Had a little time yesterday and decided to delve into how a Top 40 National Boys’ Poll would look if we didn’t include the Northeast region.

The ground rules are simple. Take the latest Laxnumbers national rankings (on 6/14/23) and exclude schools from the following places: New York, Maryland, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware and Connecticut.

Why do this?

I’ve been critical of how the Northeast continues to hog pretty much all the Top 25 spots in the Inside Lacrosse Poll, and without their regional polls, there’s a TON of schools that are not getting much recognition for their great seasons nationally. For those wondering, Laxnumbers has a proprietary software program for rankings similar to the old Lax Power approach, and I thought we’d make a few points:

1. If there are no IL regional polls anymore, it would be nice to expand from 25 to 40 to give schools outside the Northeast some love they are not being given now
2. How do the new hotbeds stack up against each other
3. Take the heat in case there’s anger I am doing this . . . send in your complaints to me at lee@floridalacrossenews.com

One more ground rule. This is NOT a dig at IL or Ty Xanders, who puts in a ton of work and thought into his Poll and his recruiting rankings, and no one should take it that way. I am always a supporter of his work even if I don’t always agree with his conclusions. There are only so many resources available in the lacrosse world now and hopefully over time, we keep expanding that as the sport’s TV ratings and online viewership continues to grow.

Here we go!

The Laxnumbers.com Boys National Top 40 Outside of the Northeast!

1. Hill Academy (ON)
2. Culver Military Academy (IN)
3. Western Reserve (OH)
4. Brother Rice (MI)
5. Paul VI (VA)
6. Wheaton Academy (IL)
7. Valor Christian (CO)
8. Dublin Jerome (OH)
9. Upper Arlington (OH)
10. IMG National (FL)
11. Lake Mary (FL)
12. Saint Andrew’s (FL)
13. Cherry Creek (CO)
14. Roswell (GA)
15. Episcopal (VA)
16. Hartland (MI)
17. Woodlands (TX)
18. Cardinal Gibbons (NC)
19. St. Ignatius Prep (CA)
20. St Xavier Cincinnati (OH)
21. Blessed Trinity (GA)
22. Jesuit Portland (GA)
23. West Forsythe (GA)
24. Cannon School (NC)
25. Benilde-St Margarets (MN)
26. St Viator (IL)
27. Hudson (WI)
28. Bolles (FL)
29. Detroit Catholic Central (MI)
30. De LaSalle (CA)
31. Highland Park (TX)
32. Westlake (TX)
33. Christchurch (VA)
34. Ponte Vedra (FL)
35. Atlee (VA)
36. Buford (GA)
37. St Thomas (FL)
38. Hilliard Davidson (OH)
39. Loyola Los Angeles (CA)
40. Sacred Heart Prep (CA)

Honorable Mention:

1. Middle Creek (NC)
2. Legend (CO)
3. Benjamin School (FL)
4. Charlotte Catholic (NC)
5. Redwood (CA)
6. Blue Ridge School (VA)
7. Forest Hills Central (MI)
8. Foothill Santa Ana (CA)
9. Olentangy Liberty (OH)
10. Jupiter (FL)

We’ll be back later with the Girls List! And NO SURPRISE who is #1 for the Girls!