Some seasons, No. 1 just isn’t so obvious. What would you give to see a Culver-Calvert Hall game for all the marbles right now?
Culver Academy (Ind.), whose season-ending 16-game winning streak included two victories over the Canadian powerhouse Hill Academy (Ont.) in addition to wins over nationally ranked Haverford School (Pa.) and Gonzaga (D.C.), finishes the 2019 season at No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse High School Boys’ National Top 25. The Eagles’ sole defeat came back on March 25 at the hands of McDonogh (Md.), a 12-11 setback.
Calvert Hall (Md.), the first team ever to three-peat in the mighty MIAA, is No. 2. The Cardinals’ lone blemish was a loss to the aforementioned Hill Academy. They also topped a top-10 team in Malvern Prep (Pa.).
This is the last of four monthly updates to the rankings, including Regional Top 10 lists for teams representing the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest and West. Check back to uslaxmagazine.com next week for profiles on national and regional players of the year.
Skip to: National | Mid-Atlantic | South | Midwest | West
National Top 25
Editor's Note
The last of four monthly in-season updates to the Nike/US Lacrosse national and regional high school rankings.
Final |
W/L |
Prev |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culver Academy (Ind.) | 20-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Calvert Hall (Md.) | 17-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Bullis (Md.) | 21-3 | 3 |
| 4 | St. Anthony's (N.Y.) | 15-1 | 4 |
| 5 | Gonzaga (D.C.) | 18-3 | 5 |
| 6 | Massapequa (N.Y.) | 18-2 | 6 |
| 7 | Chaminade (N.Y.) | 12-2 | 7 |
| 8 | Brunswick (Conn.) | 16-2 | 8 |
| 9 | Mountain Lakes (N.J.) | 17-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Malvern Prep (Pa.) | 16-5 | 10 |
| 11 | Delbarton (N.J.) | 17-2 | 11 |
| 12 | Darien (Conn.) | 16-5 | 12 |
| 13 | Victor (N.Y.) | 17-5 | 13 |
| 14 | John Jay-Cross River (N.Y.) | 20-3 | 14 |
| 15 | Manhasset (N.Y.) | 16-3 | 15 |
| 16 | Torrey Pines (Calif.) | 20-2 | 16 |
| 17 | St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Va.) | 18-6 | 17 |
| 18 | St. Mary's (Md.) | 13-6 | 18 |
| 19 | Haverford School (Pa.) | 17-5 | 19 |
| 20 | Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) | 21-2 | 20 |
| 21 | Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) | 18-3 | 21 |
| 22 | Garden City (N.Y.) | 16-2 | 22 |
| 23 | Georgetown Prep (Md.) | 14-3 | 23 |
| 24 | Ward Melville (N.Y.) | 15-5 | 24 |
| 25 | Smithtown West (N.Y.) | 16-3 | 25 |
Also Considered (alphabetical order): Boys' Latin (Md.), Brother Rice (Mich.), Landon (Md.), McDonogh (Md.), Mount Sinai (N.Y.) Paul VI (Va.), St. Christopher's (Va.)
Nike/US Lacrosse High School Rankings
National Boys' Top 25 | National Girls' Top 25
Northeast Boys' Top 10 | Northeast Girls' Top 10
Mid-Atlantic Boys' Top 10 | Mid-Atlantic Girls' Top 10
South Boys' Top 10 | South Girls' Top 10
Midwest Boys' Top 10 | Midwest Girls' Top 10
West Boys' Top 10 | West Girls' Top 10
Northeast Top 10
1. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), 15-1
Coach Keith Wieczorek challenged his team with one of the toughest schedules in the country. His Friars responded with an inspired season. They ended on a 10-game win streak after a 13-7 loss to rival Chaminade (N.Y.) on April 10. St. Anthony’s collected notable wins over Haverford School (Pa.), Delbarton (N.J.), McDonogh (Md.), Lincoln-Sudbury (Mass.), Darien (Conn.) and a thrilling 14-13 decision over Chaminade on May 15 in the CHSAA championship game. Junior Brennan O’Neil netted seven goals and an assist in the win. He finished the season 56 goals and 16 assists. Jake Bonomi added 55 goals and 13 assists for the Friars.
