas), 7-1
The Highlanders picked up an 18-1 win last week over Plano West (Texas) to build a seven-game winning streak. Highland Park next plays Episcopal Dallas on April 3 in a rematch of Highland Park’s 12-9 win over ESD on March 2. Previous: 3
3. Lassiter (Ga.), 10-2
The Trojans have wins this season against John’s Creek (Ga.), Starrs Mill (Ga.) and Centennial (Ga). Lassiter has been jumping on opponents early, averaging more than eight goals per game in the first quarter alone. Previous: 4
4. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 17-0
The Crusaders completed an unbeaten season with a state title on March 26, defeating Hough 14-5. Bryce Wojnovich, a Jacksonville recruit, was named the state title MVP for his five-goal performance. Junior Caden Zadell led Cardinal Gibbons in 2021 with 42 goals. Previous: 5
5. Dallas Jesuit (Texas), 5-2
The Rangers defeated Coppell 15-6 on March 25 powered by Curran Rose’s hat trick. Rose has 13 goals for the season, leading the squad. Previous: 6
6. Westlake (Texas), 2-2
The Chaparrals have not played since March 7 after having their March 27 game against Shawnee Mission East (Kansas) canceled. Westlake had early-season losses to IMG (Fla.) and Highland Park (Texas). Westlake managed a 10-7 win over Woodlands (Texas) to bolster its resume. Previous: 7
7. Blessed Trinity (Ga.), 10-0
The Titans are unbeaten to start the season, racking up wins last week against Milton (Ga.) and Westminster (Ga.). Blessed Trinity has outscored opponents 145-62 to start the season. Previous: 9
8. Middle Creek (N.C.), 12-1
The Mustangs’ season came to an end on March 17, losing to eventual state champion Cardinal Gibbons 12-7. Eight Mustangs tallied double figures in goals, led by junior Tate Jones, who had 36. Charlie Riesett won more than 90 percent of faceoffs. Previous: 10
9. St. Andrews (Fla.), 9-0
The Scots improved to 9-0 after a March 17 win over Boca Raton (Fla.). Before that, St. Andrews survived a 5-4 decision against previously unbeaten St. Thomas Aquinas. Anthony Borodiak scored three of the Scots’ five goals against one of Florida’s top teams. Previous: NR
10. Jupiter (Fla.), 8-1
Max Sanderson led the Warriors with seven goals in last week’s 19-8 win over Boca Raton (Fla.). The senior committed to Lafayette has led the team with 41 goals in nine games. Junior Jackson Bashaw has 27 goals so far this season. Previous: NR
— Justin Boggs
Midwest Top 10
1. Culver Academy (Ind.), 7-1
Playing top competition, the Eagles have been entangled in one close game after another, including a one-goal win over Salesianum (Del.) and an overtime loss to Malvern Prep (Pa.). Previous: 1
2. Brother Rice (Mich.), 1-0
Coming off an undefeated 2019 campaign, the Warriors got off to a nice start this weekend with a 6-5 win over talented Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.). With a midfielder like Paulie Fortino III (Penn), expect more big wins in the future. Previous: 2
3. MICDS (Mo.), 3-0
Senior Crawford Bundy sparkled early in an 11-6 victory over Memphis University School (Tenn.) on Saturday, but coach Andy Kay was most pleased with the way his defense played in pitching a shutout over the second and third quarters. Key to that effort was Will Kacemarek, a 6-6, 240-pound beast who “moves so well and provides an incredible backbone” for the team, according to Kay. Previous: 3
4. New Trier (Ill.), 0-0
When they last left the field, the Trevians were a 20-win state championship squad. This New Trier team is entirely new, with no returning starters from 2019, but still has the top talent fans have come to expect, including midfielder Jesse Shapiro (Williams) and a shutdown defender in Vincent Flannagan (Providence). Previous: 4
5. Loyola Academy (Ill.), 0-0
Don’t read too much into Loyola Academy’s 15-7 record in 2019, when the Ramblers lost just one in-state game all year — that was the state final against New Trier. With Will Maheras (Yale) leading the attack, expect the Ramblers to be dangerous. Previous: 5
6. Dublin Coffman (Ohio), 3-0
The Shamrocks have had little trouble scoring, averaging 17.3 goals over their first three games. Ben Holland (17 goals, five assists), Gavin Guette (eight goals, six assists), Peter Tyack (six goals, 10 assists) and Nate Brown (six goals, four assists) all have posted hat tricks already. Meanwhile, OJ Morris has been dominant on faceoffs, winning 54 of 63 (86 percent). Previous: 6
7. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 3-0
Following a 20-15 victory over a Cleveland power in St. Ignatius, there’s no question the Celtics are dangerous. Coach Andy Asmo noted that game marked the first time his starters played more than a half, no easy feat given Dublin Jerome’s “high-tempo/high-pressure style of lacrosse.” Previous: NR
8. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 3-1
The Royals are off to an impressive start, with a road win at Carmel (Ind.), a victory over Forest Hills Central (Mich.) and perhaps, most impressive, coming within a goal of regional power Brother Rice (Mich.). EJ Reichert impressed with a hat trick against the Warriors. Previous: 10
9. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), 0-0
Three of Detroit Catholic Central’s four 2019 losses came to Brother Rice, and the Shamrocks once again will be a tough matchup in Michigan. They finished as state runners-up the last time they were on the field and will be a force in 2021. Previous: 7
10. Prior Lake (Minn.), 0-0
After ending the 2019 season on a 12-game win streak, the Lakers should have plenty of depth in 2021, with well-rounded defender Matthew Kallberg, do-it-all midfielder Keaton Sowder and talented attackers Jack Smith and Justin Simonson leading the way. Previous: 9
