Private School Lacrosse Thread

[Anonymous]

Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

On a side note, it is interesting how VLC is so well represented in the IAC. I think Madlax still has the biggest representation and influence, but by my count every IAC team has players from VLC and with the slow decline of Blackwolf, VLC is likely to expand its reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

Makes sense. And the new head coach was already with the program so they should get some good continuity there as he will know how to best use his players. It also sounds like an impact transfer there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you folks want to talk about the best local lacrosse team, lets talk about the SSSA Girl's team. They have consistently been ranked in the top 25 nationally for almost two decades, occaisionally slipping below 5th but never below 10th. THAT is by far the best record in the entire DC metro area record, these boys' teams be damned.

Agreed. Dominant program. However, they've won so much that it is assumed they will win the ISL every year and there's not a debate/water-cooler discussion potential.

But fair point in a larger sense -- threads labelled "private school lacrosse" or "private school soccer" do inevitably turn to the boys' teams.

[Anonymous]

I really don't understand how any person is defending the actions of the Bullis administration in its bizarre recruiting policies for HS football and HS basketball. Bullis is pretty average most sports, other than the two mentioned above. My son graduated from an IAC school not to long ago and I have a daughter at a local private who competes against Bullis.

I have heard from several parents with kids there, some who have even pulled their kids, that the school might as well have a 2nd building for the recruited athletes who show up on a moment's notice.

Clearly the administration doesn't care too much about a kid who has been there since lower school or middle school, whose parents believe in the school, only to lose his or her starting spot when a "recruit" comes in for their junior or even senior season. This is not a good message to send to those that have been roaming the halls for quite some time and the parents who have most likely dished a lot of tuition over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand how any person is defending the actions of the Bullis administration in its bizarre recruiting policies for HS football and HS basketball. Bullis is pretty average most sports, other than the two mentioned above. My son graduated from an IAC school not to long ago and I have a daughter at a local private who competes against Bullis.

I have heard from several parents with kids there, some who have even pulled their kids, that the school might as well have a 2nd building for the recruited athletes who show up on a moment's notice.

Clearly the administration doesn't care too much about a kid who has been there since lower school or middle school, whose parents believe in the school, only to lose his or her starting spot when a "recruit" comes in for their junior or even senior season. This is not a good message to send to those that have been roaming the halls for quite some time and the parents who have most likely dished a lot of tuition over the years.

Not a Bullis person. On the one hand, I think it's fair to point out differences from the other IAC schools where those exist (the big one is not recruiting -- they all recruit -- but the practice of taking senior transfers, I think, and probably the volume of transfers).

In terms of the above post, though, I don't think Bullis is hiding its approach, so people can act accordingly. The little home-grown middle school basketball team generally is not who is solely composing the varsity at ANY of these private schools, so I don't think Bullis's approach in basketball is that far away from the norm. As for football, many schools are having trouble fielding large enough teams at the high school level and schools are generally recognizing that they have to recruit for football. So I guess I doubt that there's a long line of Bullis middle schoolers getting aced out in football. Maybe there is, but it sounds doubtful.

[Anonymous]

Bullis graduated virtually their entire team from last a Spring. They bring back Trippi and have a few transfers in but I highly doubt they will be even close to what they were last spring. Georgetown Prep should be much improved, they will be young but talented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bullis graduated virtually their entire team from last a Spring. They bring back Trippi and have a few transfers in but I highly doubt they will be even close to what they were last spring. Georgetown Prep should be much improved, they will be young but talented.

To be fair, it would be extremely difficult for Bullis to be close to what they were last spring - #2 in the country. They should be good, but not like that. Landon really has the best chance to be something special in the DMV this year. Lots of upperclassmen that have played, a top end goalie, and depth at all positions. The IAC is Landon's to lose, with only Gonzaga (and their depth) having a chance to knock them off in the wider DMV. Everyone else is playing for pecking order, and possibly a spot lower in the national rankings.

What seems most exciting is the apparent spread of talent throughout the area, and the potential for a lot of great games. Ten years ago only a handful of teams were worth going to see; now, there are a dozen different matchups that are worth the time to watch good-to-great lacrosse. Only about 5 weeks to tryouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bullis graduated virtually their entire team from last a Spring. They bring back Trippi and have a few transfers in but I highly doubt they will be even close to what they were last spring. Georgetown Prep should be much improved, they will be young but talented.