2. Massapequa (N.Y.), 18-2
The Chiefs finished the season with 16 straight wins. That was punctuated with a 10-6 victory over Fairport (N.Y.) in the Class A state championship. The season included impressive wins over Ward Melville (N.Y.), Syosset (N.Y.) and Mamaroneck (N.Y.). Massapequa earned its first state title since 2014 and second overall. Massapequa featured four players with over 60 points this season – Garrett Gibbons, Colin Gleason, Sam Lufti and Thomas Greenblatt. Gleason led the way with 55 goals and 33 assists.
3. Chaminade (N.Y.), 12-2
After starting the season with 12 straight wins, the Flyers finished it with back-to-back losses to Delbarton (N.J.) and St. Anthony’s. Chaminade’s resume was solid nonetheless, including wins over Manhasset (N.Y.), Loyola Academy (Ill.), Yorktown (N.Y.), St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), and Massapequa. Tom Rogan finished with 29 goals and 18 assists, and Kevin Pimental added 24 goals and 16 assists to lead the offense.
4. Brunswick (Conn.), 16-2
The Bruins capped a sensational season with a final month that included wins over Darien (Conn.), Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.) and Berkshire School (Mass.). Brunswick went 10-1 in conference play, and the lone setback came in a 12-7 loss to Salisbury School (Conn.). Coulter Mackesy led the Bruins with 27 goals.
5. Darien (Conn.), 16-5
The Blue Wave endured an up-and-down season, but it ended in a way that’s familiar to them. They cruised to a 13-3 win over Wilton in the Class L state title game on June 8, collecting the program’s 14th state title since 1997. Hudson Pokorny led Darien in the final with three goals and two assists, and Andy Demopoulos recorded seven saves. As always, coach Jeff Brameier challenged his team. The Blue Wave suffered close losses to top-ranked St. Anthony’s, Brunswick, and Seton Hall Prep (N.J.), but they earned great wins over Ridgefield (Conn.), Yorktown (N.Y.), and Staples (Conn.).
6. Victor (N.Y.), 17-5
It was a rollercoaster season for the Blue Devils, but they managed to end on a peak and claimed their fourth state title in five years. Liam Haller recorded 21 saves as Victor held off John Jay (N.Y.) in the Class B state final. After back-to-back losses to Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.) and Corning (N.Y.), the Blue Devils surged through the end of the season, winning six straight. Camden Hay led with 41 goals and 52 assists, while Joey Pezzimenti added 52 goals and 34 assists. Haller finished the year with 182 saves and a 60.3 percent save percentage. Victor’s season included wins over Kettle Moraine (Wisc.), Pittsford (N.Y.), Baldwinsville (N.Y.), Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) and Canandaigua (N.Y.).
7. Manhasset (N.Y.), 16-3
The Indians enjoyed a fantastic season, earning wins over Garden City (N.Y.) twice, Darien (Conn.), Lincoln-Sudbury (Mass.) and John Jay (N.Y.), but John Jay came back to end Manhasset’s season, 11-10 in the state quarterfinals. Louis Perfetto finished with 40 goals and 23 assists this season to lead Manhasset.
8. John Jay (N.Y.), 20-3
The Indians advanced to the state championship game for the first time since 2007 and nearly pulled the upset over Victor but settled for runner-up. They had 39 shots, including 28 on net, in that game with Dean Ford tallying three goals and assisting a fourth. Before the loss in the championship, John Jay had won 18 straight games. The Indians beat the likes of Iona Prep (N.Y.), Wilton (Conn.), Manhasset (N.Y.), Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) and Ballston Spa (N.Y.). Senior midfielder Bryce Ford (Fairfield) paced the Indians this year.
9. Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.), 18-3
Xavier Arline punctuated a monster season with five goals and two assists to lead Shoreham-Wading River to a 12-7 win over perennial powerhouse Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.) in the Class C final for the program’s fourth state title. The junior attackman finished the season with 70 goals and 67 assists, and Johnny Schwarz added 53 goals and 13 assists. The Wildcats’ excellent season included wins over Mount Sinai (N.Y.), Harborfields (N.Y.) and Westhampton Beach (N.Y.).
10. Garden City (N.Y.), 16-2
Garden City’s 22-game winning streak came to an end on April 27 with a loss to Manhasset. A month later, Manhasset then ended the Trojans’ season with 6-5 double-overtime win in the Nassau County (Section VIII) Class B title game. Despite the trouble the Indians caused, Garden City had impressive wins over St. Ignatius (Calif.), Loyola (Ill.), Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.), LaSalle Academy (R.I.), Massapequa (N.Y.) and Smithtown West (N.Y.). James Basile led the team with 26 goals and 24 assists. Trevor Yaboah-Kodie added 38 goals and nine assists.
