MASS HS Lax

[NNELax]

Catholics should leave the MIAA like Austin Prep did. I think the issue is football more than anything. MIAA football is more competitive than what you get in the ISL/NE Prep.

I'm not so sure that's the case anymore. There's a lot of size and talent on the rosters of the ISL 7 teams, and the top CT programs take it to even higher level with the teams they're producing.

The competition would be there but I'm not convinced a move to the NEPSAC is a better solution than adopting a Long Island or New Jersey model that would maintain traditional regular season play/rivalries but separate the postseasons. If you take SJP, BCH, and X out of the MIAA fully that is almost another punishment to top publics as they'd lose strong regular season competition.

I've coached both football and lacrosse in both. I will say that NEPSAC football is not nearly as consistent. Just don't have the numbers as the top MIAA squads. However the PG heavy programs tend to be stronger and Choate tends to be the golden standard (very strong almost every year). I like the idea of what you mentioned about what they do on LI...maybe that would work?

[Laxxal22]

I've coached both football and lacrosse in both. I will say that NEPSAC football is not nearly as consistent. Just don't have the numbers as the top MIAA squads.

When did you coach? I don't doubt your experience - it was certainly low-level football when I played - but a friend who's on an ISL 7 coaching staff says the talent influx really ramped up in the years before Covid and now all of the schools in that division have 5+ football-focused student athletes per class. Complement that talent with a few future college baseball and lacrosse players in each class and you get really athletic rosters even if there are only 40-45 total kids on the game day sideline. New England Football Journal does a weekly "Chaos Poll" that's a combined public/private top 25 for MA, and six of the ISL 7 teams are ranked between 10-24 this week. It's become a great combination of high-level competition that's evenly matched.

Back to MA lacrosse news, I saw that Tim Gardner is coming back to Xaverian. He was there for 20 years in his previous stint, and after whatever happened with Coach Morse the school clearly wanted familiarity over a search.

[NNELax]

I've coached both football and lacrosse in both. I will say that NEPSAC football is not nearly as consistent. Just don't have the numbers as the top MIAA squads.

When did you coach? I don't doubt your experience - it was certainly low-level football when I played - but a friend who's on an ISL 7 coaching staff says the talent influx really ramped up in the years before Covid and now all of the schools in that division have 5+ football-focused student athletes per class. Complement that talent with a few future college baseball and lacrosse players in each class and you get really athletic rosters even if there are only 40-45 total kids on the game day sideline. New England Football Journal does a weekly "Chaos Poll" that's a combined public/private top 25 for MA, and six of the ISL 7 teams are ranked between 10-24 this week. It's become a great combination of high-level competition that's evenly matched.

Back to MA lacrosse news, I saw that Tim Gardner is coming back to Xaverian. He was there for 20 years in his previous stint, and after whatever happened with Coach Morse the school clearly wanted familiarity over a search.

My last year coaching HS football was 2016. So you could very well be correct...Some great athletes for sure and the multi-sport athletes were key!

[Laxxal22]

From Twitter/X: Reading boys lacrosse coach Charlie Hardy, who started the program, steps down after 22 seasons. Had career 403-103 record with Div. 2 state titles in 2018 and 2023.

Tremendous career taking a new program and elevating it to the elite level of public school teams. Big shoes to fill. Any word if there's an internal replacement or will there be a coaching search?

[MA Lax Fan]

Wow. Huge news. He has done a tremendous job at Reading.

It’s a weird time to step down with the season starting up shortly - has he given any reasons why he is leaving?

[Laxxal22]

The Globe article on his retirement didn't give a specific reason but cited his age (74) and that he's also a small business owner. He said that he "hemmed and hawed about it" which could have something to do with the timing. All seems on the up and up though.

[MA Lax Fan]

Any word on Reading replacement?

[Laxboy78]

Likely internal

[Laxxal22]

Is Tom Sarni from SJP done playing lacrosse at Providence? He didn't play much as a freshman, which is typical. I was hoping he'd break out this spring but he's not on the roster for 2024.

[MA Lax Fan]

Great kid, still at PC but just trying to balance the freedom college provides with also being on a team with expectations.

[Laxxal22]

Totally understandable. You only get those four years once, and the amount of former college athletes who you meet in their 20s that wish they'd hung it up earlier and enjoyed college more is pretty high.

[Laxboy78]

So are we going to see SJP v BC High part 4 this year?

[MA Lax Fan]

Let’s hope so. That would be really exciting. Who would ever expect those two teams to make it to championship weekend.

Any word on Reading coach?

[Laxboy78]

Two internal candidates, but some disagreement on who! Still havent chosen one yet, and tryouts are very soon!

[Laxxal22]

So are we going to see SJP v BC High part 4 this year?

We'll certainly see SJP. It looks like a big gap between their roster and what everyone else has.

BCH looks a little down. I've been told the 8th and 9th graders are real strong, but that doesn't do much this year.

Xaverian was overhyped heading into last season, but that was based on junior commits who are now seniors. Does Hasselbeck plan to play? If so they'll certainly have the horsepower to go on a run.

I don't know about the top D1 publics. I saw Hingham dropped back down to D2 - that division may be more interesting to watch.

[Laxxal22]

Let’s hope so. That would be really exciting. Who would ever expect those two teams to make it to championship weekend.

Any word on Reading coach?

Rob Parkin. Apparently has been with the program for nine years, acting as DC for the past three.

https://bostonlax.net/2024-previews-wit ... 2-reading/

[Gorilla Fan]

Let’s hope so. That would be really exciting. Who would ever expect those two teams to make it to championship weekend.

Any word on Reading coach?

Rob Parkin. Apparently has been with the program for nine years, acting as DC for the past three.

https://bostonlax.net/2024-previews-wit ... 2-reading/

https://rmhsorbit.com/3143/news/parkin- ... lax-coach/

[MA Lax Fan]

Any scrimmage info to report.

Longmeadow played a NY team yesterday but that’s all I know.

[McMonkey]

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

McMonkey

[Laxxal22]

IMG 9 - St. John’s Prep 8

Does the MIAA have a rule against playing teams against PGs? I saw SJP’s twitter listed this as a scrimmage this morning, but who plays scrimmages in mid-April?