The US Lacrosse Players of the Week recognize the most outstanding individual performances in high school boys’ lacrosse in each of the five regions — Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest and West — outlined in our high school coverage.

Players of the Week from the Northeast and Midwest will be announced once play begins in each respective region.

MID-ATLANTIC

JP Ward, McDonogh (Md.)

McDonogh (Md.) earned one of the biggest wins of the early going, besting Gonzaga (D.C.) 12-9 to shoot up the national ranks. Ward notched five goals as McDonogh scored the game's final three tallies. Gonzaga had stormed back from a 9-4 deficit to tie the score at 9 apiece.

Also considered: Brendan Grimes, Boys' Latin (Md.)

— Kenny DeJohn

SOUTH

Joe Taraboletti, Ponte Vedra (Fla.)

Despite going up against a team that Ponte Vedra coach Tom West expects to be one of the top teams in the nation, Joe Taraboletti nipped Boys' Latin for three goals. He also scored four times against Gilman (Md.). Taraboletti is a junior committed to Denver.

Also considered: Sean Dow, Christ School (N.C); Braden Erksa, Lassiter (Ga.); Jack McKeever, Bishop Moore (Fla.)

— Justin Boggs

WEST

Dewey Egan, Torrey Pines (Calif.)

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound versatile attackman stepped up in two dominant wins for the Falcons, the top-ranked team in the region. In a 16-4 win against Los Angeles power Loyola, Egan tallied the first four goals and finished with six for the day. The UNC commit also had five goals in the opener against Carlsbad.

Also considered: Henry Niehaus, St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), Trey Kockler, La Costa Canyon (Calif.)

— Laurel Pfahler