— Will Cleveland
Mid-Atlantic Top 10
1. Calvert Hall (Md.) 17-1
The Cardinals made history, becoming the first team to win three straight MIAA A-conference championships. Calvert Hall secured the program’s fifth conference title with a 15-7 victory over St. Mary’s on May 18. Its only loss came against Hill Academy (Ont.) in overtime. The 2019 Cardinals were a well-balanced team with a slew of contributors on offense, face-offs and defense. A strong group returns next spring to try for a fourth straight title.
2. Bullis (Md.), 21-3
The Bulldogs beat St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes for the DC-IAC title, then edged out Hill Academy (Ont.) and the Salisbury School (Conn.) to become national champions at the Geico High School Lacrosse Nationals event. Bullis was the first American team to claim the title. Senior Robert Schain led the team with 62 goals and 59 assists. Senior midfielder Bryson Shaw, who is headed to Ohio State to play football, posted 38 goals and 29 assists. Shaw was named to the All-USA Today team.
3. Gonzaga (D.C.), 18-3
The Purple Eagles are back-to-back Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) champions after defeating St. John’s (D.C.), 8-6. Henry Mudlaff scored the go-ahead goal to break a 6-6 tie to help cement the victory. Gonzaga had 12 players named WCAC All-League. Senior goalie Tim Marcille, who is bound for Johns Hopkins, made 143 saves and had a 6.8 GAA and was named to the 2019 All-Metro First Team for the Washington Post. Fellow senior defender Ben Finlay, who finished with 32 groundballs, also was named to the All-Metro First Team.
4. Mountain Lakes (N.J.), 17-2
The Lakers did a great job of playing sound lacrosse this season and growing as a team. They claimed the Tournament of Champions title with a 12-5 victory over Delbarton (N.J.) on June 8, but had to win two close games to get to the final. They edged Manasaquan, 7-6, in the NJSIAA Group 1 championship on May 31, and then overcame Summit (N.J.)8-7 in overtime of the ToC semifinals. Senior midfielder Matt Palazzi was named to NJ.com’s First Team after the Penn commit compiled 146 groundballs, 21 goals and 18 helpers while also winning 69.0 percent of his faceoffs this season. Senior attackman Trevor Glavin finished with a team-high 54 goals and also had 48 assists. For his entire career, Glavin netted 113 goals and assisted on 144 to finish with 257 points.
5. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 16-5
The Friars ended the season on a high note by defeating Haverford (Pa.), 9-8 in double overtime for the Inter-Ac Championship. Senior Matthew Civitella scored the game-winner. The win was the Friar’s 11th straight. Malvern Prep had three one-goal losses, including one to Haverford in April.
6. Delbarton (N.J.) 17-2
Delbarton finished as the Tournament of Champions runner-up after defeating Don Bosco Prep for the NJSIAA Non-Public A title on May 30. Attackman Mike Long had five assists as the Green Wave collected their fourth straight Non-Public A championship and 17th state title overall. Long, who was named to the Under Armour All-America Senior team, finished his senior season with 42 goals and 61 assists.
7. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.), 18-6
The Saints won their third Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association title in four years, defeating Paul VI (Va.) 10-5 on May 18. Nick DuPuis led with three goals and four assists, and Jackson Reynolds also had a hat-trick in the win. SSSA had lost to Bullis in the Interstate Athletic Conference final eight days earlier, but rebounded with wins over O’Connell and St. Anne’s-Belfield en route to the VISSA championship.
8. St. Mary’s (Md.), 13-6
The Saints fell to Calvert Hall in the MIAA-A conference championship after knocking out Boys’ Latin (md.) in the semifinals, but they won seven of their last nine games and have plenty to build on next year. St. Mary’s has 18 rising seniors that will lead the way for the Annapolis-area school; although, talents such as Ian Krampf (Johns Hopkins) and BJ Burlace (Yale) will be tough to replace. Burlace was named to all-state, all-metro and all-conference teams after totaling 14 goals, eight assists and 65 ground balls this season. Notable returners include Alex Wicks and Will Tominovich.
9. Haverford School (Pa.), 17-5
The Fords dropped a heartbreaker to Malvern Prep in the Inter-AC championship game, losing 9-8 in double overtime. The loss ends an impressive career for head coach John Nostrant, who is leaving the Philadelphia prep school to take over as head coach for Gilman (Md.) in 2020. Senior midfielder Peter Garno, who was named 2019 Delco-Times Player of the Year and Under Armour All-American, finished the season totaling 54 goals and four assists.
