Here's the first preseason poll that all three of you have been waiting for.
Preseason - 2023 VA Boys 6A Rankings
1. Madison
Analysis: Defending state champs bring back a significant portion of the team, including all three attackmen, two of whom made the all-state teams. Addition of Robinson’s D1 FOGO through the transfer portal makes Madison the preseason #1. After some tough scrimmages, including PVI, the first game matchup with Robinson should show us how good Madison is this year, and the game with Landon will really test them. Tough schedule will have Madison battle-tested for the postseason and they will have a shot at repeating, but it won’t be easy.
2. Lake Braddock
Analysis: Four D1 commits (and rumors of a potential fifth), including two of the best offensive players in the state, make Lake Braddock the best team on paper. They don’t seem to play together as much as some other teams in the off-season, and the lingering question is whether they have enough team chemistry to capitalize on their obvious talent. As some have noted, they have no private school games scheduled, but they still have to face Madison, Battlefield, and Robinson in the regular season, so they will get tested.
3. Battlefield
Analysis: Battlefield returns an all-state midfielder, a strong FOGO and an excellent goalie, and is generally solid across the board. Scheduled a regular season game with St. Mary’s Annapolis, so they must think they have something good this year. Unlike prior seasons, only one regular season matchup with Patriot this year, and they could go undefeated but for the St. Mary’s game. Heavy favorite to win Region B, and a near-lock to make states.
4. Robinson
Analysis: Robinson lost some important players to graduation and their top-notch FOGO to Madison. Still, they have a ton of athletes, are well coached, and seem to reload year after year. They have a tough out of conference schedule (Madison, Yorktown, Georgetown Prep) and we shouldn’t expect a 12-0 start like last season, but Robo should be in the mix when it comes playoff time. They need a good showing against Madison in the opener to prove they are still one of the teams to beat.
5. Yorktown
Analysis: Yorktown has a tough midfield and returns a stud attackman who had 97 points last season, but lost some serious talent on defense and will need some younger guys to step up on the back end. The program is well-coached and should be one of the stronger teams in the area again. Look for Yorktown to fight with Langley for districts and make a run in regionals. Tough start to the season with opening games against The Heights and Robinson.
6. Langley
Analysis: The Langley team is mostly intact from last year except for the graduation of their All-American FOGO, but that will be a major loss. They will need to learn how to play without dominating possession and score more efficiently. Returning all-region midfielder and lefty attackman should lead the offense again. Opening game with Oakton should be a good one, as these teams always play each other tight.
7. Oakton
Analysis: Scrappy team is led by their big defender and VMI commit who likes to push the ball in transition. Graduated some talent at midfield but looked solid at Turkey Shootout with aggressive play and some middies who could score on step down shots. Tough schedule with Langley, Yorktown, Robinson, Lake Braddock, and Madison all on tap.
8. Patriot
Analysis: Patriot graduated three All-Region players including the Class 6 player of the year and the stud transfer attack from PVI. Patriot returns a first-team all-state midfielder and some complementary pieces, but it could be a bit of a down year for Patriot. Although Freedom and John Champe will be looking to steal the second Region B spot, we will give Patriot the benefit of the doubt for now.
9. Westfield
Analysis: Big, physical team that gets by more on athletic ability than pure lacrosse talent. Aggressive midfield and defense and a strong lefty attack who puts in a lot of goals (54 last season) will keep Westfield in many games.
10. Centreville
Analysis: Seeing a trend here at the bottom of the top-10, Centreville is another athletic, physical team that can harass other more skilled teams but lacks a bit of the pure lacrosse talent to compete with the top dogs. Defense and midfield driven, with a speedy lefty midfielder who can take over games at times.
Honorable Mention: Freedom South Riding (all six losses last season were to Battlefield and Patriot), John Champe (only lost to Battlefield, Patriot, Freedom and Riverside)