A few years ago, this district always seemed to come down to the battle between Cypress Bay and Archbishop McCarthy but then Doug Shanahan came to Western and the balance of power has shifted substantially.  Western ran through the district, regular season and playoffs, but pretty much fell to the similar teams to them they played outside of it.  One goal loss to University, two-goal to American Heritage-Delray, one goal loss to King’s Academy and a 2-goal first round exit to Belen Jesuit in the FHSAA bracket. That’s nice progress and now the program steps up its’ scheduling.  Jupiter, STA, Gulliver and Columbus are added and Woodlands from Texas is a repeat visitor.  And can they win an FHSAA playoff game or two? The rest of the district has work to do to catch the lead that Western is now setting.  

School Name	*W-L	*Pct.	W-L	Pct.	GF	GA
Western	5-0	1.000	16-5	0.762	332	139
Cypress Bay	5-1	0.833	8-6	0.571	186	159
Cooper City	2-2	0.500	4-5	0.444	114	102
Archbishop McCarthy	1-2	0.333	5-11	0.313	78	148
West Broward	2-4	0.333	3-8	0.273	76	109
Flanagan	1-3	0.250	4-10	0.286	62	195
Pembroke Pines Charter	0-3	0.000	1-6	0.143	27	97

• * Denotes district data.

  Western 16-5, lost in the FHSAA first round Head Coach Doug Shanahan provided us with this preview information: What are your expectations this season for the team? Coming into the 2019 season the Western Wildcats are looking to continue to build on their back to back District 29 Championships. This year we have 15 Seniors, and have added even more power to the roster to make a solid playoff run. Who are the returning players who will make a difference this season? Michael Fox: (returning Dairy Farmers Mr. Lacrosse), 111 goals, set state of Florida record for most goals in a season.  MaxPreps No.1 in the nation for goals 2017-2018 season and No. 2 in total points. Last 2 years combined 199 goals and 73 assists. Garret Pistiner- 305 Faceoff wins (77%)(78.8% last 2 years combined). Max preps No. 1 in the nation for most face off wins 2017-2018 season. Last two years combined 625 faceoff wins. Lead the team with 106 ground balls.  This year 37 goals and 19 assists. Last 2 years combined 83 goals 26 assists 183 ground balls.     Jake Kalonowski, a 3 year starter and All County player is a do it all middle and attack-man. 55 goals, 35 Assists, 63 ground balls. Combined last 2 years 89 goals, 61 assists, 124 ground balls. Donnie Kitchen-77 goals, 36 assists. MaxPreps No. 10 in nation in goals scored. Patrick Grillo: 215 Saves, 99 goals allowed returns between the pipes and is much improved. The defense is also much improved for the Wildcats. JP and Danny Panchookian will be anchoring the defense. What players do you expect to step up this year that didn’t get much playing time last year? Senior transfer Richie Timothee will be a real game changer for Western this year, this highly athletic midfielder will give teams fits in the Shanahan system. Freshmen Alec Marinelli could prove to be the anchor of an already talented attack lineup. What games are you looking forward to? Columbus, Gulliver, St Thomas, Jupiter   Cypress Bay 8-6, lost in the district final We have not yet received their questionnaire, we’ll update when we receive it   Cooper City 4-5, lost in the district semifinal Head  Coach Bill O’Connell sent this info in: What are your expectations this season for the team? Good Who are the returning players who will make a difference this season? Robert Stephenson (M), Ethan Hemingway (A), Lucas Hemingway (D), Griffin Hemingway (D), Ryan Volk (A), John O’Malley (A)     What players do you expect to step up this year that didn’t get much playing time last year? Jake Glantz (D), Devon Kassal (A), Chase Martin (M) What games are you looking forward to? Miami Gulliver Prep, Cypress Bay & South Plantation   Archbishop McCarthy 5-11, lost in the district semifinal We have not yet received their questionnaire, we’ll update when we receive it   West Broward 3-8, did not qualify for district New Head Coach Nathan Fontenot sent us this preview: This is my first season as the head coach of West Broward, I previously coached at NSU University School for the past 3 seasons.  I am looking forward to building the program at WBHS to become a state-level powerhouse.  With a school that fully supports the program, and a strong commitment from the players and families involved, there is no reason why this program should not be a top-tier team. What are your expectations this season for the team? My expectations for our season would be to compete within our district and make the district playoffs in mid-April.  We will take the season one game at a time while continuing to build a competitive program within the state. Who are the returning players who will make a difference this season? Senior attackmen, Carson Davis (13g,27a), will pose a major threat on the offensive side while being our “quarterback” from behind the goal. Junior midfielder, Austin Engeler (17g,10a), returns as a dominate two-way player with experience at the face-off X (66.4%, 61gb). Senior defensemen, Brandon Harmer (22gbs), will be the key leader on the defensive side of the field. What players do you expect to step up this year that didn’t get much playing time last year? Freshmen twin duo, Colton and Brey Engeler, will be impact players from the start. Sophomore midfielder, Justin Molinary, is a new to our team, but is expected to make an immediate impact on both sides of the fields. Freshmen defender, Ethan Davis, comes in with ample experience with travel and should be a key role in the future of our team’s defense. What are the games you are really looking forward to this season? As a team, we are looking forward to each district game this season with hopes of earning a spot in the district playoffs.   Flanagan 4-10, did not qualify for district We have not yet received their questionnaire, we’ll update when we receive it   Pembroke Pines Charter 1-6, did not qualify for district Head Coach Jan Smith feels excitement growing about the sport at this school: What are your expectations this season for the team? Improved results, improved compete level, improved lacrosse IQ. We have a much larger roster and some excitement and dedication amongst the players we have not seen in years. The school athletic department has been very supportive and helpful. Our roster is very heavy with 11^th graders. Ultimately we are looking to improve, but with our eyes on the 2020 season for a possible appearance in Districts. Who are the returning players who will make a difference this season? Isaac Andrade, JC Smith, Andrew Sandoval, Sebastian Alvarez What players do you expect to step up this year that didn’t get much playing time last year? Michael Vidal and Danny Felipe. What are the games you are really looking forward to this season? Flanagan was a game all our kids felt slipped away from us last season. The kids want to give that one another shot.