Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Parent of 8th grader currently at an MIAA "A" division private. We are poking around other schools for high school to make sure we are making the right choice. In addition to talking to coaches, we've been attending the various schools "prospect days". We've been to Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall and Gilman thus far. I'm not sure how much recruiting is going on outside of those prospect days but the turnout at a couple were awful. I don't know how these other schools are going to compete. Most of the 8th grade top talent is either currently at or planning on attending Spalding, Boys Latin, St. Paul's and Calvert Hall. Cupboard looks pretty thin at Gilman, McDonogh, Loyola Blakefield and Severn.

The answer to your question is "0-6 freshmen on varsity per year, and 2-3 of them will actually get decent reps." Your son will almost assuredly not get varsity reps as a freshman if he is on-age. And why would you want him to? The majority of MIAA-A varsity starters are already 19, or will turn 19 in the next 45 days. Take the JV reps.

The other answer is that every year is different at every school. It's quite the moving target and you have to understand that the school needs to pass your son's "broken leg test" because there could come a day when lax is not his biggest focus. I know the Loyola prospect days last year (2028s and 2029s) each had 100+ players attending, most of them 2029s. Lax coaching tenure is about 4 years which means each head coach is on a different part of their own journey/career. Also each school's (and donors) appetite for giving out athletic scholarships comes and goes.

Loyola 2029 has got half or more of the Crabs (#16 nationally) and half of Predators (#89 nationally) already enrolled and almost all will stay. Plus they'll recruit a few but not many. Overall it's gonna be a strong class. Yes, knowing Loyola, the admin/executive staff/mega donors will somehow screw it up.

My take on the overall 2028 class:
Loyola - Meh, 3 great recruits and kept all their MS players who didn't reclass to another school.
Gilman - Dangerously weak, lots of scholarships offered with few takers.
Spalding - Good mix....Hawks kids, but also beaucoups utility players from the Insta Clippers/True Glen Burnie, MDLL's random team.
St. Pauls - biggest surprise of the 2028 class. Attracted TONS of talent from in state and out of state, esp. from the Calv Hall and Loyola feeder schools
McDonogh - recruited kids from across the country, and will keep bringing in new 2028s for the next 3.5 years.
Severn - I mean their recruiting radius is like 7 miles so....
St. Marys - Upside, your kid will play varsity. Downside, it will probably be a bad and chaotic time.
John Carroll - Upside, your kid will play varsity. Downside, the program has trouble getting wind in its sails, even w new head coach.
MSJ - Upside, your kid will learn to punch NFL fans in the street, on a 15 day coke bender, and play with public school kids from Arbutus.
BL - picked up the starting line up of the relatively talented HLC AA/AAA club, and tons of crab kids.

Great analysis of the 28 class. I'd add that McDonogh's top 28's are local kids (goalie, mid and left attack). Also, BL brought in a larger than normal group of borders for 28. That class is loaded with talent.

In regards to the 29 class, the majority of the Crabs team and most of the top players are at BL and STP. Also, that team was ranked 60 last year. The top players in the 29 class are either already at or will likely attend Boys Latin, Calvert Hall, St. Pauls and Spalding.

But it really doesn't matter for the 29's. The 28 class is so dominant that 29 kids are going to struggle for playing time through most of their high school career.

“ The majority of MIAA-A varsity starters are already 19, or will turn 19 in the next 45 days. Take the JV reps.”

LOL in NY we call a 19 yr old a College Sophomore!

Sure, Jan. Joey Spallina was born on June 4, 2003 and graduated from HS as a 19 year old. He redshirted in 2023 (turned 20 at the end of spring semester) and at the end of his RS freshman year, he turned 21. At the end of his eligibility he'll turn 24. So tell me more about these on age 19 year old NY college athletes that I'm sure are major D1 impact players.

Spallina played his freshman year in 2023. Was ACC rookie of year and HM all-american
Yes but he did also play 5 years in high school and should have graduated in 21 and not 22

He was older player always, as his dad knew that is what it takes to compete at a high level. Joey wasnt that big and needed the extra years to get bigger and stronger. Pretty simple. As above, there is a reason why being older helps.

Wait until these players have kids starting to play lacrosse. They will ALL be holdbacks.

No need to wait, Everyone that has been involved with lacrosse and has children have been doing it for years now. Any former player with a boy in an MIAA school has been held back. They know the drill.