2026 Private School Boys Lacrosse Commentary, Scores, and Updates

[Anonymous]

Updated Rankings:

1a. SJC
1b. GP

2. Everyone else

Unfortunately, we probably won't ever see a GP-SJC matchup. Instead, they will play teams from Baltimore who do the same things they accuse each other of doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quick Tweak to the Pre-Season Rankings.
(Yes, scrimmages matter)

1. SJC - STAB isn't a DC area team
2. PVI - manhandles the early season
3. GP - room to move up
4. Landon - we hear you about the fogo
5. GC - Spaulding, yeesh
6. Bullis - dark horse
7. GZ - not done yet
8. STA - missing players but coming together
9. Episcopal - have some good transfers
10. DeMatha - still have a couple pieces
HM
Heights - loss of wppoy seems to have really, really hurt
Publics - Langley, Yorktown, Robo. Someone will reveal themselves

PVI historically is firing on all cylinders in the early part of the season and generally fades after March.

Until someone from the IAC beats Landon, it's hard to rank a team ahead of the Bears.

Give Hilgy another year or two to get his "players" in at GP, and the Lil Hoyas will be on Culver's level with the nationwide recruiting for its dorm. Local Catholic families are already looking elsewhere.

Don't count out the DeMatha Stags this season. Sure they graduated a ton in 2024, but they are well coached, always scrappy, and won't go down easily

I'll take Gonzaga over Good Counsel any day, the Purple Eagles are better coached. The Eagles might not have the talent this year as they have had in past years, but I'll give them the mental edge.

Ok, I'm willing to let a lot slide but Gonzaga is definitely not better coached than Good Counsel. That's clearly someone not familiar with Coach King.

I did hear that some of the local kids are getting scared off by Prep spreading their recruiting net to a more nationwide level--particularly the Mater Dei kids. Prep does need to create a balance between national recruiting and keeping the local constituency happy. Bullis had that problem a few years back when they had the kid from St. Anne Belfield (I think that's the school) transfer in only to play one year at Bullis and then return to his original school.

Curious where you're hearing kids are getting scared off of Prep b/c of a potential new recruiting approach? Is this a real thing or just a narrative people are spreading? Hilgartner got the job in June so this is the first 8th grade class that's choosing where to go to HS and there isn't any evidence Mater Dei 8th graders who were going to apply to Prep decided not to because of what may or may not be going on with the Prep lacrosse program.

You can make a different argument which is that 8th graders in the area, from schools like Mater Dei, have been casting a wider HS net for a while now. More kids who may have historically kept their choices to Gonzaga or Prep are looking at schools like SJC, Good Counsel, Bullis, etc... SJC and Good Counsel are coed (a plus for lots of 8th grade boys), have strong sports and are less expensive. There's also the wildcard of the boarding school trend - multiple Mater Dei kids over the last 5 years have gone to boarding schools up north like Deerfield - and it's disproportionately lacrosse players.

The Deerfield kids are hockey players who also happen to play lacrosse. In terms of the local kids looking elsewhere other than Prep, I spoke directly with a senior administrator at a traditional Prep feeder school who said it is a real thing. Prep is still getting more than its fair share, but did not get as many as they would have in the past. Kids are more open to GZ and SJC than they would have otherwise been in the past.

That's true. SJC has made great improvements and is attractive, especially for those with academic weaknesses. Gonzaga has always been the alternative to Prep. But very rarely Landon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OWU commit for Bullis outplayed everyone on the gz offense and did same versus GC. I guess he's going D3 because he's kind of small but that's a steal for OWU. And don't hit me with the "thanks Bullis dad," I'm a gz dad, just recognizing game when I see it.

C'mon. Good kid, and fine complementary piece, but he was schemed open for a bunch of goals. He is benefitting nicely from the attention the middies are getting ie short stick, pole locking off middle, etc. Good for him, but the game isn't all stats, you got to watch the film.

