First off, I would like to welcome everyone to my inaugural blog on OrlandoLacrosse.com, I hope you all enjoy, if you think there is anything interesting that I could get more information on, any teams, players, coaches, games, camps, or anything that you think would interest you as well as others, please let me know. This blog is for everyone who loves the game of lacrosse and has an interest in the game in Orlando.
Now to the exciting stuff…
I love that college basketball is finally over with their “madness,” now it is time for lacrosse in Florida to go through the insanity of the playoffs. I will be going over the Final 16 teams matchup to match, describing what I know of the teams and the impressive wins/losses per school.
District 3 Winners (w/First Round Bye – Play winner of District 1 vs 2, Next Game – Friday, April 17th):
- Nease High School Panthers (14-3):
o Defense, Defense, Defense. How many teams in the United States can say they are sending an entire starting defense to play D1? Matt Leighty (a sought after D1 football WR) will be attending Johns Hopkins to play lacrosse and football, another d-man is going to play lacrosse at Jacksonville U., and the third d-man is going to play football at Jacksonville U. (I am sure Coach Kerwick would like him to join the team as well). They feature arguably the best goalie in the state, Nick Colon, and top middie Brett Angerer (Army).
o Key Wins: Winter Springs (12-6), Lake Mary (15-3), Bishop Moore (7-5).
o Key Losses: St. Andrews (3-21), Gulliver Prep (9-13), Bolles (4-8).
District 1 Winners (playing @ District 2 Winners – Jacksonville Episcopal, Next Game – Tues., April 14th):
- Lawton Chiles High School Timberwolves (9-5):
o Athleticism, Fight, and Desire. First team in Tallahassee to ever beat the Maclay School in Tallahassee Lacrosse history. May not be the biggest team on the field but these dogs know how to fight! If you haven’t been to a lacrosse game in Tallahassee, then you truly don’t know what a rivalry is. Four teams (Chiles, Leon, Lincoln, and Maclay), 200+ fans in the stands every game, and hatred between the schools. The team is led by seniors Perry Dube (A), Zac Gregg (A/M), Garrett Ifland (LSM/D), Colin Smith (LSM/D), Mike Walker (M), and Patrick Thorsson (G). The best thing going for Chiles is that no one really knows about them, Zac Gregg would be on the top of everyone’s top midfielder list if he were in Orlando, Garrett Ifland would be a threat at the LSM position at any Orlando high school (except Lake Brantley), and Mike Walker is an amazing two-way middie who can play great defense, run the ball down field and stick it top corner in a matter of seconds.
o Key Wins: Maclay (8-7).
o Key Losses: Maclay (5-6 and 4-9), Flagler (8-13).
District 2 Winners (playing District 1 Winners – Lawton Chiles, Next Game – Tues., April 14th @ Home):
- Jacksonville Episcopal High School Eagles (15-1):
o Groundballs, Face-offs, and Coaching lead to wins and championships. Joey Sapora is the only thing I know about Episcopal. What I know is that he is an All-American face-off guy. If anyone thinks that it isn’t that big of a deal, that a face-off guy doesn’t mean anything towards success, please read anything about Alex Smith, Danny Brennan, Chris Cercy, and etc. Face-offs = Possession. Possessions = Goals. Face-offs after Goals = More Possession for more Goals. Any Questions?
o Key Wins: Lyman (14-4), Maclay (10-4), Boone (minus Dallas Humphreys, 11-6), Bolles (9-6).
o Key Loss: Bolles (7-10)
District 6 Winners (w/First Round Bye – Play winner of District 4 vs 5, Next Game – Friday, April 17th):
- Apopka High School Blue Darters (12-4):
o Athleticism, Physicality, and Inexperience. Ask anyone in the NCAA Basketball tournament how dangerous some of the teams from the weaker conferences can be dangerous. They are unknown, under-scouted, tend to be unorthodox in their schemes, and loaded with athletes. They have a first round bye and can watch Winter Springs and Lake Brantley beat up on each other.
o Key Wins: Ocoee (12-9), Olympia (11-8), West Orange (14-9 and 11-9).
o Key Losses: Hagerty (7-10), Trinity Prep (6-7 OT), Timber Creek (5-27), Lake Brantley (4-17).
District 4 Winners (playing @ District 5 Winners – Lake Brantley, Next Game – Tues., April 14th):
- Winter Springs High School Bears (11-4):
o Face-offs, Ball Control, and Takeaways. Swarthmore signee Peter D’Amore leads the Bears into a high intensity game after defeating Flagler in the District 4 Finals in the last seconds. D’Amore will be the player to watch, he has the ability to control every face-off and score seconds later. Look for Lake Brantley to make sure that D’Amore doesn’t move an inch on the field without Jesse Bernhardt on hip. Winter Springs features a control offense on one end and a takeaway defense on the other.
o Key Wins: Lake Mary (9-7), Olympia (12-3), Flagler (14-10 and 11-10).
o Key Losses: Lake Highland Prep (10-20), Lake Brantley (2-12), Nease (6-12), Lyman (8-9 OT).
District 5 Winners (playing District 4 Winners – Winter Springs, Next Game – Tues., April 14th @ Home):
- Lake Brantley High School Patriots (17-1):
o Defense, Team Speed, and Physicality. If you want to watch a team who is scary to watch when a player becomes isolated by a defenseman, then Lake Brantley is the team to watch. Featuring the best defense in Florida since Lake Brantley’s Class of 2002. University of Maryland signee (joins brother Jake on the Terps) Jesse Bernhardt is a starting college D1 LSM talent playing against high school middies. Every check he throws look like it is an illegal slash or body check. However, there are all violently accurate. He has quite possibly the best stick skills in the state for any position and is unnaturally athletic (a starting LB for the Patriots football team). The team speed on defense is the fastest I have ever seen and the team is loaded with athletes. The only difference between this team and the 2002 Patriots was goalie talent was better that year.
o Key Wins: Bishop Moore (11-3), Winter Springs (12-2), Winter Park (8-4), Bolles (19-7).
o Key Loss: Lake Highland Prep (12-13 3OT).
