Teams in Colorado, Oregon Still Jockeying for Position in Regional Top 10 Ranks

Every Tuesday during the high school lacrosse season, USA Lacrosse updates Regional Top 10 and National Top 25 rankings to reflect the results of the previous week. Below are the USA Lacrosse High School Boys’ Regional Top 10 updates through games played May 26.

The South Region is not included this week after completing play.

While the first four teams in the Northeast Region had already finished their seasons, behind them were teams putting together some historic runs. While No. 6 Fairfield Prep (Conn.) won its 17th SCC title in the last 28 years, many of the winning teams broke ground. No. 8 East Islip (N.Y.) won its first county crown and newcomer at No. 9 Staples (Conn.) earned its spot with its first FCIAC title after putting it all together at the perfect time. No. 5 Bayport-Blue Point’s (N.Y.) title was its first since 2011, No. 10 Wantagh (N.Y.) won for the first time since 2001, and No. 7 Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.) captured the county for the first time in 31 years.

There were no changes to the Mid-Atlantic Region with all but two of the ranked teams done for the year. The top three of Lawrenceville (N.J.), Malvern Prep (Pa.) and Haverford School (Pa.) are as good a top three as any region. Beyond them, Salesianum (Del.) is looking to add a state title to its resume. The Sals have breezed into the semifinals. Paced by McDonogh (Md.), four of the next five schools hail from another stacked MIAA year. At No. 10, La Salle (Pa.) earned a Philadelphia Catholic League title after a stellar second half of play, and the Explorers could add a state title next as the rest of the AAA division chases them.

It’s nearly the opposite situation in the Midwest Region, where only No. 1 Culver (Ind.) and Trinity Louisville (Ky.) had finished their seasons before last week. The rest of the region remains in the midst of playoff runs, with Rockhurst Jesuit adding their fourth straight Lacrosse Association of Kansas City crown to close their year. The ranked Michigan and Ohio teams were perfect through last week and the stakes get even higher as they advance deeper into the playoffs this week.

While California teams had wrapped up their playoffs a week before and Arizona even earlier than that, the West Region still had Colorado and Oregon going among the ranked. Valor Christian (Colo.) cemented its No. 2 spot with a win over Arapahoe (Colo.) for the state title. Jesuit Portland (Ore.) continued its march toward what could be a third straight state championship run.

NORTHEAST

1. Brunswick School (Conn.), 17-1

Brunswick (Conn.) defeated Salisbury (Conn.), 12-6, to reach the Prep Nationals championship game for the third year running. However, the Bruins’ bid for an undefeated season ended abruptly with a 14-5 loss to Lawrenceville (N.J.). The Big Red avenged an overtime defeat during the regular season. Previous: 1

2. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), 12-2

The Friars made it eight consecutive wins over rival Chaminade (N.Y.) and captured a fourth straight CHSAA title following a 10-6 victory. Luke Breslin had four goals, Jack Riglietti and Quinn Langton had two goals and two assists apiece and Sean Forde made 12 saves to lead St. Anthony’s (N.Y.). Previous: 2

3. Belmont Hill (Mass.), 17-1

Following a 13-8 victory over Roxbury Latin (Mass.) in the semifinals, Belmont Hill (Mass.) defeated Middlesex School (Mass.), 19-6, to capture a first Independent School League title since 2017 and 14th in program history. Preston Evans had three goals and three assists, Ben DiBattista had four goals and one assist and Will Stewart had two goals and two assists to lead the Hillers. Previous: 3

4. Chaminade (N.Y.), 11-4

The Flyers ended the season on a high note, beating Manhasset (N.Y.) for the fifth straight time in the 15th annual Reg’s Rock matchup in memory of Sgt. James J. Regan. Connor Kuttin scored four goals, Gavin Lynch had two goals and one assist, John Balsamo had one goal and two assists and Quinn Ball won all 13 faceoffs he took. Previous: 4

5. Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.), 17-1

Danny Aiello scored three goals, including the winner with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter, Maclin Keyser had a pair of goals, Ben Morris had one goal and two assists and Brady Smith made 15 saves as the Phantoms defeated Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) 9-8 to capture the Suffolk Class C title for the first time since 2011. Previous: 5

6. Fairfield Prep (Conn.), 17-1

Luke Shannehan had four goals and four assists, Tim Shannehan had three goals and four assists and LSM Gavin McCarthy was named tournament MVP as the Jesuits defeated Cheshire (Conn.) 17-8 to capture the SCC title for the 17th time since 1996. Previous: 7

7. Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.), 18-1

Anthony Raio had three goals, Zach Marco and Joe Filardi had two goals apiece, Jack Casamento limited Jack Deliberti to one goal and Sal Santoro made eight saves as Hills beat three-time defending champions Northport (N.Y.) 9-8 to win the Suffolk Class A title, the district’s first county championship in 31 years. Previous: 8

8. East Islip (N.Y.), 17-1

Ryan Parker netted a hat trick, Matt Baldino had three goals and two assists, Matt McIntee had two goals and two assists and Ethan Benardos had two goals and one assist as East Islip (N.Y.) scored the first nine goals of the game en route to a 12-5 win over Smithtown West (N.Y.) in the Suffolk Class B title, the program’s first county championship. Previous: 9

9. Staples (Conn.), 13-6

Adam Udell scored five goals, his winner eight seconds into overtime his fourth in seven minutes and Tristan Schaefer scored twice as Staples (Conn.) stunned Darien (Conn.) 7-6 to win the program’s first FCIAC title. The Wreckers knocked off Wilton (Conn.), New Canaan (Conn.) and Darien to claim the crown. Previous: NR

10. Wantagh (N.Y.), 16-3

Dylan Martini scored six goals on eight shots, Joe Nicholson had three goals, Jake Martini had two goals and three assists and Kyle Conklin made 10 saves as Wantagh (N.Y.) defeated Island Trees (N.Y.), 13-4, in the Nassau Class C final. It is the Warriors’ second county title and first since 2001. Previous: 10

— Dylan Butler

MID-ATLANTIC

1. Lawrenceville (N.J.), 19-1

Lawrenceville avenged its only loss of the season in convincing fashion, 14-5, over Brunswick (Conn.) to repeat as Prep Nationals champions. The Big Red topped Deerfield (Conn.) 19-8 in the semifinals to set up a rematch of the overtime game it lost to Brunswick in the regular season. Lawrenceville dominated most of its competitive schedule this year to the tune of a 324-142 advantage. Lawrenceville finished the year on an 11-game winning streak. Previous: 1

2. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 20-3

Malvern captured its season finale, 9-6, over Haverford (Pa.) in the National Prep Championship. It was a reassuring win for a team that suffered two of its three losses to the Fords in the regular season. Malvern stopped Culver Academy (Ind.) in the National Prep Championship semifinals 11-6. The Friars won their final seven games and finished with wins over Georgetown Prep (D.C.), Calvert Hall (Md.), Boys’ Latin (Md.), St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), Salesianum (Del.), La Salle (Pa.) and Gonzaga (D.C.). Previous: 2

3. Haverford (Pa.), 20-2

The Fords saw déjà vu with the same ending to this year as last year. Haverford, which had beaten Malvern (Pa.) twice in the regular season, lost to the Friars in the National Prep Championship, 9-6, to close their season. Nonetheless, the Fords proved to be among the top teams in the country again. They defeated Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) 8-5 in the national semifinals In addition to two wins over Malvern, Haverford topped Landon (Md.), McDonogh (Md.), Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) and Taft (Conn.). Previous: 3

4. Salesianum (Del.), 15-2

The Sals advanced to the state semifinals with a 19-4 win over St. Andrew’s (Del) in the quarterfinals May 25. Salesianum handled Tower Hill (Del.) 18-5 in the first round of the state tournament May 21. They will play Archmere Academy (Del.) in the semifinals. The Sals won their previous meeting, 14-4. Previous: 4

5. McDonogh (Md.), 15-3

The Eagles fulfilled a pre-season goal of becoming just the second MIAA team to three-peat as champions. In the semifinals, they avenged a regular-season loss with a 10-9 win over second-seeded Archbishop Spalding (Md.). Then, they defeated Boys’ Latin (Md.) 14-12 for their third straight title in the toughest conference in the country. Brendan Millon scored three goals and had three assists, Luke Miller had a hat trick and two assists and Aidan Seibel stopped 13 shots in goal. It’s the Eagles’ sixth conference championship. They equaled Calvert Hall’s three-peat from 2017-19. Previous: 5

6. Boys' Latin (Md.), 14-3

The Lakers fell to McDonogh for the MIAA title, 14-12. Matt Higgins scored three goals and had an assist, and Spencer Ford had a hat trick while Parker Hoffman was efficient at the faceoff X. Boys’ Latin advanced to the title game with a 13-9 win over fifth-seeded Gilman (Md.) in the MIAA semifinals. Boys’ Latin earned the top seed in the MIAA with just one in-conference loss in the regular season. Out of conference, they picked up wins over St. John’s College (D.C.), St. Andrew’s (Fla.) and Gonzaga (D.C.). Previous: 6

