Joey Spallina, the Syracuse-bound attackman from Mount Sinai (N.Y.), is the USA Lacrosse Magazine National High School Boys’ Player of the Year, the publication announced Monday.
Spallina wrapped his high school career as the all-time leading scorer in Long Island history, producing 507 points despite missing significant game action due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All told, he contributed 226 goals and 281 assists for the Mustangs. He’ll now head to Syracuse and wear No. 22, the storied number once worn by his new head coach, Gary Gait.
Spallina, the class of the Northeast Region, is joined by four others across the country earning recognition.
Dom Pietramala of Boys’ Latin (Md.) is the Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year after the UNC-bound attackman had 53 goals and 35 assists this season for a team that finished 13-4 — good for fifth-place in the region. The son of Syracuse assistant Dave Pietramala, the lefty is considered the No. 2 recruit in the class — behind Spallina — by Inside Lacrosse.
McAllister Hobbs was a force to be reckoned with out of the midfield for Dallas Jesuit (Texas) this spring, scoring 59 goals with six assists to earn South Player of the Year honors. Hobbs scored multiple goals in every game but one. He also contributed 31 ground balls, and scored the winning goal in the THSLL Class AA State championship game. Hobbs, a senior, is committed to Penn State.
The Midwest Player of the Year is Griffin Scane, a Culver Academy (Ind.) midfielder on his way to Penn in the fall. Scane, the younger brother of Northwestern star Izzy Scane, was announced in the second wave of 11 boys who have been selected to compete in the 17th-annual Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Game.
Lucas Newton of Corona del Mar (Calif.) is the West Player of the Year. The senior attackman scored three goals in the CIF-SS championship game and led his team in points with 103 (42 goals, 61 assists). Newton will take his talents to Villanova in the fall.