10. Seton Hall Prep (N.J.), 21-2
The Pirates’ season came to an end in the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group A semifinals as they suffered a stunning loss to Don Bosco Prep. Nate Mazurek scored the game-winning goal with four seconds remaining to send Seton Hall home. Entering the game, Seton Hall had won seven games in a row, scoring 100 goals while allowing just 30 in that span. Senior attackman Connell Kumar finished with 47 goals and helped Prep win an Essex County Championship
— Tom Peace
South Top 10
1. Weddington (N.C.), 16-1
After surviving a tight state semifinal contest against Marvin Ridge, Weddington dominated the Class 3A state title game, beating Chapel Hill (N.C.) 16-5 behind a huge performance (four goals, four assists) from James Shipley. That said, the Warriors were defined by their balance with five scorers at 20-plus goals: Anthony Todaro (50), James Shipley (49), Eamon Murphy (28), Ryan Goldstein (22) and Will Shipley (20). They also had eight players tally 35-plus groundballs, led by Colby Barsz’s 52, while Andrew Miller saved 67.9 percent of the shots headed his way.
2. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 24-1
After an early loss to Lambert (Ga.), which coach Tom West said was critical to identifying and fixing the team’s weaknesses, Ponte Vedra won its final 17 games to claim the FHSAA state title with a 19-7 rout of St. Thomas Aquinas in the championship. The Sharks surrendered just 4.8 goals per game, and that was due in no small part to the fine play of Maximus Schalit (71 caused turnovers, 43 ground balls), along with Jimmy Burns (74.3 percent) and Andrew Ewalt (65 percent) dominating faceoffs. Offensively, Ponte Vedra was well-balanced, but Patrick Dotsikas and Dylan Hess led the way with 51 goals apiece.
3. Walton (Ga.), 21-2
The Raiders won their final seven games, capped by an 8-7 victory over Lambert in the state final.
They had three players finish above 60 points for the season, and six topped the 40-point mark. Defensively, Walton was even better, yielding just 18 goals over four playoff games, led by Atlanta Journal Constitution Player of the Year Drew Michalek as well as Miles Besson (31 caused turnovers, 38 ground balls) and Michael Cabral (43 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers).
4. Lambert (Ga.), 21-2
The only team to beat Ponte Vedra (Fla.) all season, state runner-up Lambert had an impressive run. That included big performances from Gerard Kane (63 goals, 19 assists) and Benny O’Rourk (36 goals) and star defender Patrick Deans (Johns Hopkins), who will miss the summer due to a broken collarbone. Deans should be back next year, looking to stage a repeat as the Longhorns allowed just 94 goals in 23 games this season (4.1 per game).
5. Episcopal Dallas (Texas), 19-5
The Eagles simply had the clutch gene in 2019. In the state semifinals against Dallas Jesuit, Jack Loftus found Reed Landin for the game-winner with 1:17 remaining. In the state title game against Highland Park, Loftus and Drew Wasserman (Utah) each had hat tricks as ESD surged late to break a fourth-quarter tie. Scott Bower, a Virginia commit, ended up earning All-American honors and a spot in the Under Armour All-America game.
6. Montgomery Bell (Tenn.), 12-2
It was quite the year for the Big Red, as they nipped Memphis University (Tenn.), 10-8, and Christian Brothers (Tenn.), 9-8, en route to a state title. Stephen Avery was phenomenal with four goals in both games, ending the year with 49 goals and 32 assists. Senior Garrett Murphy won 63 percent of his faceoffs and snagged 82 groundballs. Defenders Noah Mendoza, Peyton Brien (Rhodes College), Braden Myers (Wesleyan University) and goalie Chris Tarquinio (Rhodes) held opponents to six goals per game.
7. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 18-4
The Crusaders captured their first state championship since moving up to Class 4A, dominating their title game thanks to a strong performance from Nick Gorman, who won all 18 of his faceoffs. He finished at 74.9 percent for the year and was one of several standouts on the team. Freshman Caden Zadell averaged 5.2 points during the playoffs and led Cardinal Gibbons with 44 goals, so although Joe Torres (33 goals), Patrick King (25 goals, 16 assists), Will Stock (22 goals, 13 assists), Carson Zadell (22 goals) and Gorman graduate, the Crusaders still have a bright future. Sophomore Griffin Cooling (36 goals, 27 assists), freshman Trent Orr (14 goals) and sophomore Daniel Kelly (14 goals) join Caden Zadell as top players returning.
8. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), 18-4
A blowout loss to Ponte Vedra in the state final was hard to swallow, but the road there was one to remember. The Sharks collected one-goal wins over St. Andrew’s and Bishop Moore in the playoffs, and senior Brock Gonzalez capped a stellar career with a 110-point season (88 goals, 22 assists). Fellow seniors Kyle Engel (25 goals, 12 assists), Nick Yovino (39 goals, 19 assists), Grant Laman (32 goals, 34 assists) and Allen Stotler (33 groundballs) also went out in style.
9. Middle Creek (N.C.), 18-3
The Mustangs’ eight-game win streak came to an end in the state semifinals against eventual champion Cardinal Gibbons. All three of their losses came against top-notch opposition as they fell to Lambert, Weddington and Cardinal Gibbons by a combined five goals. All-American Jake Caputo capped his career with a remarkable senior season (72 goals, 35 assists). While Caputo, David Baird (36 goals) and record-setting faceoff man Graham Schwartz (80.9 percent) will be hard to replace, freshman Tate Jones (43 goals, 31 assists) and junior Nathan Greenberg (37 goals, 15 assists) are more than ready to lead the way.
10. Lassiter (Ga.), 20-2
The Trojans had a remarkable year, including a program-record 10 players receiving all-state or All-American recognition. Among them were first team all-state and All-American honoree Eli Ensor (Ohio State), who averaged roughly four goals a game for Lassiter, second team all-state honoree Murphy Mostellar, who had four goals in the state quarterfinals, and third team all-state honoree Andrew Atchison, who also had four goals in Lassiter’s playoff win over Mill Creek.
— Jonah Rosenblum
Midwest Top 10
1. Culver Military Academy (Ind.), 20-1
The Eagles closed out the 2019 season on a 16-game winning streak, highlighted by a 9-5 win over Hill Academy (Ont.) in the finale to earn the National Prep Championships title. Alec Stathakis (Denver) was among the national leaders in faceoff percentage at 85 percent.
2. Brother Rice (Mich.), 23-0
The Warriors earned their 14th state title in 15 years, defeating Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) 14-13 to avenge last year’s championship loss. Justin Glod score the game-winner as he closed out his senior season with 86 goals and more than three dozen assists.
3. Dublin Coffman (Ohio), 24-1
The Shamrocks won their first ever state title by defeating perennial power Cincinnati St. Xavier 13-8 on June 1. Coffman also defeated highly-rated St. Ignatius (Ohio) and crosstown rival Dublin Scioto en route to the title. Besides Evan James’ 85 goals, the Shamrocks also were led by Ethan Tyack, who had 40 goals and 37 assists.
4. MICDS (Mo.), 18-1
Graham Bundy Jr. (Georgetown) became the first known player in Missouri history to have 400 career points, as he helped lead the Warriors to a 15-1 win over De Smet (Mo.) on May 24. Bundy also led Missouri in points, combining 72 goals and 65 assists for 137 points in 2019. MICDS has won six straight titles.
5. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), 20-4
Catholic Central lost to its rivals in the state title game on June 8 by a one-goal margin. Three of Detroit Catholic’s four losses were to Brother Rice. Joey Kamish (Loyola University commit) scored 77 goals this season, including six in the championship game against Brother Rice. Detroit Catholic’s season was highlighted by a win in April over New Trier (Ill.).
6. New Trier (Ill.), 20-5
The Trevians won the Illinois state title in dominating fashion, defeating Warren (Ill.) 16-4. Henry Scherb (Tufts) had a team-record 70 goals this season. New Trier also picked up a win over Loyola Academy (Ill.) in the sectional round and a notable win over St. Xavier (Ohio) in March.
7. St. Ignatius (Ohio), 18-5
The Wildcats lost in the state semifinals against eventual state champion Dublin Coffman (Ohio), 15-8. St. Ignatius’ season was highlighted by wins over MICDS (Mo.), Cathedral (Ind.) and St. Xavier (Ohio). Michael Boehm had an impressive season with 47 assists.
8. Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio), 17-7
After losing to Brother Rice (Mich.) on April 27, the Bombers turned their season around by winning nine in a row, culminating in an appearance in Ohio’s state title game. St. Xavier’s winning streak was snapped by Dublin Coffman, 13-8, but the run to the final included wins over Cincinnati Moeller (Ohio) and Upper Arlington (Ohio).