[Anonymous]

Bullis should handle Haveford. I really think they have turned a corner over there. The boys are clicking, playing unselfishly and not afraid to throw the ball. Chemistry plus a buy in to offensive coach, finally, has them trusting one another. Will be fun to see how things play out! Also, yes, agree with previous post that the younger guys should have been allowed to compete last year. The OWU commit alone stands as proof of that. Glad that young man waited his turn. Well deserved. Would not be surprised to see him flip to larger D1 program this spring as well. Dogs can play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quick Tweak to the Pre-Season Rankings.
(Yes, scrimmages matter)

1. SJC - STAB isn't a DC area team
2. PVI - manhandles the early season
3. GP - room to move up
4. Landon - we hear you about the fogo
5. GC - Spaulding, yeesh
6. Bullis - dark horse
7. GZ - not done yet
8. STA - missing players but coming together
9. Episcopal - have some good transfers
10. DeMatha - still have a couple pieces
HM
Heights - loss of wppoy seems to have really, really hurt
Publics - Langley, Yorktown, Robo. Someone will reveal themselves

PVI historically is firing on all cylinders in the early part of the season and generally fades after March.

Until someone from the IAC beats Landon, it's hard to rank a team ahead of the Bears.

Give Hilgy another year or two to get his "players" in at GP, and the Lil Hoyas will be on Culver's level with the nationwide recruiting for its dorm. Local Catholic families are already looking elsewhere.

Don't count out the DeMatha Stags this season. Sure they graduated a ton in 2024, but they are well coached, always scrappy, and won't go down easily

I'll take Gonzaga over Good Counsel any day, the Purple Eagles are better coached. The Eagles might not have the talent this year as they have had in past years, but I'll give them the mental edge.

Ok, I'm willing to let a lot slide but Gonzaga is definitely not better coached than Good Counsel. That's clearly someone not familiar with Coach King.

I did hear that some of the local kids are getting scared off by Prep spreading their recruiting net to a more nationwide level--particularly the Mater Dei kids. Prep does need to create a balance between national recruiting and keeping the local constituency happy. Bullis had that problem a few years back when they had the kid from St. Anne Belfield (I think that's the school) transfer in only to play one year at Bullis and then return to his original school.

Curious where you're hearing kids are getting scared off of Prep b/c of a potential new recruiting approach? Is this a real thing or just a narrative people are spreading? Hilgartner got the job in June so this is the first 8th grade class that's choosing where to go to HS and there isn't any evidence Mater Dei 8th graders who were going to apply to Prep decided not to because of what may or may not be going on with the Prep lacrosse program.

You can make a different argument which is that 8th graders in the area, from schools like Mater Dei, have been casting a wider HS net for a while now. More kids who may have historically kept their choices to Gonzaga or Prep are looking at schools like SJC, Good Counsel, Bullis, etc... SJC and Good Counsel are coed (a plus for lots of 8th grade boys), have strong sports and are less expensive. There's also the wildcard of the boarding school trend - multiple Mater Dei kids over the last 5 years have gone to boarding schools up north like Deerfield - and it's disproportionately lacrosse players.

The Deerfield kids are hockey players who also happen to play lacrosse. In terms of the local kids looking elsewhere other than Prep, I spoke directly with a senior administrator at a traditional Prep feeder school who said it is a real thing. Prep is still getting more than its fair share, but did not get as many as they would have in the past. Kids are more open to GZ and SJC than they would have otherwise been in the past.

That's true. SJC has made great improvements and is attractive, especially for those with academic weaknesses. Gonzaga has always been the alternative to Prep. But very rarely Landon.

Landon has seen high interest in Mater Dei families in recent years, primarily lacrosse families. While it's not an earth-shattering statistic, even if it's just 2 - 4 new MD families a year for 9th grade, it used to be ZERO a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quick Tweak to the Pre-Season Rankings.
(Yes, scrimmages matter)

1. SJC - STAB isn't a DC area team
2. PVI - manhandles the early season
3. GP - room to move up
4. Landon - we hear you about the fogo
5. GC - Spaulding, yeesh
6. Bullis - dark horse
7. GZ - not done yet
8. STA - missing players but coming together
9. Episcopal - have some good transfers
10. DeMatha - still have a couple pieces
HM
Heights - loss of wppoy seems to have really, really hurt
Publics - Langley, Yorktown, Robo. Someone will reveal themselves

PVI historically is firing on all cylinders in the early part of the season and generally fades after March.

Until someone from the IAC beats Landon, it's hard to rank a team ahead of the Bears.

