We made it.
A high school lacrosse season that started with uncertainty ended with championship celebrations in front of spectators all across the country.
In this final in-season update of the Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Boys’ National Top 25 and Regional Top 10s, we reaffirm St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) as the undisputed No. 1 team in the land. St. John’s (D.C.), Mount Sinai (N.Y.), Georgetown Prep (Md.) and Manhasset (N.Y.) round out the top five.
There was some shuffling in the West over the last week. Mountain Vista (Colo.) won three straight overtime games in the playoffs to claim the CHSAA Class 5A crown and status as the top team in Colorado. The Golden Eagles beat Valor Christian (Colo.), the former No. 5 team in the West, in the championship game.
Check back to usalaxmagazine.com in the coming weeks as we name our national and regional players of the year.
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NATIONAL TOP 25
Final 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Anthony's (N.Y.) | 11-1 | — |
| 2 | St. John's (D.C.) | 11-1 | — |
| 3 | Mount Sinai (N.Y.) | 16-1 | — |
| 4 | Georgetown Prep (Md.) | 14-3 | — |
| 5 | Manhasset (N.Y.) | 15-1 | — |
| 6 | Chaminade (N.Y.) | 9-2 | — |
| 7 | Boys' Latin (Md.) | 10-4 | — |
| 8 | McDonogh (Md.) | 11-1 | — |
| 9 | Malvern Prep (Pa.) | 19-2 | — |
| 10 | Culver Academy (Ind.) | 13-2 | — |
| 11 | Brunswick (Conn.) | 14-3 | — |
| 12 | Archbishop Spalding (Md.) | 12-3 | — |
| 13 | Don Bosco (N.J.) | 18-0 | — |
| 14 | Garden City (N.Y.) | 13-3 | — |
| 15 | Northport (N.Y.) | 15-3 | — |
| 16 | DeMatha (Md.) | 7-2 | — |
| 17 | Summit (N.J.) | 18-1 | — |
| 18 | Bullis (Md.) | 8-5 | — |
| 19 | Mountain Lakes (N.J.) | 18-2 | — |
| 20 | Ridgefield (Conn.) | 16-7 | — |
| 21 | Darien (Conn.) | 19-2 | — |
| 22 | Webster Thomas (N.Y.) | 15-1 | — |
| 23 | Torrey Pines (Calif.) | 13-2 | — |
| 24 | Comsewogue (N.Y.) | 15-2 | — |
| 25 | Canandaigua (N.Y.) | 16-2 | — |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.), Calvert Hall (Md.), Delbarton (N.J.), Episcopal Academy (Pa.), Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.), Gonzaga (D.C.), Haverford (Pa.), Jamesville DeWitt (N.Y.), Landon (Md.), Loyola Blakefield (Md.), Salesianum (Del.), Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.)
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.), 11-1
St. Anthony’s was the first on Long Island to lift silverware, rallying to defeat rival Chaminade (N.Y.) 12-11 in the CHSAA Class AAA championship game May 29. The two teams had split a pair of prior meetings with the Friars’ loss coming by a one-goal margin. They won the first meeting 15-11.
2. Mount Sinai (N.Y.), 16-1
Joey Spallina scored six goals, including the game-winner with 13 seconds left, to lead Mount Sinai to a thrilling 14-13 victory over Manhasset (N.Y.) in the Long Island Class C championship game Saturday. Lucas LaForge netted three goals and Matt Graffeo made 10 saves, as the Mustangs won their second Long Island championship.
3. Manhasset (N.Y.), 15-1
Matthew Perfetto struck for four goals and Rory Connor had two goal and two assists, but the Indians lost 14-13 to Mount Sinai in the Long Island Class C final. Manhasset rallied from an 11-6 third-quarter deficit to tie the score at 13, but Mount Sinai scored the winner with 25 seconds remaining. Aidan Mulholland had two goals and one assist and Joey Terenzi and Hunter Panzik netted a pair of goals each.
