by
posted 02/08/2010
OREGON HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE ASSOCIATION
The Team to Beat: Lincoln
This is one of the most difficult years to prognosticate Oregon lacrosse, because any one of the top six teams are good enough to win the state championship. While it is unlikely that anyone will go undefeated, 2009 state finalist Lincoln appears to have a very slight edge over the rest of the field going into the season.
The Cardinals graduated one of the top high school players in state history, as well as two other first-team All-State selections and one second-team All-State pick. But Lincoln does return six starters, including its entire attack, one first-line middie and two defensemen.
Lincoln will be led by senior middie Henry Schoonmaker, sophomore attackman Michael Marcott, senior defenseman Joe Spearing, senior attackman Matt Fettig, senior middie Aaron Barg and junior middie Tony Baum, the younger brother of Colgate freshman Peter Baum. From that list, Schoonmaker and Fettig each earned honorable-mention All-State honors last season.
Contenders: Sunset, Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, Oregon Episcopal School, West Linn, Portland Jesuit, Southridge
Sunset returns seven starters and eight players that garnered postseason honors from its 2009 team that advanced to the state semifinals. The Apollos bring back two first-team All-State selections in senior attackman Ben Dill and senior defenseman Jack Skaggs. Senior goalie Jack Regan was second-team All-State, and junior middie Kyler Bruno, junior attackman Curtis Eschman, senior middie K.J. Paik, senior defenseman Kody Smith and senior defenseman Corey Guerrant all took home some kind of All-Conference honors.
Lake Oswego has one of its best teams in years. The Lakers bring back seven starters, including their entire attack, two first-line middies and two defenseman. Lake Oswego also has one of the state’s best players in Towson-bound senior attackman Blake Heim. Honorable-mention All-State selection Reed Oliver, a senior middie, is also back, as are senior attackman John Salvo, senior attackman Chris Zinsmeister, junior long-stick middie Connell Pritchard and senior defenseman Mitch Menashe.
Lakeridge is coming off a down year by Pacers standards, but with seven returning starters this team is well positioned to be back in the mix. Senior middie Drew Dutton and senior defenseman Kevin Behbahany were both second-team All-State selections last season, and junior middie David Swanson and senior goalie Warren Nielsen each were honorable mentions at the All-State level. Lakeridge will also get a boost from senior long-stick middie Turner Kerr, who is back after an injury-plagued junior season, and 6-foot-6 junior attackman Michael Hoch will make an impact.
Defending state champion Oregon Episcopal School graduated 14 seniors, including five players who were named first-team All-State, from its unbeaten title-winning team. That’s a lot for anyone to lose, even a program that has advanced to the state championship game seven straight years. OES does return five starters, including senior attackman Peter Williams, who was the Aardvarks’ top goal scorer as a junior and sophomore. Junior defenseman Mikhiel Tareen, senior defenseman Sam Obletz, junior middie Zack Shainsky, senior middie Mark Mihalik and sophomore attackman Trevor Garner will complete the backbone of the team.
West Linn brings back seven starters from its 2009 team, a list that includes the best player in the state. Towson-bound senior middie Michael Fay is
the No. 3 ranked senior in the West, according to the WSL Elite 25, and he has the ability to take over a game. West Linn also will have what head coach Mark Flood calls his best defensive team ever. That unit will be led by senior long-stick middie Tony Engel and senior defenseman Michael MacClanathan. Junior middie Christian Wilson will also be an impact player.
Portland Jesuit is another team with a lot coming back. The Crusaders graduated just five seniors, and they will have seven returning starters. Portland Jesuit will be led by standout senior attackman Matthew Welch and senior long-stick middie Sam Turin, both of whom garnered second-team All-State honors last season. Junior defenseman Mark Schiedler was an honorable-mention All-State pick as a sophomore, and junior goalie Ben Cheek took home second-team All-Metro Conference honors.
Southridge returns seven starters from a team that advanced to the state quarterfinals before losing by a goal to eventual state-champion OES. Southridge has several players who have been with the varsity since their sophomore season, and three who will be four-year letter winners. The Skyhawks will be led by senior middie Neil Davis, senior attackman Cody Dejardin, senior attackman John-Henry Southwood and senior middie Dylan Simkins.
Sleeper: Sheldon
The Fighting Irish have their best team in a few years, and Sheldon could easily make a deep playoff run if it gets a favorable postseason draw. The Fighting Irish return seven starters, including six who made the first-team All-Willamette Conference list. Senior middie Tyler Buchanan and senior defenseman Logan Haugen were both honorable-mention All-State picks. Senior attackman Keaton Lovendahl, senior attackman Glen Ruderman, senior attackman Christian Frey and senior long-stick middie Alex Louie all were first-team All-Conference.
NCAA Division I Recruits: Ben Dill, Att., Sunset (Hartford);
Michael Fay, MF, West Linn (Towson);
Blake Heim, Att., Lake Oswego (Towson).
Heim originally made a verbal commitment to play at the Air Force Academy but had a change of heart and signed with Towson.
