MIDWEST
1. Culver Academy (Ind.), 17-3
The Eagles capped their impressive 2023 campaign by winning the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association title (over Western Reserve Academy in overtime) and earning runner-up honors at the National Prep Lacrosse Championship (falling to The Hill Academy). Culver’s impressive season included wins over Boys’ Latin (Md.), Gonzaga (D.C.) and Kiski Academy (Pa.), as well as a series of dominant victories over its Midwest foes. Previous: 1
2. Brother Rice (Mich.) 20-2
The Warriors avenged last year’s state championship game loss with a 14-11 victory over Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), one of just two teams to beat Brother Rice during the regular season, to secure the 27th state title in program history. Lehigh commit Hunter Polonkey notched four goals and three assists in the title game to finish the season with 87 points (55 goals, 32 assists) despite missing eight games due to injury. Previous: 2
3. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 22-1
The Celtics capped the year with Marek Tzagournis scoring five goals in their 12-10 state title game win over St. Xavier. It was a fitting end to the season for Tzagournis, who finished the year with 77 goals and 84 assists and his career with a state-record 447 points. As for Dublin Jerome, in addition to its title, its resume includes victories over two of Florida’s top teams, Bolles and Ponte Vedra, and a perfect record against Buckeye State competition. Previous: 3
4. Wheaton Academy (Ill.) 23-1
Having started their program just a decade ago, the Warriors earned their first state title with a decisive victory over St. Viator, led by six goals from Aiden Weisenborn and four goals and three assists from Noah Miller. Wheaton Academy’s season included wins over top teams in Indiana (Carmel) and Wisconsin (Middleton, Mukwonago and Oregon) with its lone loss coming to IMG Academy (Fla.). Previous: 4
5. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), 19-3
The Shamrocks finished as the state runner-up after dropping a back-and-forth championship game against longtime Mitten State powerhouse Brother Rice. Jack Cyrek had a hat trick against the Warriors, capping a season in which he tallied 76 goals, 48 assists, won 71 percent of his faceoffs and earned Michigan Mr. Lacrosse honors. Previous: 5
6. Hartland (Mich.), 19-3
The 2022 state champion didn’t go down without a fight, rallying time and time again in the state semifinals, including a Mason Payter hat trick, against Detroit Catholic Central before falling 10-9. Senior Evan Busby, a Dartmouth commit, won 78.4 percent of his faceoffs (331 of 422) and tallied 151 ground balls while junior Drew Lockwood added 125 points and 75 ground balls. Previous: 6
7. St. Xavier (Ohio), 18-6
The young Bombers impressed all season, including sophomores accounting for seven of their eight goals in an overtime state semifinal win over Upper Arlington (Ohio). St. Xavier ultimately finished as the Division I runner-up with a resume that includes two victories over the Golden Bears as well as wins over one of Indiana’s best teams (Cathedral) and two of Tennessee’s best (Montgomery Bell Academy and Ravenwood). Previous: 7
8. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 20-3
Outside of two losses to St. Xavier, the Golden Bears’ only other defeat all season came against Mitten State powerhouse Brother Rice. With wins against Mars Area (Pa.), New Canaan (Conn.), Salesianum School (Del.) and Trinity Louisville (Ky.), Upper Arlington still has one of the region’s most impressive resumes. Previous: 8
9. Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.), 18-0
The Hawklets ended an undefeated season as Lacrosse Association of KC champions. Junior Luke McNamara hit the century mark in goals (103) in just 18 games while fellow juniors Jack Bichelmeyer, Colin Komenda and Croix Snow each topped 50 points. Senior Henry Kemp (84 ground balls, 139 faceoffs) and freshman Gentry Curtis (68 ground balls, 120 faceoffs) were critical in earning possession and junior keeper Matt Koehler saved more than two-thirds of the shots he faced. Previous: 9
10. St. Viator (Ill.), 23-2
While St. Viator’s first state title game appearance quickly went in Wheaton Academy’s direction, the Lions relished the best season in their history. Nicky Pastore had a hat trick in the state title game while Cade Faulkner had three assists for St. Viator. Pastore also had seven of the Lions’ 13 goals to ensure that their first state semifinal was a success as St. Viator beat Lake Forest by nine (with Faulkner adding three goals and three assists). Previous: T10
— Jonah Rosenblum
WEST
1. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 22-4
The Wildcats repeated as CIF Central Coast Section champions this season, claiming the title with an 11-4 win over Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) in a rematch of last year’s final as St. Ignatius Prep completed a three-game season sweep of the Gators. The Wildcats had just one in-region loss, a 6-5 defeat at the hands of Corona del Mar (Calif.), and the three other ones were against Mid-Atlantic powers. Their dominance was a credit to how balanced the squad was. St. Ignatius was led by 18 seniors, including college-bound players like Tristan Ghosh (Yale), Jack Porter (Drexel) and Bruno Chapman (Loyola), but they had several standout underclassmen that were regular contributors and will be ready to carry the torch. Previous: 1
2. Mountain Vista (Colo.), 16-3
The fifth-seeded Golden Eagles avenged a regular-season loss to No. 2-seeded Valor Christian (Colo.) to claim their second state title in three years. Mountain Vista had dropped a 10-4 loss to Valor on April 28 and got off to a slow start in the Class 5A final May 22, but the Golden Eagles rallied for a 10-8 win. Mountain Vista had lost to Arapahoe in last year’s final but won the 2021 championship, also against Valor Christian. MVHS was led by Ethan Pearson, who had 49 goals and 30 assists and is headed to Towson, and Riley Jenkins, a two-way midfielder who had 33 goals and 32 assists and is off to Canisius in the fall. Previous: 2