4. Chaminade (N.Y.), 9-2
Chaminade scored with 12.1 seconds left, but ran out of time for an equalizer in a 12-11 loss to St. Anthony’s in the CHSAA Class AAA title game. Both of the Flyers’ losses were in three matchups against the Friars, but they also had a notable win over Delbarton (N.J.).
5. Brunswick School (Conn.), 14-3
It was a positive season for Brunswick School, which closed out the campaign with consecutive wins over Avon Old Farms, including a 16-8 victory in their finale. The biggest highlights were an overtime thriller win over Darien (Conn.) and knocking off Haverford School (Pa.) on ESPNU.
6. Garden City (N.Y.), 13-3
Garden City is lacrosse royalty again, winning a 17th Long Island championship. It defeated Comsewogue (N.Y.) 5-1 in the Class B final. Ryan Connolly scored both of his goals in the first half, Stevie Finnell added a pair of goals in the second half, Jack Cascadden, who was 8-of-10 on faceoffs, stuffed in the final goal and Drew Quinn made seven saves.
7. Northport (N.Y.), 15-3
After being crowned kings of Suffolk County by beating Ward Melville (N.Y.) in the county final, Northport added its first Long Island Class A championship since 2002 by beating Syosset (N.Y.) 11-10. Mike Meyer, Jack Helfigel and Tristan Triolo scored two goals apiece, and Emerson Payne’s lone goal proved to be the game-winner with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter.
8. Ridgefield (Conn.), 16-7
The Tigers played their best lacrosse when it mattered most, avenging two of their losses en route to claiming the CIAC Class L championship. Ridgefield claimed the program’s fourth title with an 8-5 win over Fairfield Prep (Conn.), a team that had beaten the Tigers earlier in the season. They also turned the tables on Staples in the first round after losing an early-season matchup.
9. Darien (Conn.), 19-2
Darien’s quest to repeat as CIAC Class L champions came to a stunning end when the Blue Wave were upset by Fairfield Prep, 14-10, in the quarterfinals. Jamison Moore scored three goals and Matt Minicus and Connor O’Malley had two goals apiece as the Blue Wave suffered their first CIAC defeat of the season.
10. Webster Thomas (N.Y.), 15-1
Ethan Ruller was stout in the cage with seven saves, earning tournament MVP honors as he kept Canandaigua scoreless through three quarters to help Webster Thomas to a 6-5 win in the Section V Class B final. Joe Russo and Evan Pashalidis scored two goals apiece, Nathan Hoban had a goal and two assists, David Petz added a goal and an assist and Cade Spencer had a pair of assists as Webster Thomas held off a late Canandaigua rally.
— Dylan Butler
MID-ATLANTIC TOP 10
1. St. John’s (D.C.) 11-1
St. John’s defeated Georgetown Prep 11-10 to win the WCAC championship. Mac Haley led the team with three goals and an assist, Gavin Kelly added a pair of goals and an assist and Luke Rhoa provided a pair of goals. The Cadets suffered their lone loss to Taft (Conn.).
2. Georgetown Prep (Md.), 14-3
The Hoyas wrapped up their season with an 11-10 loss to St. John’s College High in the WCAC final. Zach Whittier led the attack with four goals, and Will Angrick had four points on two goals and two assists. Georgetown Prep had lost to St. John’s by four just two weeks prior and its other loss was in overtime against Bullis (Md.), with whom the Hoyas split a pair of games early in the season.
3. Boys' Latin (Md.), 10-4
The Lakers’ season concluded after winning the MIAA-A championship with three straight one-goal wins during the playoffs. Their title run enabled them to avenge three of their four losses on the season – to Loyola Blakefield, McDonogh and Archbishop Spalding. They also earned a non-league win over perennially strong Haverford (Pa.) to open the season. Dominic Pietramala, Ben Smith and Eddie Loyd were named to the all-MIAA-A Conference team.
4. McDonogh (Md.), 11-1
The Eagles had more players named All-MIAA-A Conference than any other team, as Jack Horrigan, McCabe Millon, Dante Trader and Malachi Jones were honored. Their season concluded after going unbeaten through the MIAA regular season and reaching the playoff semifinals, where they fell to Boys’ Latin. They were dominant through the regular season with only two wins coming by fewer than three goals. McDonogh averaged 13.4 goals per game and allowed just 8.2 goals per game.
5. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 19-2
Malvern’s season concluded after winning the Inter-Ac championship. Eric Spanos was named Most Valuable Player in the Inter-Ac. Teammates joining him on the all-league team were defenseman Jake Brownley, long-stick middie Mike Buono, midfielder Cooper Frankenheimer and Nick Potemski and attackmen Colin McGill and Will Peden.
6. Archbishop Spalding (Md.), 12-3
The Cavaliers placed second in the MIAA-A regular season and reached the tournament championship, where they fell to Boys’ Latin. They scored a league-high 182 goals. Spalding picked up a big early-season win over Malvern Prep (Pa.) before an impressive MIAA season that included a first-ever win over Calvert Hall since joining the A Conference in 2005. Michael Weisshaar, Alex Ross and Josh Tang were named All-MIAA-A Conference.
7. Don Bosco (N.J.), 18-0
Don Bosco took its first Tournament of Champions title with an 11-7 win over previously unbeaten Summit. Bosco jumped out to a 4-0 lead at halftime before Summit rallied to tie the game, 6-6, in the fourth quarter. Freshman goalie Coleton Carfello stopped Summit’s next chances to take the lead, and Max Thomas and Connor Gorman scored goals to put Don Bosco ahead for good. Gorman finished with five points on three goals and two assists, Koleton Marquis registered a hat trick plus one assist, and Thomas had two assists in addition to his go-ahead goal. Mason Carfello and Brandon Stuart each tallied one goal and one assist apiece. Bosco had defeated Pingry, 9-5, in the TOC semifinal behind seven goals from Gorman and Robert Simone going 15-for-18 on faceoffs against Duke commit Luke Engelke. Marquis supplied five assists and Mason Carfello had Bosco’s other two goals.
8. DeMatha (Md.), 7-2
The Stags ended their season with a 15-7 loss to St. John’s College High in the semifinals of the WCAC tournament. Jordan Galloway tallied four points on a goal and three assists, Mac Budowski scored twice and added an assist, and Dakota Eierman had two goals. Dylan McKelvy, Riordan Muldoon and Ben McKelvy added a goal apiece.
9. Summit (N.J.), 18-1
The Hilltoppers fell to Don Bosco in the Tournament of Champions final 11-7. Summit rallied from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter before Bosco pulled away for the win. Luke DiNola had a team-high three points on a goal and two assists, Dylan Sebastian scored twice and Michael Bonomo had two points on a goal and assist. Summit stopped Mountain Lakes (N.J.), 11-8, in the TOC semifinals Wednesday. Sebastian and Jimmy Persche had two goals and two assists apiece. Colin Beatty scored a pair of goals and DiNola posted two points on a goal and assist. Will O’Connell made eight saves to help a strong defensive effort.
10. Bullis (Md.), 8-5
Bullis ended its season with a 10-9 loss to DeMatha in the WCAC quarterfinals. The Bulldogs were one of only two teams to knock off Georgetown Prep this season, and they won two out of three games against St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.). The Bulldogs rallied around a strong defense led by All-American goalie Jack Fracyon, who had a 61-percent save percentage. Tyler Kuehl also garnered All-American honors as a long-stick middie after causing 30 turnovers and winning 70 ground balls. Ethan Till was named the best defender in the area and All-IAC after causing 21 turnovers and scooping up 32 ground balls. Junior Tucker Wade paced the offense with 28 goals and 10 assists.
— Justin Feil
SOUTH TOP 10
1. Dallas Jesuit (Texas), 12-2
The Rangers clinched a state championship by defeating Highland Park (Texas) 10-8 after being deadlocked at 5 at halftime. Senior Curran Rose, who had four goals in the state championship game, led Dallas Jesuit with 31 goals. Dallas Jesuit had a month of its season interrupted early in the year but showed no rust in collecting notable wins over Episcopal Dallas (Texas) and Louisville Trinity (Ky.). The Rangers split with Highland Park in two regular-season meetings, and their other loss was to nationally ranked Culver Academy (Ind.).