Other Top Players: Aaron Barg, MF, Lincoln; Tony Baum, MF, Lincoln; Kevin Behbahany, Def., Lakeridge; Kyler Bruno, MF, Sunset; Tyler Buchanan, MF, Sheldon; Leo Burby, MF, Central Catholic; Ben Cheek, G, Portland Jesuit; Jon Cook, Def., Churchill; Neil Davis, MF, Southridge; Cody Dejardin, Att., Southridge; Drew Dutton, MF, Lakeridge;
Aaron Eggiman, MF, Liberty (Mesa State); Tony Engel, LSM, West Linn; Curtis Eschman, Att., Sunset; Matt Fettig, Att., Lincoln; Alexander Fine, Att., Westview; Toby Fish, MF, Grant; Christian Frey, Att., Sheldon; Jordan Gardner, MF, Century; Trevor Garner, Att., Oregon Episcopal School;
Blake Harlow, Def., Wilsonville (Mesa State); Charlie Harrington, Def., Central Catholic; Logan Haugen, Def., Sheldon; Kyle Hincks, MF, Wilson; Michael Hoch, Att., Lakeridge; Omar Horani, MF, Tigard; Petey Jones, G, Summit; Austin Kane, Def., Wilsonville; Jesse Keopaseuth, Att., Hood River; Turner Kerr, LSM, Lakeridge; Riley Kulm, MF, Marist; Alex Louie, LSM, Sheldon; Keaton Lovendahl, Att., Sheldon; Michael MacClanathan, Def., West Linn; Mitch Menashe, Def., Lake Oswego; Michael Marcott, Att., Lincoln; Thomas McGlyn, LSM, Grant; Mark Mihalik, MF, Oregon Episcopal School; Warren Nielsen, G, Lakeridge; Sam Obletz, Def., Oregon Episcopal School; Reed Oliver, MF, Lake Oswego; K.J. Paik, Def., Sunset; Connell Pritchard, LSM, Lake Oswego; Jack Regan, G, Sunset; Glen Ruderman, Att., Sheldon; John Salvo, Att., Lake Oswego; Mark Schiedler, Def., Portland Jesuit; Henry Schoonmaker, MF, Lincoln; Mitchell Scott, MF, South Salem; Zack Shainsky, MF, Oregon Episcopal School; Dylan Simkins, MF, Southridge; Jack Skaggs, Def., Sunset; John-Henry Southwood, Att., Southridge; Joe Spearing, Def., Lincoln; David Swanson, MF, Lakeridge; Mikhiel Tareen, Def., Oregon Episcopal School; Sam Turin, LSM, Portland Jesuit; Matthew Welch, Att., Portland Jesuit; Bjorn Westman, Def., Cleveland; Peter Williams, Att., Oregon Episcopal School; Sean Williams, LSM, Churchill; Christian Wilson, MF, West Linn; Chris Zinsmeister, Att., Lake Oswego.
Preseason Top 10: 1. Lincoln, 2. Sunset, 3. Lake Oswego, 4. Lakeridge, 5. Oregon Episcopal School, 6. West Linn, 7. Portland Jesuit, 8. Southridge, 9. Tigard, 10. Sheldon.
Notes: Michael Fay was one of six players named to the U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American list from the state of Oregon last season. Of the six, he was the only junior....Clayton Stearns has taken over as head coach at Cleveland....Hood River returns six starters, including two on attack, two in the midfield and two on defense, but graduated all its first- and second-team All-Conference players. Junior attackman Jesse Keopaseuth, senior middie Hunter Knoll and senior defenseman Dylan Edwards will lead the team....This will be a rebuilding year at Churchill, which graduated 11 seniors and had two projected starters transfer. Junior middie Riley Kulm, an honorable-mention All-State selection, is now at Marist. Junior defenseman Chilo Lee, a junior defenseman, relocated to California. Junior attackman Ben Conway, senior long-stick middie Sean Williams, junior defenseman Jon Cook and junior goalie Montana Ostrander will all be back to lead the team.....Central Catholic should be far more competitive this season after it brings back eight starters. Honorable-mention All-State pick Leo Burby and senior defenseman Charlie Harrington will be looked at to lead the team. Charlie Harrington is the cousin of former Oregon standout quarterback Joey Harrington....South Salem also has a bit of rebuilding to do. The Saxons graduated 12 seniors and bring back four starters, but there is some good news. Top scorer Mitchell Scott, a senior middie, will be back after he poured in a team-high 41 goals last season....West Salem will also be in a rebuilding mode this year. The Titans graduated 18 seniors and lost three more players to the new program at McNary, which will be fielding a JV team for the first time this season....Grant returns half its starting lineup and will be led by senior middie Toby Fish and junior long-stick middie Thomas McGlyn....Oregon Episcopal School enters the season on a 20-game winning streak....Wilsonville could be another sleeper in Oregon after it graduated just three seniors. The Wildcats have four first-team All-Conference players returning in Mesa State-bound senior defenseman Blake Harlow, senior defenseman Austin Kane, junior attackman Andrew Conway and senior middie Bradford Patey. Harlow and Kane were both honorable-mention All-State picks last season....Summit placed six players on last year’s first-team All-High Desert Conference list. However, five of them graduated. Senior goalie Petey Jones is all that’s left.
