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The Best Lacrosse States According To High School Polls

It’s always fun to compare states and regions within lacrosse using polls. It might not be scientific in any way, but it certainly showcases perceived differences in talent, and makes for an interesting conversation. We’ll take a look at the two biggest Top 25 Polls, and see if we can draw any conclusions!

US Lacrosse HS Top 25

1. Ward Melville (N.Y.) 22-0, 200 (8), State Class A champion
2. Loyola-Blakefield (Md.) 13-8, 185, MIAA champion
3. Garden City (N.Y.) 19-3, 176, State Class B champion
4. Boys’ Latin (Md.) 19-1 175, MIAA runner-up
5. Gonzaga (D.C.) 19-2, 161, WCAC champion
6. Malvern Prep (Pa.) 16-2, 148, Inter-Ac League champion & Invitational runner-up
7. Culver Military (Ind.) 18-2, 147, Season complete
8. La Salle (Pa.) 23-2, 143, PIAA champion
9. Niskayuna (N.Y.) 21-1, 140, State Class B semifinalist
10. Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.) 20-2, 138, State Class B runner-up
11. McDonogh (Md.) 14-4, 114, MIAA semifinalist
12. Hereford (Md.) 19-2, 104, State Class 3A/2A champion
13. Chaminade (N.Y.) 15-2, 104, CHSAA champion
14. Gilman (Md.) 12-4, 95, MIAA quarterfinalist
15. Haverford School (Pa.) 15-7, 93, Inter-Ac third place & Invitational champion
16. Calvert Hall (Md.) 11-6, 73, MIAA semifinalist
17. Salesianum (Del.) 17-2, 59, DIAA champion
18. Cazenovia Central (N.Y.) 22-2, 52, State Class C champion
19. Ridge (N.J.) 20-3, 47, ToC champion
20. Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 15-6, 41, Inter-Ac League runner-up
21. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.) 18-6, 41, VISAA & Co-IAC Champions
22. St. Paul’s (Md.) 15-5, 37, MIAA quarterfinalist
23. Yorktown (N.Y.) 17-3, 27 Season complete
24. Delbarton (N.J.) 17-1, 21, Season complete
25. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.) 21-1, 20, WCAL champion

Others receiving votes:

West Genesee (N.Y.) 15-6, 16
Paul VI (Va.) 20-4, 13
Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) 18-2, 9
Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) 17-1, 9
Bronxville (N.Y.) 22-2, 6
Conestoga (Pa.) 15-11, 3
St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) 11-5, 2
Ithaca (N.Y.) 15-3, 1

Ok, now let’s take a look at the other growing high school poll:

The IL/Under Armour Top 25

1. Ward Melville (N.Y.), 22-0
2. Boys’ Latin (Md.), 19-1
3. Gonzaga (D.C.), 19-2
4. Garden City (N.Y.), 19-3
5. Culver (Ind.), 18-2
6. Chaminade (N.Y.), 15-2
7. La Salle College (Pa.), 23-2
8. Loyola Blakefield (Md.), 13-8
9. Deerfield Academy (Mass.), 15-1
10. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 16-2
11. Niskayuna (N.Y.), 21-1
12. Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.), 20-2
13. Yorktown (N.Y.), 17-3
14. Delbarton (N.J.), 17-1
15. Hill Academy (Ont.), 18-4
16. Haverford School (Pa.), 15-7
17. McDonogh (Md.), 14-4
18. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 21-1
19. Massapequa (N.Y.), 15-2
20. Gilman (Md.), 12-4
21. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.), 18-6
22. Cazenovia Central (N.Y.), 22-2
23. Ridge (N.J.), 20-3
24. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 18-2
25. Salesianum (Del.), 17-2

Phew, that was a lot to take in. I’ll now look for some basic takeaways:

State Representation – New York is represented 21 times between the two lists. Maryland is hit up 11 times. No matter who is counting, these states clearly still reign supreme. Pennsylvania impresses with 8 spots between the two polls, and New Jersey has 4 spots. Other states (or districts) rarely have more than one school on either list, and in most cases, the same schools show on both lists.

It is interesting to note that the Hill Academy shows up on the IL/UA poll, but is not looked at for the US Lacrosse poll. Deerfield also shows highly in the UA poll, but is not a US Lacrosse worthy team it seems. The closest New England schools to inclusion were likely Fairfield Prep (CT) and Lincoln-Sundbury (MA).

Culver Academy (IN) – Culver is in Indiana. Let’s take a look at their roster, and see where these guys are from: 9 of these guys are actually from Indiana. That’s pretty cool, and bodes well for future development in-state. There are 3 players from Ontrario, one from South Korea, and get this… NONE from Maryland or New York. In fact. the biggest lacrosse states represented are probably New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and each has a whopping one player. Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin… these kids come from everywhere.

California – It’s still the land of potential out there. Top players are moving out there, competition is picking up, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to see two or three CA schools gracing the Top 20. Within 10 years, I predict we’ll see 3 or more pretty consistently. The game is exploding out there, and reaching new levels. Continue to keep an eye on that!

Takeaways

While the pack is still located back East in an area stretching only a couple hundred miles, it seems like lacrosse is still very much an “East Coast” sport, but as we’ve seen above, that would only scratch the surface. Once submerged, we can see that there is a true undercurrent at work, and it’s pulling West. We will continue to see more Chase Carraro type players coming from non-traditional areas, and as we are seeing with Culver, when they pull together, they are up there with the best.

New York and Maryland are still the Kings of the Heap, but the others are coming… it’s only a matter of time.