Zack Smolen
Rankings compiled by Unsettled Situation hosts Steve Manitta & Sal Marinello.
The season starts in TWO DAYS! With all of the excitement, we’ll be releasing our top five concurrently with the season opener on April 1st. But for now, here are the first five entrants to our top ten.
For a video breakdown of these teams, plus bonus high school boys lacrosse content, watch the third episode of Unsettled Situation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On9GZzt5SqY.
#10 Pingry
- Back-to-back Somerset County Champions.
- Head Coach: Mike Webster, 36 seasons as Pingry Coach.
Top Returning Players:
- Senior Captian and Muhlenberg commit Paul Salerno. The midfielder picked up 76 ground balls last season and is a well-respected Swiss army knife player between the lines.
- Pingry’s leading scorer senior Asher Ziv (84 points) had an incredible breakout season in 2023, he notched a career-high eight assists against Hunterdon Central and can take over a game on his own at times. He’ll be taking his talents to Yale in 2025.
- Junior Dylan Blekicki (66 points), had 50 goals last season and with his offensive instincts, there’s every reason to believe that the Johns Hopkins commit can do it again.
- Harvard committed goaltender Graham Stevens posted 11 saves per contest while allowing fewer than five goals per contest. The All-American can shut down even the best offenses, and will likely help lead the Big Blue to at the very least a third-straight county championship.
Top Games of the 2024 Schedule:
- April 3 @ Bridgewater-Raritan
- April 24 @ Bernards
- May 1 @ Westfield
Coach Webster’s Zone defense will be one of the state’s stellar units in 2024 with Tyler Katt and Jack Sherman starting down low, and Stevens between the pipes. The final piece of the puzzle will be who takes draws for Pingry at the X between two quality FOGOs.
#9 Westfield
- Group 4 runners-up; lost to Ridgewood 10-6.
- Head Coach: Boomer Wertheimer
Top Returning Players:
- Cody Lam returns for his senior season and will be relied on to lead the offense. He was the team’s second-leading scorer in 2023 (63 points, 52 goals), and will be more than up to the challenge.
- Senior Mike Marshall snagged 28 ground balls last season and will be called upon to help make up the several hundred lost via graduation.
- Senior FOGO Josh Caramagno won 64% of faceoffs last season out of 67 taken. Though it’s a small sample size, it’s still a solid number and will be plenty to help facilitate the team.
Top Games of the 2024 Schedule:
- April 2 @ St. Augustine
- April 19 vs Delbarton
- May 3 vs Ridgewood
Top to bottom, Westfield had one of the best public school rosters in the state. This season they graduated a bevy of seniors including their FOGO, starting goaltender, and leading scorer. If that were to happen to most other teams, they could fall out of this list altogether. But with the Blue Devils’ track record of player development, their next wave of talent will keep them competing at a high level.
#8 Mountain Lakes
- North Group 1 Champions, lost to Rumson-Fair Haven in Group 1 Final
- Head Coach: Tim Flynn, founded the program in 1980, has won 10 straight sectional titles, and currently sits third all-time nationally with 731 wins.
Top Returning Players:
- Holy Cross commit, senior Giacomo Bevacqua will now be the focal point of the attack. He had a breakout 2023 leading the Lakers with 46 goals and finishing second on the team with 60 points.
- Senior Jordan Hernando is a true ace FOGO, winning 69% of his 354 face-offs taken. It’s easy to see what Bryant University sees in him as he’ll be heading there next year.
- Senior Cosmo Fusco is a true physical specimen at 6’5 245 lbs. The UPenn football commit’s athleticism translates to every sport he plays, including here where his size and speed will strike fear into his opponents.
Top Games of the 2024 Schedule:
- April 4 @ Delbarton
- May 4 vs Rye (NY)
- May 18 @ Chatham
Lakes is deep enough to make a typical run at an 11th straight sectional title. For as good as the senior group is, there’s a sophomore class that’s waiting in the long grass… Expect a nasty defensive back end and an experienced offense with some new faces with a guaranteed 60% plus winning percentage at the X.
#7 Seton Hall Prep
- Non-Public A Runners-Up
- Head Coach: Ross Turco
Top Returning Players:
- Seniors Brad Schuster and Christian Schweiger tied for second on the team with 62 points, and with a year under their belt, their chemistry will help make for a dynamic offense.
- Junior middie Nolan Sabel posted 36 points last season. The Villanova commit is a beast between the lines with the ability to control the field and help dictate the pace of the game.
- Senior Goaltender Adam Angel is back, and could very well improve upon his already impressive 3.75 goals allowed average from last season.
Top Games of the 2024 Schedule:
- April 2 @ IMG Academy
- April 12 vs Westfield
- April 27 vs Delbarton
The Pirates once again will be one of the most battle-tested teams in the state, thanks to the masterful schedule-crafting of coach Turco. They’ll be playing four out-of-state opponents, in addition to a regular-season clash with perennial postseason rival Delbarton. They’re hoping this will be the year they capture their first state title since 2004.
#6 Don Bosco Prep
- Bergen County Champions, Non-Public Group A Semifinalists.
- Head Coach: Matt Lane, first season as head coach of Don Bosco.
Top Returning Players:
- Leading scorer junior attackman Brady Scioletti is back after exploding for a team-leading 85 points. He had nine hat tricks, and should be a candidate to reach the coveted 100-point mark.
- Junior FOGO Scott Conte won 65% of draws as a sophomore while also adding eight points and 25 ground balls. It’ll be interesting to see if coach Lane continues to take advantage of his abilities outside of the X.
- Senior goalie Colton Carfello made 180 saves last season and has 375 for his career. He’ll anchor this team’s defense while chasing the 500-save milestone.
Top Games of the 2024 Schedule:
- April 17 vs Mountain Lakes
- May 2 @ Ridgewood
- May 18 vs Westfield
The Ironmen were last in the Non-Public A finals in 2021 when they won it all as well as the tournament of champions. You never quite know what you’re going to get with a new coach, but the former Syracuse middie has a good head on his shoulders and a wealth of talent at his disposal, giving Bosco a great chance to make a deep run.
The wait for 5-1 is just two days! Our first Big State Sports Boys Lacrosse Broadcast is on April 1st as well with New Providence visiting #11 Bernards. All the action can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@BigStateSports.
