March 30, 2006

Welcome to the first edition of the 2006 high school notebook, now under new management. As a newcomer to this beat, I'm looking forward to the challenge of highlighting the diverse happenings in the ever-expanding high school lacrosse landscape, from sea-to-shining-sea. Although I've never cradled, scooped or dodged, I have an enthusiasm for the game that hopefully rivals the one belonging to many of you who will be reading this notebook on a weekly basis.

I'm looking forward to enjoying and appreciating the prep scene as much as I have the collegiate ranks, which I've been chronicling from within for the past 18 years. My goal, if I may steal a term from that other spring sport, is to touch them all. We'll talk about the big dogs on occasion, but hopefully, we'll also talk about the not-so-big dogs and all the other dogs in between. So let the woofing begin.

While northern teams are just getting underway, many teams in warmer states have already passed the midway point in their 2006 schedules.

The Peach State
In Georgia boys' action, Lassiter's 7-6 loss to Westminster earlier this season was its first in five years to an in-state opponent other than four-time state champion Lovett. Despite the loss, 10-2 Lassiter has a chance to establish itself as the team to beat in the Peach State when it visits 9-1 Lovett on Friday evening.

"The Lovett game is the pride game of the season," said Lassiter Head Coach Peter Manderano. "If we see them again in the play-offs, it's likely to be in the championship game."

Asked about the growth of the game in Georgia, which now includes about 35 varsity programs and another 15 high school club teams, Manderano is quick to credit the rise in the number of youth programs as the key to the game's development.

"The youth leagues are doing a great job of getting kids interested in the game. That's had the biggest impact on the growth of lacrosse in our state. Kids are starting to pick up sticks as young as second and third grade. We're also getting more coaches, at all levels, who understand the game."

In addition to Westminster, Lovett and two of the state's other top programs - Pace Academy and Milton - Manderano's squad plays three teams from Tennessee and one from Kentucky this season.

"We like to play out-of-state teams to see how we compare with others in the Southeast," explained Manderano. "It's a great experience for the kids. I think we compete pretty well and hold our own."

Pace Academy is Georgia's last remaining unbeaten with an 8-0 record heading into Friday's game against Darlington, but still faces tests against Lovett, Lassiter and Westminster to close out the regular season. Meanwhile, Lovett's only loss this year came at the hands of Maryland's Gilman, from the traditionally powerful MIAA.

• Speaking of the MIAA, Boys' Latin, regarded by some as the best team in the nation, is off to an 8-0 start, but has played just twice against in-state competition. The Lakers have eclipsed the 15-goal mark five times, and allowed more than five goals just three times.

Meanwhile, Georgetown Prep, perhaps the best team in Maryland outside of the MIAA, improved to 8-0 with a 16-5 win over DeMatha on Tuesday.

Further to the West
In Arizona, defending boys' champion Chaparral is off to a 6-0 start against in-state teams, with its only blemish coming by two goals against Ohio's Western Reserve Academy. Chaparral's start includes an 11-goal win against the state's number two, Desert Mountain, and a nine-goal win over Brophy Prep.

Spreading a Little Sunshine
On the girls' side, Vero Beach, regarded as one of the top contenders in Florida this year, stands 12-1-1 overall, including decisive wins over last year's state champion, Lake Brantley, and 2005 runner-up, St. Andrews. Vero's only loss was against Colorado's nationally-ranked Kent Denver in one of four games Vero has scheduled this spring against 2005 state champions. Vero's state-champions-tour also included a win over Texas' St. John's and concludes with a match-up against Georgia's Milton next week.

• Milton and Westminster appear to be on a crash course for a rematch in the Georgia state championship game. Both remain undefeated, with only a 6-6 tie against each other earlier this month as a mark against their perfect records. Meanwhile, Woodward Academy ran its record to 9-0 with road wins over North Carolina's Durham Academy and East Chapel Hill last week.

• Chapel Hill, a two-time state championship runner-up, is the only remaining girls unbeaten in North Carolina, but still faces a home and home series against three-time state champion East Chapel Hill and a road test at Durham Academy. Defending state champion Green Hope is 8-2, with both defeats coming against out-of-state foes, including an eight-goal loss to Georgia's Milton.

• Defending Texas D-1 champion St. John's is 8-3 on the year, with all three losses coming against out-of-state competition, including to the above-mentioned Vero Beach (FL) and Milton (GA). Houston Memorial had dominated opponents while starting 10-0 on the year, but dropped a 16-5 decision in a stiff intersectional test against Pennsylvania's Germantown Academy earlier week. St. John's is also included on Germantown's four-game, season-opening Texas road-trip, which began with an 18-11 victory over two-time state champion Cyfair last Saturday.

Not to be Overlooked
In Maryland, perennial state champion Mount Hebron opened its 2006 campaign Tuesday with a 17-4 win over Centennial, registering its 80th consecutive win.