2. St. Andrew’s (Fla.), 16-0
The Scots won a Florida Class 1A title by defeating St. Edward’s (Fla.) 13-5, helping legendary coach Tony Seaman to his first championship with St. Andrew’s. Sophomore Jack Schulte had a team-leading 40 goals, and freshman Kurt Schwarz had 24 assists this season.
3. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 17-0
The Crusaders completed an unbeaten season with a state title , defeating Hough (N.C.) 14-5. Bryce Wojnovich, a Jacksonville recruit, was named the state championship game MVP for his five-goal performance. Junior Caden Zadell led Cardinal Gibbons with 42 goals this season.
4. Blessed Trinity (Ga.), 25-0
The Titans concluded a perfect season with a 12-8 state championship game victory over Pace Academy (Ga.) on Saturday, propelled by two early goals from Riley Sullivan. Blessed Trinity narrowly advanced to the championship after topping Westminster (Ga.) 11-10.
5. Jupiter (Fla.), 18-1
The seniors ended their last season at Jupiter the same way they ended their first season — as state champions. The Warriors won the Florida Class 2A title by defeating Winter Park (Fla.) 12-8. Lafayette recruit Max Sanderson led Jupiter with 71 goals. Junior Trace Hogan had 35 assists in addition to 49 goals.
6. Highland Park (Texas), 14-3
The Highlanders came a game shy of winning a state championship, falling to Dallas Jesuit 10-8 after holding a 6-5 lead early in the second half. Highland Park had regular season wins over Dallas Jesuit (splitting games) and Westlake (Texas).
7. Louisville St. Xavier (Ky.), 18-3
The Tigers completed a state championship run by topping Trinity (Ky.) 17-8, marking St. Xavier’s third straight state title. Hillis Burns scored five times in the state final. St. Xavier advanced to the title game by defeating Eastern (Ky.) 15-10.
8. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 15-1
The Sharks’ season concluded in a shocking overtime playoff loss to Creekside (Fla.). Maddox Johnson led Ponte Vedra with 49 goals, while Jack Reed led the squad in assists with 20.
9. Middle Creek (N.C.), 12-1
The Mustangs’ season came to an end when they lost to eventual state champion Cardinal Gibbons 12-7. Eight Mustangs tallied double figures in goals this year, led by junior Tate Jones, who had 36. Charlie Riesett won more than 90 percent of faceoffs. Previous: 8
10. St. Edward’s (Fla.), 16-5
The Pirates’ run in the state tournament came to an end just short of a title. St. Edward’s lost to St. Andrew’s (Fla.) 13-5 in the state final. Junior Oscar Lindenthal led St. Edward’s with 66 goals but was held scoreless in the championship game. Senior Danny Richmond had 62 assists. Previous: 10
— Justin Boggs
MIDWEST TOP 10
1. Culver Prep (Ind.), 13-2
The Eagles finished their season with a close GEICO Nationals semifinal loss to Taft (Conn.). Culver went undefeated against the Midwest this year, including wins over St. Ignatius, St. Xavier and Upper Arlington out of the Buckeye State, along with impressive victories over IMG National (Fla.) and Dallas Jesuit (Texas).
2. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 22-2
The Celtics came up clutch, topping Cleveland St. Ignatius (Ohio) in overtime in the state semifinals, then avenging a MSLCA Tournament loss to Upper Arlington (Ohio) with a 12-11 state title game victory. In the latter, Jerome got hat tricks from Carter Barco (three goals, three assists) and Jackson Bryne (three goals), as well as a big game from Marek Tzagournis (two goals, three assists).
3. Loyola Academy (Ill.), 19-1
The Ramblers faced their customary share of adversity in the IHSA final four, trailing Wheaton Academy 5-1 after a quarter in the semifinals and Lake Forest 6-3 at halftime of their state championship encounter. As it has done all season, Loyola came back both times, with Connor Ditomasso scoring five goals apiece against Wheaton Academy and Lake Forest.