To be fair, it would be extremely difficult for Bullis to be close to what they were last spring - #2 in the country. They should be good, but not like that. Landon really has the best chance to be something special in the DMV this year. Lots of upperclassmen that have played, a top end goalie, and depth at all positions. The IAC is Landon's to lose, with only Gonzaga (and their depth) having a chance to knock them off in the wider DMV. Everyone else is playing for pecking order, and possibly a spot lower in the national rankings.

What seems most exciting is the apparent spread of talent throughout the area, and the potential for a lot of great games. Ten years ago only a handful of teams were worth going to see; now, there are a dozen different matchups that are worth the time to watch good-to-great lacrosse. Only about 5 weeks to tryouts.

Good observations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

On a side note, it is interesting how VLC is so well represented in the IAC. I think Madlax still has the biggest representation and influence, but by my count every IAC team has players from VLC and with the slow decline of Blackwolf, VLC is likely to expand its reach.

Meh. VLC has been essentially a farm team for PVI for years, and I've never seen them nationally ranked. Similarly, I count 7 VLC players on the St Albans starting lineup. That's not going to save the team from another bottom of the IAC finish.

Nah, boys and girls, like it or not, MAdlax is still the only club team that makes a difference in the IAC.

[Anonymous]

Any predictions for SJC after their tumultuous summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

On a side note, it is interesting how VLC is so well represented in the IAC. I think Madlax still has the biggest representation and influence, but by my count every IAC team has players from VLC and with the slow decline of Blackwolf, VLC is likely to expand its reach.

Meh. VLC has been essentially a farm team for PVI for years, and I've never seen them nationally ranked. Similarly, I count 7 VLC players on the St Albans starting lineup. That's not going to save the team from another bottom of the IAC finish.

Nah, boys and girls, like it or not, MAdlax is still the only club team that makes a difference in the IAC.

That 7 player VLc number seems high. It doesn't really matter, as one of the Next Level guys is now a coach at STA. He''llcreate a club to school pipeline for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 posts have good insights.

Don't underestimate St Stephens. Yes, they lost a great coach. But they have some strong juniors in place, including a D1 recruited from a public school. He plays for VLC, and will be joining a number of other fantastic VLC players at St Stephens.

On a side note, it is interesting how VLC is so well represented in the IAC. I think Madlax still has the biggest representation and influence, but by my count every IAC team has players from VLC and with the slow decline of Blackwolf, VLC is likely to expand its reach.

Meh. VLC has been essentially a farm team for PVI for years, and I've never seen them nationally ranked. Similarly, I count 7 VLC players on the St Albans starting lineup. That's not going to save the team from another bottom of the IAC finish.

Nah, boys and girls, like it or not, MAdlax is still the only club team that makes a difference in the IAC.

That 7 player VLc number seems high. It doesn't really matter, as one of the Next Level guys is now a coach at STA. He''llcreate a club to school pipeline for sure.

NL is run by he Heights HC. That's the real pipeline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand how any person is defending the actions of the Bullis administration in its bizarre recruiting policies for HS football and HS basketball. Bullis is pretty average most sports, other than the two mentioned above. My son graduated from an IAC school not to long ago and I have a daughter at a local private who competes against Bullis.

I have heard from several parents with kids there, some who have even pulled their kids, that the school might as well have a 2nd building for the recruited athletes who show up on a moment's notice.

Clearly the administration doesn't care too much about a kid who has been there since lower school or middle school, whose parents believe in the school, only to lose his or her starting spot when a "recruit" comes in for their junior or even senior season. This is not a good message to send to those that have been roaming the halls for quite some time and the parents who have most likely dished a lot of tuition over the years.

On the other hand, I have a DS at a school that way overvalues their "lifers." This confounds me, given that they increase their class size so much in middle and high school, then do little to make the new students feel they are as valued as those who have been their longer--as if they are not as important just because of choices their parents made 10 years ago. I realize this doesn't address the recruiting issue, but I don't understand why somebody who is a strong player than your son shouldn't have a fair chance just because he hasn't been at the school as long.

[Anonymous]

No elite lacrosse player is looking at the heights. I don't care how much next level is affiliated with the Heights head coach.