Give Hilgy another year or two to get his "players" in at GP, and the Lil Hoyas will be on Culver's level with the nationwide recruiting for its dorm. Local Catholic families are already looking elsewhere.

Don't count out the DeMatha Stags this season. Sure they graduated a ton in 2024, but they are well coached, always scrappy, and won't go down easily

I'll take Gonzaga over Good Counsel any day, the Purple Eagles are better coached. The Eagles might not have the talent this year as they have had in past years, but I'll give them the mental edge.

Ok, I'm willing to let a lot slide but Gonzaga is definitely not better coached than Good Counsel. That's clearly someone not familiar with Coach King.

I did hear that some of the local kids are getting scared off by Prep spreading their recruiting net to a more nationwide level--particularly the Mater Dei kids. Prep does need to create a balance between national recruiting and keeping the local constituency happy. Bullis had that problem a few years back when they had the kid from St. Anne Belfield (I think that's the school) transfer in only to play one year at Bullis and then return to his original school.

Curious where you're hearing kids are getting scared off of Prep b/c of a potential new recruiting approach? Is this a real thing or just a narrative people are spreading? Hilgartner got the job in June so this is the first 8th grade class that's choosing where to go to HS and there isn't any evidence Mater Dei 8th graders who were going to apply to Prep decided not to because of what may or may not be going on with the Prep lacrosse program.

You can make a different argument which is that 8th graders in the area, from schools like Mater Dei, have been casting a wider HS net for a while now. More kids who may have historically kept their choices to Gonzaga or Prep are looking at schools like SJC, Good Counsel, Bullis, etc... SJC and Good Counsel are coed (a plus for lots of 8th grade boys), have strong sports and are less expensive. There's also the wildcard of the boarding school trend - multiple Mater Dei kids over the last 5 years have gone to boarding schools up north like Deerfield - and it's disproportionately lacrosse players.

The Deerfield kids are hockey players who also happen to play lacrosse. In terms of the local kids looking elsewhere other than Prep, I spoke directly with a senior administrator at a traditional Prep feeder school who said it is a real thing. Prep is still getting more than its fair share, but did not get as many as they would have in the past. Kids are more open to GZ and SJC than they would have otherwise been in the past.

That's true. SJC has made great improvements and is attractive, especially for those with academic weaknesses. Gonzaga has always been the alternative to Prep. But very rarely Landon.

Landon has seen high interest in Mater Dei families in recent years, primarily lacrosse families. While it's not an earth-shattering statistic, even if it's just 2 - 4 new MD families a year for 9th grade, it used to be ZERO a few years ago.

How does 2 kids a year equate to “high” interest?

It’s always been a one way ticket out of the Catholic community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bullis should handle Haveford.

This will be a real test for Bullis. Much tougher than their schedule so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:O/U Dematha lacrosse coach making it 6.5 games, last coach was fired after 7.

Over. If the AD fires him in under 7 it looks even worse on him. He’s just praying for some wins to keep his job alive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was at Bullis v Gonzaga tonight. Bullis looked good, but Gonzaga looked below average. In particular on offense. 2 supposed all DMV offensive players, and they got eaten up. I’d take every Bullis middie over Gonzaga’s middies, and at least one attack. Bullis shared the ball and manufactured some easy ones don low. Gonzaga had no offensive plan at all. Surprising.

I have no idea the offense King is running. It looked like just a bunch of picks and sweep over the top. They got nothing from X. Zero. On D, they double poled the middies (shutting off the big kid) and then couldn't cover simple inside cuts/picks. I don't get it.

Gonzaga needs to clean house. They need a full time coach if they ever want to compete in the area again. King has been lucky with decent talent (a lot of legacy families) the last few years but recruiting will be hard to sell not having a coach on campus that is there to invest in the boys, their college recruiting and overall development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:O/U Dematha lacrosse coach making it 6.5 games, last coach was fired after 7.

Over. If the AD fires him in under 7 it looks even worse on him. He’s just praying for some wins to keep his job alive

Lol he won't be fired. AD hired him

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quick Tweak to the Pre-Season Rankings.
(Yes, scrimmages matter)

1. SJC - STAB isn't a DC area team
2. PVI - manhandles the early season
3. GP - room to move up
4. Landon - we hear you about the fogo
5. GC - Spaulding, yeesh
6. Bullis - dark horse
7. GZ - not done yet
8. STA - missing players but coming together
9. Episcopal - have some good transfers
10. DeMatha - still have a couple pieces
HM
Heights - loss of wppoy seems to have really, really hurt
Publics - Langley, Yorktown, Robo. Someone will reveal themselves

PVI historically is firing on all cylinders in the early part of the season and generally fades after March.