— Jonah Rosenblum
West Top 10
1. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 0-0
In their last full season on the field, the Wildcats returned to prominence after a down season in 2018, and they were looking to continue their climb last year. That plan got delayed; not derailed. St. Ignatius Prep seeks to defend its West Catholic Athletic League title from two years ago with a much different lineup, but there’s still plenty of talent, led by a strong senior class. Top returning players include senior attackmen Nils Barry (Bates College) and Jackson Kane (Colgate), senior midfielder Henry Niehaus (Brown) and senior defender Duke Reeder (Stanford football). St. Ignatius has a scrimmage Tuesday before the regular-season slate gets underway. Previous: 1
2. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 0-0
The Falcons open their season April 14 at Canyon Crest (Calif.). After claiming their second straight CIF San Diego Open Division state title in 2019, they were off to a 3-0 start last year when the season shut down. Torrey Pines lost 16 to graduation, but the program has a strong history of reloading and building depth through young talent. That remains the case in 2021, with senior attackman Dewey Egan (UNC), senior defenseman Tyler Blackburn (Brown), senior midfielder Logan Gutzwiller (Notre Dame) and junior midfielders Tayden Bultman (UNC) and Griffin Grant (Notre Dame) leading the way. Previous: 2
3. Regis Jesuit (Colo.), 0-0
The Raiders had some young talent get valuable experience in a disappointing 2019 campaign, and now they are upperclassmen leading the team. Regis Jesuit is especially strong at close defense and attack, but the keys will be seeing how a three-senior-goalie competition plays out and the development of the middies on offense and defense. Top returning players include senior attackmen Jack Ringhofer and Will McFadden, senior long-stick middie Adam Zdanovicz, senior midfielder Jack Egan and sophomore defender Jack Casey, who would have started as a freshman. Colorado teams begin practice April 26 with games set for the following week. Previous: 3
4. Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), 0-0
The 2019 WCAL runner-up returned nine starters last year and didn’t get the chance to avenge a championship loss to St. Ignatius Prep. Fortunately, many of those players are back now as seniors, including midfielders Ben Ramsey and Billy Barnds and defenders Cav Williams and Paul Barton. Junior Max Sloat should pace the attack. The first game on Sacred Heart’s schedule, as of now, is April 9. Previous: 4
5. La Costa Canyon (Calif.), 1-0
The Mavericks opened with a 16-1 win over Del Norte on Saturday, as Ben Beacham led the attack with five goals and Mitch Likins made 11 saves allowed no goals. Noah Beacham added two goals and two assists, and John Ristuccia finished with three goals and two assists. LCC has only a few players back from the 2019 CIF San Diego Open Division runner-up team but a solid base from which to build. Previous: 5
6. San Ramon Valley (Calif.), 0-0
The Wolves don’t have a ton of depth but feature a strong core of players who are expected to keep SRV among the top teams in the CIF North Coast Section. SRV finished 17-2 in 2019, suffering an upset loss to De LaSalle in the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament. Top players include senior midfielder Matt Carbonell (Holy Cross), senior attackman/midfielder Charlie Tagliaferri (Tufts) and junior midfielders Charlie Iler (Johns Hopkins) and Calvin Watson. SRV is able to begin April 5. Previous: 6
7. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 0-0
The Bruins won their seventh state title in 2019 and were ready to pick up where they left off last year, but the season shut down before they ever took the field. Cherry Creek would have returned seven starters and 25 of 36 players from that championship squad, but only four of those return after 21 seniors graduated in 2020. Senior attackman/midfielder Dakota Johnson and junior faceoff specialist Sawyer Brewer lead a group that will look to improve as the season progresses. Cherry Creek still has a month before practices officially begin. Previous: 7
8. Loyola Los Angeles (Calif.), 0-0
The Cubs are set to open against Westlake on Tuesday and seek to return to their 2018 Southern Section championship form — when Owen Gaffney netted the game-winner against St. Margaret’s in overtime. Gaffney, now a senior committed to Harvard, returns to lead Loyola, which got off to a slow 3-3 start last year with a squad full of sophomores and juniors. Now upperclassmen fill the roster, including senior midfielders Preston Barnes and Matt Gottfried, and they will be looking for a quicker start in 2020. Previous: 8
9. Valor Christian (Colo.), 0-0
A state semifinalist in 2019, Valor Christian was looking to build on a 16-2 finish last year but managed just one game before the season was canceled. The Eagles are expected to be one of the top contenders in 2021. Trey Digby (Denver) is one of the top defenders in the state and will make it tough on opposing attackers. Valor gets things going at the end of April. Previous: 9
10. Corner Canyon (Utah), 8-0
The Chargers are off to a dominant start, including wins last week against two traditionally strong Utah opponents. Corner Canyon topped Park City 20-10 and Brighton 21-3. Jon King tallied six goals, two assists and three ground balls in the win over Brighton, while Mason Quick added six goals and one assist. Previous: NR
— Laurel Pfahler