9. Forest Hills Central (Mich.), 22-1
The Rangers won Michigan’s Division II state title on June 8 after defeating Forest Hills Eastern (Mich.), 20-4. Forest Hills’ only loss was against Brother Rice (Mich.).
10. Cathedral (Ind.), 19-3
The Irish won Indiana’s state title by defeating Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 13-6, in the final on June 1. The win marked Cathedral’s third title in four years.
— Justin Boggs
West Top 10
1. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 20-2
The Falcons claimed their second straight CIF San Diego Open Division state title with a 12-4 win over La Costa Canyon (Calif.). After early-season losses to St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.) and IMG National (Fla.), Torrey Pines finished on a 15-game unbeaten streak and ranked No. 16 nationally. Senior Marco Napolitano was the catalyst to a defense that allowed just 5.5 goals per game.
2. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 17-4
The Wildcats claimed the West Catholic Athletic League title May 10 with an 8-6 win over Sacred Heart. They bounced back from a 9-8 loss to San Ramon Valley to win their last five games. Senior midfielder Sam Parkinson led the team with 45 goals and nine assists.
3. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 18-2
The Bruins collected their seventh state title in memorable fashion, beating Kent Denver 12-7 in the Class 5A final May 20 during a snowstorm. Kent had beaten Cherry Creek in double overtime 17 days prior. Senior attackman Gabe Minisini was voted the Colorado High School Athletic Association Player of the Year after finishing with 37 goals, 28 assists, 55 groundballs and 16 caused turnovers.
4. St. Margaret’s Episcopal (Calif.), 18-3
In a rematch of last year’s Southern Section final, the Tartans came out on top this time, holding Loyola Los Angeles off the board until the fourth quarter for a 13-4 win and the program’s first title since 2015. Kevin Groeninger led the way for St. Margaret’s, posting 114 points on 60 goals and 54 assists this season to finish his high school career with 206 goals and 205 assists as the only player in California history to eclipse 400 career points.
5. Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), 18-4
The Gators got their chance to avenge a narrow regular-season finale loss to St. Ignatius when the two clashed in the WCAL championship, but they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. The only other teams to beat them were Mid-Atlantic powers Gonzaga (D.C.) and St. Paul’s (Md.).
6. Kent Denver (Colo.), 15-4
The fifth-seeded Sun Devils couldn’t repeat their regular-season win over Cherry Creek when the two met for a rematch in the state final, but they knocked off top-seeded Valor Christian (Colo.) 12-11 in the semifinals. Kent’s three other losses were by two goals or less. Junior Maxwell Hewitt led the team with 41 goals and 30 assists, while sophomore Brandon Bergner added 42 goals and 21 assists.
7. De LaSalle (Calif.), 18-6
The Spartans peaked at the right time, ending the season on a 15-game winning streak to lift the CIF North Coast Section championship trophy as the eighth seed after a 3-6 start to the season. They avenged a March loss to San Valley Ramon in the final, overcoming third-seeded Marin Academy 11-10 in double overtime thanks to Justin Barton’s game-winner with 2:36 seconds left. All four of De LaSalle’s playoff wins were decided by one goal, including a notable victory over top-seeded San Ramon Valley, which was ranked third in the West at the time.
8. San Ramon Valley (Calif.), 17-2
The Wolves couldn’t ride the momentum of a late April win over St. Ignatius Prep to accomplish their ultimate goal. They entered the CIF North Coast Section Division 1 playoffs as the top seed but opened the tournament with a 12-11 upset loss to No. 8-seeded De LaSalle in the quarterfinals.
9. Loyola Los Angeles (Calif.), 16-8
The Cubs avenged two of their losses during the second half of the season and bounced back from a three-game losing streak to reach the Southern Section final, where they were unable to defend their title against St. Margaret’s. That tough late-season losing streak included a pair of games in New Jersey and a defeat to Palos Verdes, who Loyola beat 12-6 in the Los Angeles final. Midfielder Owen Gaffney was named the Los Angeles Player of the Year after finishing with 50 goals and 26 assists.
10. Lake Oswego (Ore.), 16-4
The Lakers ended on a 10-game winning streak to claim the Oregon state title with a 14-7 win over West Linn. They had opened the season 6-4 but avenged two of those losses later in the year, including beating Lakeridge twice after dropping a 16-8 decision April 16. Jonas Hunter led with 73 goals, 47 assists and 30 groundballs, and Michael Shakerin finished with 25 goals and 12 assists.
— Laurel Pfahler