Division I (Preseason #1: Highland Park)

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE LEAGUE DIVISION I

The Team to Beat: Highland Park

The Fighting Scots lost 2008 WSL Texas Boys Player of the Year Johnny McKnight to graduation, along with several key defensemen. But the defending Texas High School Lacrosse League Division I state champions are far from depleted.

“We probably have the deepest team in terms of depth and experience that I’ve had in six years at Highland Park,” Fighting Scots Coach Derek Thomson said. “We may have had better teams, but we’re incredibly deep because our senior and junior classes are incredibly deep.”

Highland Park, which has won three state titles in the last five years, will be led by senior attackmen Kevin Fritts and Will Ziegler, senior middie Austin Mai, defensemen Cody Walker and Chris Hipps and goalie Jordan Lee.

Contenders: St. Mark’s, Plano, Dallas Episcopal

St. Mark’s lost just four seniors from last season’s team that went 14-8 and finished ranked third in Texas. “I’m certainly hoping that extra year of experience will help us grow,” St. Mark’s Coach Hayward Lee said.

Plano has arguably the state’s top talent in senior attackman Ross Gillum. “He’s a special kid,” said Lee, who has coached Gillum in the summer. “He’s exceptionally explosive athletically. He’s just got a burst, a wiggle that’s uncommon. And he’s extraordinarily competitive.”

Dallas Episcopal graduated a standout senior class from last season’s state runner-up squad but returns about eight seniors, including defenseman Cody Solaja, an All-American last year, and Basil Kostaras. Sophomore Phil Wagley, who started last season as a freshman, will quarterback the Eagles’ attack.

Sleeper: The Woodlands

The Woodlands finished 2008 with a 12-7 mark and the No. 5 ranking in WSL’s Texas Top 10. The Woodlands was WSL’s top-ranked team from outside the North District last season.

“We played them late in the year last year, and they gave us everything we could handle,” Highland Park Coach Derek Thomson said. “They have really got some good momentum.”

NCAA Division I Recruits: Kevin Fritts, Att., Highland Park (Fairfield); Ross Gillum, Att., Plano (Cornell); Basil Kostaras, MF, Dallas Episcopal (Quinnipiac); Jeff Perkins, Att., St. Mark’s (Dartmouth); Cody Solaja, Def., Dallas Episcopal (Hofstra); Paul Swann, Def., St. Mary’s Hall (Pennsylvania).

Solaja was an All-American selection as a junior and should be in line for those honors again this season. Dallas Episcopal coach Kevin Barnicle puts the four-year starter on the opponents’ top threat, sometimes using him as a long-stick midfielder to guard an opponent’s top middie. “He’s an unbelievable athlete, and he doesn’t make mistakes,” Barnicle said.

Other Top Players: Jeremy Agness, Def., Westlake; Mark Allison, Att., Strake Jesuit; Dusty Atwood-Dupont, Def., St. Mary’s Hall; Will Bass, MF, Dallas Episcopal; Austin Black, G, Plano; Noah Bricker, Def., St. Mark’s; Ryan Cassidy, Def., Westwood (Eastern); Sam Crain, MF, Dallas Jesuit; Ryan Cordill, Def., St. John’s (Kenyon College); Reid Daniel, MF, St. John’s; Andrew Doak, Att., Bowie; Will DuBois, Att.-MF, Austin; Sean Finney, Def., The Woodlands; Alex Garza, G, St. Andrew’s Episcopal; Rylan Gilley, Def., Cedar Park; Charlie Goodman, Def., St. Mark’s; Austin Ham, MF, St. Mark’s; Chris Hipps, Def., Highland Park; J.J. Jackson, Att., Westlake; Sam Jones, Att., Westwood; Ben King, Att., McNeil; Jordan Lee, G, Highland Park; Connor Lehane, Att., Southlake Carroll; Clarke Lewis, MF, The Woodlands (Roanoke); Austin Mai, MF, Highland Park; Jack McDaniel, G, Houston Episcopal; Will Merritt, MF, Austin; Briggs Montgomery, MF, Highland Park; Max Roach, Att., Austin; Chris Ruiz, MF, Bowie; Trevor Sieracki, Att., Anderson; Evan Shaw, LSM, St. Stephen’s; Jarrett Wadler, Att., Kinkaid; Phil Wagley, Att, Dallas Episcopal; Edward Williams, Att., St. John's (Southwestern); Will Ziegler, Att., Highland Park.

Preseason Top 10: 1. Highland Park, 2. St. Mark’s, 3. Plano, 4. Dallas Episcopal, 5. The Woodlands, 6. Strake Jesuit, 7. Dallas Jesuit, 8. Westwood, 9. St. John’s, 10. Austin.

Notes: Dallas Episcopal senior middie Thomas Moore is questionable for this season after suffering some blood clots in his leg during soccer season, head coach Kevin Barnicle said….Kinkaid returns its entire defense, two of three starting attackmen and some midfielders from last season’s 8-8 squad….Highland Park attackman Kevin Fritts was the offensive most valuable player in last season’s state tournament. Fritts set the school’s single-season points record as a junior….Westwood lost only three players to graduation and has 35 incoming freshmen, including some who “will make a difference this year,” head coach Evan Whelchel said…. Highland Park head coach Derek Thomson called Plano’s Gillum: “The best offensive player in the state.”…The Woodlands coach David Seale said his team is “devoid of the superstar names, but we’ve got a lot of blue-collar guys that work hard and make a good team.”…Mark Richards has taken over at St. Mary’s Hall. Richards was an assistant at Air Academy in Colorado Springs last season….Austin has won the Central District title and advanced to the state final four three straight seasons. Andy Garrigan’s 2009 team will be young but talented.