7. Landon (Md.), 17-2

The Bears ended their year with a 17-6 win over Georgetown Prep (D.C.) to capture their first IAC championship since 2017. After losing two of its first four games, Landon did not lose again. The Bears made it a priority and won the ground ball battle in all 19 games this year. Previous: 7

8. Archbishop Spalding (Md.), 13-5

The Cavaliers earned the second seed for the MIAA playoffs but fell to third-seeded McDonogh 10-9 in the semifinals of the MIAA on May 14. The Cavaliers led 6-3 with six minutes to go in the second quarter. Connor Wilbur scored three goals and had a pair of assists and Gordon Bennett had a hat trick and assist. Spalding won seven straight games entering the playoffs. Previous: 8

9. Gilman (Md.), 12-7

The Greyhounds saw their breakout season end in the MIAA semifinals against Boys’ Latin, 13-9. Jay Wilkerson, Griffin Graham and Jay Rodgers all scored two goals apiece. Zach Parks kept Gilman in it with 12 saves. Gilman opened the year with a statement win over Georgetown Prep (D.C.), beat St. John’s College (D.C.) and St. Ignatius (Ohio). They avenged a loss to Calvert Hall (Md.) with a win in the MIAA quarterfinals rematch. Previous: 9

10. La Salle (Pa.), 20-1

The Explorers pulled away from St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) for an 11-3 win and their eighth straight Philadelphia Catholic League championship May 24. Stevie Davis won all 16 faceoffs, Max Wickersham had six points on four goals and two assists and Paul Van Bastelaar scored four goals and had one assist. Matt Nelson made eight saves. La Salle had a 4-3 lead at halftime before pitching a shutout in the second half. The Explorers were 18-1 winners over Lansdale Catholic (Pa.) behind six goals from Van Bastelaar. Christian Peterman won five faceoffs. They open state tournament play June 4. Previous: 10

— Justin Feil

MIDWEST

1. Culver Academy (Ind.), 14-3

The Eagles completed their season by splitting a pair of games at the National Prep Lacrosse Championship, edging Bullis School (D.C.), 18-15, before falling to Malvern Prep (Pa.). Their only losses this year came against national powers while their wins include double-digit margins over some of the best of the Midwest, like Upper Arlington (Ohio) and St. Xavier (Ky.), as well as wins over top-25 teams like Gonzaga (D.C.) and Hill Academy (Ont.). Previous: 1

2. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 17-3

The top-seeded Golden Bears sailed through their first two postseason games, topping No. 16 seed Newark (Ohio) and No. 9 Pickerington North (Ohio) by double-digit margins. The highlights included senior Tommy Janowicz breaking the program’s all-time points record, passing his father’s mark set in 1996. Next up is an intriguing Region 3 semifinal against No. 4 Worthington Kilbourne (Ohio), with the Wolves giving the Golden Bears a solid game (15-9 Upper Arlington) when they played in early April. Previous: 2

3. Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.), 16-2

The Hawklets capped a remarkable four-year run in which they went 61-7 by scoring 20 goals apiece against Olathe East (Mo.) in the semifinals and Shawnee Mission East (Mo.) in the finals to win their fourth straight Lacrosse Association of Kansas City title. Luke McNamara tied his own single-game program record with nine goals in Rockhurst Jesuit’s title game victory, finishing his remarkable career with 332. Jack Bichelmeyer and Colin Komenda also had hat tricks in both LAKC final four games. Previous: 3

4. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 19-1

The top-seeded Patriots opened Region 1 play by topping No. 16 seed Big Walnut and No. 8 Delaware Hayes by a combined margin of 42-6. Keegan Kuhn had five goals in the former while Austin Mallory exploded for eight in the latter. Jake Struck had big games in both, and Luke Mulder went 16 of 18 from the X with 11 ground balls against Hayes. This week could involve a double dose of Dublin (Ohio) with Coffman (Ohio) waiting in the Region 1 semis and Jerome (Ohio) potentially looming in the finals. Previous: 4

5. St. Xavier (Ohio), 17-3

The Bombers showed no rust in their return to action following an off week. Indeed, top-seeded Xavier crushed its first two Region 4 opponents, topping No. 17 seed Miamisburg and No. 11 Lakota West by a combined margin of 51-3. Xavier next takes on Milford (Ohio)in the regional semis with a potential rematch in the finals against No. 2 Mason (which Xavier beat 13-7 in early May) or No. 3 Springboro (which Xavier topped 15-10 in late April). Previous: 5

6. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), 17-3

After ending the regular season on a tear, with their four straight wins including a dominant performance against Brother Rice (Mich.), the Shamrocks were no less impressive to open the Michigan High School Athletic Association tournament. DCC cruised into the Region 7 finals after beating Lakeland (Mich.) and Howell (Mich.) by a combined score of 39-1. Previous: 6

7. Brother Rice (Mich.), 13-4

The Warriors had a long time to sit, stew and recuperate following a 15-2 loss to rival Detroit Catholic Central to end the regular season. And top-seeded Brother Rice returned with a fury, crushing No. 5 Royal Oak by 20 in the Region 6 semifinals. Second-seeded Birmingham United (Mich.) awaits in the finals with the Warriors doubling up on the Bulldogs earlier this season. Previous: 7

8. Trinity Louisville (Ky.), 17-1

The Shamrocks will always remember this season, ending the year on a 16-game winning streak, capped by their first state championship since 2017. Logan Bryant, Huck Campbell, Noah Hollister and Charlie Horner were among the many heroes of the state tournament for Trinity, whose 16 straight wins included an overtime victory over Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.) and a double-overtime win over St. Xavier (Ky.). Previous: 8

9. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 14-4

Last year’s state champs, the Celtics are a two seed this year that will be favored in their Region 1 semifinal against No. 6 Olentangy Orange (Ohio), which Jerome beat by double digits earlier this year. And then, should the Celtics advance, they would likely encounter their steepest obstacle yet to a repeat, facing Liberty (Ohio) in the regional championship game. The Patriots topped the Celtics by five in their first meeting, way back in late March. Previous: 9

10. St. Ignatius (Ohio), 10-9

The Wildcats ended the regular season and started the postseason with shutouts. Of course, the competition is about to stiffen considerably. Should Ignatius beat No. 5 Riverside (Ohio) in the Region 2 semis, No. 2 Hoover (Ohio) or No. 3 Hudson (Ohio) would await May 31. The Wildcats edged both in very close, and very defensive games, during the first half of their schedule. Previous: 10

— Jonah Rosenblum

WEST

1. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 19-2

For the third consecutive year, St. Ignatius claimed the CCS championship crown with a victory over Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.). St. Ignatius defended its title and repeated history by beating Sacred Heart in the final round for the third straight season. Previous: 1

2. Valor Christian (Colo.), 17-2

Valor Christian defeated Arapahoe (Colo.) 22-6 in the 5A CHSAA state championship to claim the program’s third ever title and first since 2017. It was the largest margin of victory in state championship game history. Previous: 2

3. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 17-3

Torrey Pines won its sixth straight CIF title after an 18-4 rout over rival La Costa Canyon (Calif.) — the largest scoring deficit ever in a San Diego Section championship match. Previous: 3

4. St. Margaret’s Episcopal (Calif.), 18-2

The Tartans are crowned the CIF-SS Division 1 champions for the first time ever thanks to a gritty 10-9 victory over Loyola-Los Angeles (Calif.). The milestone marks the program’s fourth Southern Section title and first since 2019. Previous: 4

5. Brophy Prep (Ariz.), 22-2

Under the leadership of head coach Pat Harbeson, the Broncos are crowned the Arizona Lacrosse League state champions for the third consecutive year with a 19-2 victory over Pinnacle (Ariz.). Previous: 5

6. Marin Catholic (Calif.), 16-5

For the first time in program history, Marin Catholic claimed the North Coast Section Division 1 title after a dominant 14-3 victory over De La Salle (Calif.). Previous: 6

7. Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), 16-6

Sacred Heart fell to No. 1 St. Ignatius in the CCS Division 1 championship game. For the last three years, the CCS playoffs title game has been played between the Gators and the Wildcats, with the latter coming out on top every time. Previous: 7

8. Arapahoe (Colo.), 17-2

Arapahoe fell to Valor Christian in the 5A CHSAA state championship title game. Junior middie Brody Nelson (High Point) netted two goals while Eli Backer and Nicholas Parker each added a goal. Arapahoe has played in each of the last four 5A state championship games. Previous: 8

9. Jesuit Portland (Ore.), 16-1

The Crusaders blew through West Salem-McNary (Ore.) and Oregon Episcopal (Ore.) to claim their spot in the OHSLA state semifinals. They must get through Sunset (Ore.) before Jesuit Portland takes aim at a third straight title. Previous: 10

10. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 13-4

Cherry Creek was knocked out of the 5A CHSAA state championships after falling to Regis Jesuit (Colo.) in the quarterfinals. Previous: 9

— Theresa Palmquist