LaxPower Back-Up Stick

Well, the NE West 2021 thread was dull.

Nobody strolled in and declared that a team that accepts Post Graduates (and kids from all over the world) cannot possibly be a High School. We kind of count on this sort of discussion to get our page count up.

My beloved Rhinos beat the best of the best in tournaments including top MIAA and Culver and Philly and Long Island teams but still came up third in the NE West. I’m not sure if I’m proud or bummed. Such is the challenge of being a NE West partisan.

There is talk of a Founders League tournament, but that leaves off the 3 best teams in the NE West. Some people on this board mutter that there is politics involved. but I can’t believe that educators would stoop to gutter politics.

Hopefully, this year there will be no Covid Protocol and the kids can just go lax to their hearts content.

Hopefully.

Any prognostications on who is gonna surprise this year?

I know of four of Deerfield's PGs from Massachusetts. Matt Lazzaro (A/M - Franklin High School/Penn State) is excellent and should be a primary part of the offense. Cole Van Meter (Mid - Nobles/BU) and Jackson Coutu (Mid - St. Mark's/Providence) are speedy and athletic guys who probably end up as dmids in college, but could still add some pop to DA's offense. Tate Seeman (Def - Nobles/Villanova) is a big & physical close defender who I imagine will be in the mix to start.

Fwiw, there’s this:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ield/58555

Deerfield has PGs from other prep schools? Since when did you do a prep PG after graduating from a place like Nobles? Is this the new normal?

I think it has more to do with the backlog of talent in the NCAA due to extra year of eligibility because of Covid. Kids are wanting to wait for it to clear out a bit.

Bonkboo wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 9:06 pm Deerfield has PGs from other prep schools? Since when did you do a prep PG after graduating from a place like Nobles? Is this the new normal?

Agree that COVID is likely playing a role but PG'ing after graduating from another prep school is not new. Clearly extremely costly. You cannot PG at the same school you graduated from.

If you think of boarding schools as “finishing schools” what’s it say about the first place if a kid elects a PG year post boarding school? I’m aware of why and how Pgs are used but doing that should indicate that the first school or the kid failed in some way

My guess is that this has a lot to do with the logjam of talent in D1 from Covid. Also, while I don't know the ages of all of these kids at least one won't turn 19 until after graduating from Deerfield. Joining a D1 program a few months after turning 18 may have been common in our respective days, but I don't think that's the case anymore. A PG year might always have been part of the plan instead of reclassing when first going to private school.

Probably true still seems odd to me maybe it’s me being anachronistic.

And we picked up a late addition LSM who PGd at Deerfield whom I’m told could be a real diamond in the rough so there goes my prior thoughts.

And VanMeter already reclassified at Nobles so he might as well be a college sophomore.

Ryan Cohen, AOF ‘21 put up 5 points (2G 3A) in his college debut for Michigan. Not bad!

So, on the verge of another spring in the Wild West. Interesting days ahead with the bifurcation of Founders and Prep National. Gotta say I am glad the team I root for is in the latter side of that divide, from a fan standpoint. All kinds of interesting options open up as well as rewarding those playing their best at the end of the season. Buckle up...

Kent with a 15-7 loss to Penn Charter earlier in the week. Penn Charter is a good team so a loss to them isn't a bad loss. However, since 2018 Kent is cumulatively 4-33 in lacrosse. Now I know Kent has never been a powerhouse in the sport and allocates resources elsewhere but in the past, they've at least been competitive. Does anyone have any insight into what's going on there/why they still even bother to play the big guys in conference? This year they only have 1 commit on the roster according to inside lacrosse and don't see them righting the ship.

Very hard to attract a solid coach if you're not going to support them...They had a great option in Kruger...WHO WORKED IN ADMISSIONS...but he left for Perkiomen who wanted to build a winner and showed it with support...

SlingtheRock7 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 10, 2022 1:27 pm Kent with a 15-7 loss to Penn Charter earlier in the week. Penn Charter is a good team so a loss to them isn't a bad loss. However, since 2018 Kent is cumulatively 4-33 in lacrosse. Now I know Kent has never been a powerhouse in the sport and allocates resources elsewhere but in the past, they've at least been competitive. Does anyone have any insight into what's going on there/why they still even bother to play the big guys in conference? This year they only have 1 commit on the roster according to inside lacrosse and don't see them righting the ship.

Lots of chatter about the place for Kent and NMH in West-1 over the years. Both schools with their own strengths but neither invests in lax and, in this league, if you aren’t bringing in at least several future recruits a year, you just can’t compete. There is precedent for movement, Canterbury went down to West-2 and Berkshire came up to West-1. Kent and NMH would certainly be among the top teams in West-2 but they would by no means steamroll everyone, they would have several very competitive games a year. I can’t speak for their players but I would prefer to play in a strong league with multiple very competitive games, some easy wins and a spread of competitive OOC games rather that the prestige of playing in the top league in the country but getting just decimated game after game after game.

NEW1 forum appears to be on life support, if not outright moribund. I know it's still a little early, but there isn't the normal activity anymore. I'm just curious about updates on the programs, recruits etc. Is there another current source/forum where there is active discussion about NEW 1 & 2 2022?

The high school forums as a whole are pretty quiet. I’d love to hear more about our New England West teams more also. Should pick up with games right around the corner.

grelch wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 4:16 pm NEW1 forum appears to be on life support, if not outright moribund. I know it's still a little early, but there isn't the normal activity anymore. I'm just curious about updates on the programs, recruits etc. Is there another current source/forum where there is active discussion about NEW 1 & 2 2022?

Using some pretty nifty SAT words there, Grelch. Moribund trips off the tongue terrifically! I assume this thread will amplify appropriately once the ref's whistle chirps and the action begins. Building toward some interesting and first time ever season ending events we've all been hoping for - even if a bit bifurcated with the Founder's vs. Prep Nationals divide. Should be interesting to see how things shake out!

Yeah, I know. Usually by now there's talk about the new players in the teams etc. I'm assuming the usual schools are all the favorites again. Just jonesing for some details to get a little hyped. Watched a little of BL v Culver yesterday which made me think, it's time.