3. Valor Christian (Colo.), 17-2
The Eagles’ remarkable season ended in a disappointing 10-8 loss to Mountain Vista in the Class 5A final, after they had gotten through with just one narrow loss to Cherry Creek back in March. Valor had won 12 straight games going into the championship and its resumé included three out-of-state wins, including a notable 11-6 victory over Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.). Baden Brown led the team with 52 goals and 41 assists, while Liam Goodwin added 38 goals and 14 assists, and the good news is they are both back next year – as will several other key contributors like faceoff specialist Harry Luong (67.3 percent), goalie Buck Cunningham (5.1 goals against average) and all of their main goal scorers. Previous: 3
4. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 17-4
The Falcons were tested by a traditionally strong schedule full of out-of-state competition, and it paid off once again for a fifth straight CIF San Diego Open title. They beat Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) in the final after avenging a regular-season loss to La Costa Canyon (Calif.) in the semifinals. Torrey Pines had notable wins over Texas state champion Highland Park and perennial power Dallas Jesuit, as well as Arapahoe (Colo.) right after a three-game losing streak that included a triple-overtime defeat against St. Ignatius Prep. All of its losses were by two goals or less. Senior Jacob Mendez (Westminster) led the scoring with 45 goals and 48 assists, while junior Blake Washburn added 46 goals and 32 assists. A stout defense was led by All-American junior goalie Andrew Cook (Hopkins), senior short-stick defensive midfielder Ben Trask, junior S.J. Dohrenwend and sophomore Joey Levenberg. Previous: 4
5. De La Salle (Calif.), 21-3
The Spartans repeated as CIF North Coast champions, beating Redwood (Calif.), 13-10, in the final May 11 after topping Vista del Lago (Calif.) in the semifinals. De La Salle had notable wins over Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.) and Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), and its lone on-field losses were against St. Ignatius and Mater Dei (Calif.), in overtime. Henry Benner, a junior, led the team with 72 goals and 19 assists, while senior Carson Fialho added 45 goals and 33 assists. Junior faceoff specialist Jackson Barth (63.4 percent) is set to return next year along with Benner and a number of other starters. Previous: 5
6. Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.), 18-6
After coming up short in the CIF Southern Section final last year, the Knights completed their “unfinished business” this time. They avenged last year’s championship defeat against Corona del Mar (Calif.) in the semifinals, after also losing to CdM earlier this season, and then went on to win the title by edging Loyola-Los Angeles (Calif.), 9-8, in the final on Bode Jefferson’s winner. Foothill was paced offensively by seniors Luke Fox (69 goals, 53 assists) and Jackson Hines (61 goals, 28 assists), but the next seven leading scorers are set to return next year, along with sophomore faceoff specialist Isaiah Chavez (62.2 percent). Previous: 6
7. Loyola-Los Angeles (Calif.), 18-6
The Cubs fell short in the CIF Southern Section championship, ending a seven-game winning streak that began with a notable overtime win over Corona del Mar and included a 12-2 win over Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) in the semifinals. All of Loyola’s losses were by four goals or less – three of them by one goal. Loyola was led by six seniors, but with so many underclassmen set to return next year, the Cubs should be poised for another run. Previous: 7
8. Jesuit Portland (Ore.), 18-3
The Crusaders capped off a perfect season against in-state competition with a 10-4 win over West Linn (Ore.) to claim their second straight Oregon High School Lacrosse Association state title. Jesuit’s three losses were against St. Ignatius (by three) and Texas state semifinalist Westlake and runner-up The Woodlands. Nine seniors led the team, including standout Jack Duncan-Bloom, but Yale-bound junior Christian Buck is among those who will be back to help Jesuit try for a three-peat. Previous: 8
9. Regis Jesuit (Colo.), 15-3
The Raiders beat Kent Denver (Colo.) 7-4 in the quarterfinals of the CHSAA Class 5A tournament on May 17 but came up short against Valor Christian for a second time this season in the next round. Their only other loss was against Denver South (Colo.) in the opener. Regis had a notable win over Corona del Mar (Calif.) in mid-March and also had beaten fellow semifinalist Cherry Creek (Colo.) and Mountain Vista. Regis was best known for its defense, which allowed just 5.9 goals per game, but a balanced attack will lose its top three scorers with Ethan Hughes (31 goals, 9 assists), Fletcher Sullivan (30 goals, 9 assists) and Mattie Cain (22 goals, 11 assists) graduating. Previous: 9
10. Mater Dei (Calif.), 18-3
Another strong season ended early when the Monarchs fell to Foothill in the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals. The Monarchs’ other losses were to previously-ranked Legend (Colo.) and unranked Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.), but they had previously beaten Foothill during the regular season and also had wins over CdM and De LaSalle. Mater Dei loses two of its top three scorers – Tristan Jewell (43 goals, 11 assists) and Reece Lepham (31 goals, 9 assists) – to graduation along with 13 other seniors, but the Monarchs replaced a strong group from the Class of 2022 and will hope to reload again in 2024. Previous: 10
— Laurel Pfahler