I apologize to Gulliver Prep, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Vero Beach. I was unable to see any of your games and do not want to write anything arguably wrong against any of the teams.
District 12 Winners (w/First Round Bye – Play winner of District 10 vs 11, Next Game – Friday, April 17th):
- Gulliver Preparatory School Raiders (17-2):
o Key Wins: St. Thomas Aquinas (12-3), Bishop Moore (14-3), Lake Highland Prep (9-7), Nease (13-9), Kinkaid (TX) (8-6), Winter Park (17-4).
o Key Losses: St. Andrews (6-16), Archbishop Spalding (MD) (5-11).
District 10 Winners (playing District 11 Winners – St. Thomas Aquinas, Next Game – Tues., April 14th @ Home):
- Saint Andrews School Scots (20-0).
o Talent, Coaching, and Intelligence. To say the Scots were not the favorite to win the state would be an insane statement. SIXTEEN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TOTAL AND EIGHT OF THOSE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS! Try to argue against the true awesomeness that is the Saint Andrews lacrosse team. Coach Goldberg has been continuously be teaching, nurturing, and perfecting the best talent in the state every year. Eight members on this year’s team will be playing division lacrosse (Johns Hopkins, Army, Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, Trinity, Merchant Marine, and Wentworth Tech). They have the ability to win every face-off with FO/GO Blake Sufferling (Army). To score from the midfield with Shane McHugh (Brown), Lee Coppersmith (Johns Hopkins), Michael Lipin (Yale), and stop every shot they face with goalie Bernie Susskind (Dartmouth) in the cage (if you saw how good their backup played verse Lake Highland Prep you would be amazed that the future in the cage there was only an 8TH GRADER!!).
o Key Wins: Nease (21-3), Bolles (18-0), Lake Highland Prep (23-3 and 12-9), Gulliver Prep (16-6), Archbishop Spalding (MD) (18-13).
o Key Losses: Everyone in the state has been impatiently waiting for one for years…
District 11 Winners (playing @ District 10 Winners – St. Andrews, Next Game – Tuesday, April 14th):
- Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Raiders (11-6):
o Key Wins: Pine Crest (15-9 and 9-7), Cardinal Newman (10-7).
o Key Losses: Gulliver Prep (3-12), Lake Highland Prep (11-7), Bishop Moore (3-17), Pine Crest (9-13).
District 9 Winners (w/First Round Bye – Play winner of District 7 vs 8, Next Game – Friday, April 17th):
- Vero Beach High School Indians (11-6):
o Key Wins: Ponte Vedra (9-8), Melbourne Central Catholic (5-4).
o Key Losses: St. Andrews (2-23), Melbourne Central Catholic (7-14 and 7-9), Benet Academy (IL) (6-8).
District 7 Winners (playing @ District 8 Winners – Lake Highland Prep, Next Game – Tues., April 14th):
- Bishop Moore Catholic High School Hornets (11-6):
o Ball Control, Finishing Shots, and Takeaways. Bishop Moore, their worst enemy and biggest ally are themselves. They can play extremely well one day and fall down the next. Coach Hogan will need to ensure that the better of the two show up for another matchup on Tuesday with Lake Highland Prep. The Hornets feature and extremely well coached and talented offense led by Josh Haushalter, Tyler Auger, and Zak Cervasio and backed by a tremendous defense known for their takeaway abilities and ability to push the ball to the cage with Trey Darr and Robby Williamson. Look for Bishop Moore to try and slow the game down and keep the ball out of Lake Highland’s hands.
o Key Wins: St. Thomas Aquinas (17-3), Lake Highland Prep (17-13).
o Key Losses: Lake Brantley (3-11), Gulliver Prep (3-14), Winter Park (8-11), Timber Creek (10-11), Bolles (16-17 OT), Nease (5-7).
District 8 Winners (playing District 7 Winners – Bishop Moore, Next Game – Tues., April 14th @ Home):
- Lake Highland Preparatory School Highlanders (14-4):
o Talent, Ball Control, and Style. Lake Highland Prep has replaced Bishop Moore as the most disliked team in Central Florida, they can beat you with their excellently coached offense or their transition game. They are known for their flashy style of play featuring everything from stick fakes to behind-the-back shots and passes to the hidden ball trick on occasion. A talented offense led by George Proechel (St. Leo), David Vaughn (Wesleyan), Alex St. Laurent (Washington & Lee), and face-off/middie Brian Rotatori has the ability to dodge one-on-one or find the open cutter. They are seeking revenge for their loss to Bishop Moore earlier in the year.
o Key Wins: Winter Springs (20-10), Lake Brantley (13-12 3OT), St. Thomas Aquinas (17-11), Winter Park (12-6), Timber Creek (17-15 and 13-9 OT).
o Key Losses: Gulliver Prep (7-9), St. Andrews (3-23 and 9-12), Bishop Moore (13-17).
I hope everyone enjoyed my first blog on OrlandoLacrosse.com, if I missed some information I apologize. Especially to Vero Beach, Gulliver Prep, and Saint Thomas Aquinas for not knowing much about them. Feel free to send me messages on www.twitter.com/OrlandoLax and let me know of any current lacrosse information for the Orlando/Greater Central Florida.
OrlandoLax