Until someone from the IAC beats Landon, it's hard to rank a team ahead of the Bears.

Give Hilgy another year or two to get his "players" in at GP, and the Lil Hoyas will be on Culver's level with the nationwide recruiting for its dorm. Local Catholic families are already looking elsewhere.

Don't count out the DeMatha Stags this season. Sure they graduated a ton in 2024, but they are well coached, always scrappy, and won't go down easily

I'll take Gonzaga over Good Counsel any day, the Purple Eagles are better coached. The Eagles might not have the talent this year as they have had in past years, but I'll give them the mental edge.

Ok, I'm willing to let a lot slide but Gonzaga is definitely not better coached than Good Counsel. That's clearly someone not familiar with Coach King.

I did hear that some of the local kids are getting scared off by Prep spreading their recruiting net to a more nationwide level--particularly the Mater Dei kids. Prep does need to create a balance between national recruiting and keeping the local constituency happy. Bullis had that problem a few years back when they had the kid from St. Anne Belfield (I think that's the school) transfer in only to play one year at Bullis and then return to his original school.

Curious where you're hearing kids are getting scared off of Prep b/c of a potential new recruiting approach? Is this a real thing or just a narrative people are spreading? Hilgartner got the job in June so this is the first 8th grade class that's choosing where to go to HS and there isn't any evidence Mater Dei 8th graders who were going to apply to Prep decided not to because of what may or may not be going on with the Prep lacrosse program.

You can make a different argument which is that 8th graders in the area, from schools like Mater Dei, have been casting a wider HS net for a while now. More kids who may have historically kept their choices to Gonzaga or Prep are looking at schools like SJC, Good Counsel, Bullis, etc... SJC and Good Counsel are coed (a plus for lots of 8th grade boys), have strong sports and are less expensive. There's also the wildcard of the boarding school trend - multiple Mater Dei kids over the last 5 years have gone to boarding schools up north like Deerfield - and it's disproportionately lacrosse players.

The Deerfield kids are hockey players who also happen to play lacrosse. In terms of the local kids looking elsewhere other than Prep, I spoke directly with a senior administrator at a traditional Prep feeder school who said it is a real thing. Prep is still getting more than its fair share, but did not get as many as they would have in the past. Kids are more open to GZ and SJC than they would have otherwise been in the past.

That's true. SJC has made great improvements and is attractive, especially for those with academic weaknesses. Gonzaga has always been the alternative to Prep. But very rarely Landon.

Based on the behaviors of some of the Gonzaga and prep students, I'd say they have some academically challenged students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:O/U Dematha lacrosse coach making it 6.5 games, last coach was fired after 7.

Over. If the AD fires him in under 7 it looks even worse on him. He’s just praying for some wins to keep his job alive

Lol he won't be fired. AD hired him

Fire the AD and the coach. How many times has the coach changed in the last five years? That starts with the AD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dematha gets blown out by Gilman is the goalie the problem or the defense?

The close D played reasonably well, but the middies aren't very good at defense. The goalie only had about 5 saves.

Dematha has no ability to clear the ball or score. Can’t stop shots from 15 yards and in. Young team that lacks ability defense and goalie isn’t good with 4 of your top 5 players graduating. Dave Mitchell needs to come back again to save this terrible program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:O/U Dematha lacrosse coach making it 6.5 games, last coach was fired after 7.

Over. If the AD fires him in under 7 it looks even worse on him. He’s just praying for some wins to keep his job alive

Lol he won't be fired. AD hired him

He is arguably as bad as the coach from 2024, whole coaching staff has been sworn out by the players and have no respect from the young men playing for them. Never have I seen such of a lack of maturity or dignity from a coaching staff let alone head coach.

[Anonymous]

Dematha’s season could be over this is pathetic. The coach seems to have lucked out with the 2025 class being so talented. They have really been missing the Umass goalie and their 2 division 1 defensemen as the team can not clear the ball nor complete passes with slight pressure.