4. Brother Rice (Mich.), 18-2
Down 5-3, the Warriors tied their state title game against Hartland (Mich.) heading into the half, then took control with a 6-0 run in the third quarter. Nick Dudley capped his lacrosse career with four goals and an assist as Brother Rice captured its 15th MHSAA Division 1 championship in 16 years.
5. New Trier (Ill.), 17-1
The Trevians’ first loss came in a sectional title game against eventual state champion Loyola Academy, continuing a trend of the regular-season loser emerging as the postseason victor in their rivalry. While New Trier was unable to hold onto a 3-0 lead, the Trevians got great performances from Jesse Shapiro (five goals) and keeper Brian Kaskey against the Ramblers.
6. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 21-2
Entering the OHSAA postseason, the Golden Bears had just one loss, to Midwest No. 1-ranked Culver. Their second loss came in the state final to Dublin Jerome, which Upper Arlington beat rather handily in the MSLCA tournament. Despite the 12-11 loss, Sam Burns had a memorable final performance for the Golden Bears with five goals, while Marco Landolfi also had a hat trick.
7. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 19-2
A 6-0 second quarter proved plenty for the Royals in a 10-6 state title game victory over Carmel (Ind.). Down 1-0 late in the first, Connor Rudnow scored the game-tying and go-ahead goals, while Louden Sundling had two of his three goals in the second quarter as HSE built a lead that lasted the rest of the way. Previous: 7
8. Hartland (Mich.), 22-2
The Eagles ran their win streak to 20 games to get to the Division 1 state championship, which they dropped 14-9 to Brother Rice. Bo Lockwood had two goals and four assists for Hartland while Noah Luck had a hat trick, as the pair combined to score more than 200 goals for the Eagles this season.
9. East Grand Rapids (Mich.), 20-2
The Pioneers got a huge performance from Ted Campbell, a senior who scored six goals in EGR’s 12-10 state title game victory over Forest Hills Eastern (Mich.). Campbell’s six goals left him with 62 on the season, while Mason Margherio also had a hat trick and two assists and Jake Higgins tacked on a pair of goals.
10. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Minn.), 17-1
The Red Knights rebounded from a one-goal loss to Chanhassen (Minn.) with 12 straight wins to round out the season. Benilde-St. Margaret plowed through the state quarterfinals, semifinals and finals by a combined margin of 42-10. That included a 16-6 state title game victory over Prior Lake (Minn.), which defeated Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the 2018 and 2019 state title games. The Red Knights were led in the final by Paddy Burns and Matthew Dowden, who tallied four goals apiece, and keeper Justin Dalum, who had more saves (eight) than goals allowed (six).
— Jonah Rosenblum
WEST TOP 10
1. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 13-2
The Falcons beat La Costa Canyon (Calif.) 10-3 in the CIF San Diego Open Division final to become the first team in CIF San Diego Section history to three-peat. Torrey Pines ended on a nine-game win streak after early-May losses to Corona del Mar (Calif.) and St. Ignatius Prep by a combined three goals. Griffin Crawford tallied 42 goals and 23 assists, Dewey Egan (UNC) had 41 goals and 21 assists, Tayden Bultman (UNC) added 27 goals and 18 assists, and Griffin Grant (Notre Dame) chipped in 26 goals and 17 assists to lead the offense. Henry Brayer finished with an 87 percent win rate on faceoffs.
2. Loyola-Los Angeles (Calif.), 19-1
The Cubs ended the season on an 18-game win streak after suffering a narrow loss to St. Margaret’s Episcopal. They capped it off with a 9-7 win over Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.) to claim the first CIF Southern Section Division I championship on June 8. Senior midfielder Owen Gaffney (Harvard) finished with 56 goals, 36 assists and 46 ground balls, junior attackman Aidan Lee had 60 goals, 22 assists, 59 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers and senior Matt Gottfried won 83.7 percent of faceoffs and had 233 ground balls to lead Loyola.
3. Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), 17-4
In each of the first four meetings (all losses) against nationally-ranked St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), the Gators showed steady improvement in closing the gap from a 12-goal margin loss in the initial contest to a one-goal decision in the WCAL final. The fifth time was the charm in the game that mattered most, and Sacred Heart showed it was no fluke. Finally back to full health for the CIF Central Coast Section final, Sacred Heart rolled to a 17-8 victory over the Wildcats to claim the section’s first title. Senior Billy Barnds found the back of the net on the momentum-shifting goal at the end of the third quarter, and senior William Van Dyke won crucial faceoffs down the stretch as SHP closed out the game on a 13-2 run. Previous: 8
4. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 17-1
The Wildcats were finding it more and more difficult to beat Sacred Heart Prep in their many meetings this season and finally succumbed to their WCAL rival after winning the first four matchups. It was a stunning loss to spoil a perfect season. The 17-8 loss was just their second time this season being held under 10 goals, as St. Ignatius featured a talented attack led by Nils Barry, Will Miller, Jackson Kane and Oliver Bligh.
5. Mountain Vista (Colo.), 10-2
Dillon Pless scored the game-winner 40 seconds into overtime to lift the Golden Eagles to a 10-9 win over Valor Christian (Colo.) in the CHSAA Class 5A final . It was the program’s first state championship, in its first title game appearance. Pless, who got his winning shot off after a Valor Christian turnover on the first possession of overtime, finished with three goals and two assists, while Tyler Olsen added a hat trick and Jake Ward and Caleb Bonjean each tallied two goals and one assist. Mountain Vista won three straight overtime games en route to claiming its trophy.
6. Valor Christian (Colo.), 11-2
The Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter to force overtime on Gunnar Fellows’ final goal in the CHSAA Class 5A championship against Mountain Vista, but after winning possession to begin the extra period, a turnover led to the game-winner for the opponent. Both of Valor’s losses this season came against Mountain Vista. Fellows and Griffin Mallory both finished with three goals, and Jake Likes added three points, as well, on two goals and one assist. Mitch Gutgsell collected 13 saves in goal.
7. Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.), 14-4
Kenny Seiler knotted the game at 7 with 4:37 remaining, but the Knights’ scoring ended there as Loyola-Los Angeles regained a lead for a 9-7 win in the CIF Southern Section Division I final. Joey Garcia capped a strong season in goal with an 11-save effort. Foothill had avenged a regular-season loss to Mater Dei (Calif.) in the semifinals, but the Knights couldn’t do the same against Loyola, who had beaten them 7-5 on April 17. Their only other loss was to Torrey Pines.
8. Corona del Mar (Calif.), 14-4
The Sea Kings had won 10 straight games before falling to Loyola in the CIF Southern Section semifinals, including beating crosstown rival St. Margaret’s Episcopal (Calif.) 7-4 in the quarterfinals on June 1 to avenge an overtime loss to SMES from earlier this season. CdM also had notable wins over Mater Dei and Torrey Pines.
9. Corner Canyon (Utah), 22-0
The Chargers capped a perfect season with the UHSAA/Mountain America Division A title, coming back from a halftime deficit to beat Park City (Utah) 20-13 in the final. Corner Canyon trailed 7-6 at halftime. Jon King led the offense with 112 goals and 49 assists, while Mason Quick wasn’t far behind with 105 goals and 43 assists. Eric Neilson had 72 goals and 44 assists. Blaze DeGracie finished with a team-high 84 ground balls, and Anthony Mackay had 82 ground balls and finished with a 74.2 percent faceoff win rate. Ayden Santi allowed 6.9 goals per game and had a 69.3 percent save rate.
10. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 11-1
The Bruins did not get a chance to defend their 2019 state title after suffering an overtime loss to Mountain Vista in the CHSAA Class 5A semifinals. After racing to a 4-0 lead, Cherry Creek gave up five straight goals and never could regain control in a game that was tied eight times. Dakota Johnson and Thomas Power each scored four goals in the loss, which followed a 12-11 win over Monarch (Colo.) in the quarterfinals.
— Laurel Pfahler