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.
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