FHSAA Season Preview – District 27
Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in Uncategorized.
District 27
District 27 welcomes North Broward Prep to the varsity fold and is coming off a terrific season as a district. Stoneman Douglas was a revelation and Pine Crest finished on a roll. Calvary Christian and Cardinal Gibbons are solid programs with some sleeper gems and Taravella looks like it is getting serious about the sport. Stoneman took the District title over Pine Crest and hosted Saint Andrew’s in the first round before an astonishing crowd of nearly 1,000 in attendance! Another sign of what is ahead in this state in the future.
Stoneman Douglas was one of the major breakthrough programs last season as they opened with a convincing 14-7 win over Saint Andrew’s, lost a close road game to Jupiter and then ran the table until losing a one-goal first round playoff game against the Scots before an enormous crowd in Parkland ending with a 16-2 final record. The next step is to try to repeat the success and the schedule takes a jump up as Boca Raton, Gulliver and Final Four Lake Mary are added. All American LSM AJ Ferraro and (in my opinion should have been AA) Blake Israel have moved on but the cupboard is not bare.
Head Coach Ryan Burton has quietly built a solid program and the pipeline is filling up. His comments on the upcoming season:
“Senior Goalie Jason Wyner is one of the top goalies in South Florida. Tyler Gaffney is a three year starter and two year captain attackman who should stand out. Senior Attackman Hunter Bell was the leading point scorer last year. Sam Pinson has big shoes to fill on the defensive side of the ball and we know he’s up to the challenge. All seniors.
Our big game in district will be Pine Crest. Though Gibbons and Calvary are on the rise. We are looking forward to traveling to Lake Mary for a top south vs north public school battle. Our coaching staff is looking forward to playing Boca because of our respect for their coaching staff. Playing against Saint Andrews on the road will be the first for our program. As far as commits are concerned we have only five seniors and all are staying in state for college. For 2017, though none have officially committed, we may have some announcements soon.
And most importantly we have set one goal, whether this year or in the future . . . win a state championship!”
Pine Crest blazed through their second half with an offensive juggernaut but fell to Stoneman in the district final. After a 1-4 start punctuated by close losses to top teams they ripped off 11 of 12, scoring at least 12 goals in every game, and most of the time a lot more than that. In their only loss they scored 17! But it came down to just being in a district with a team that had their number last year.
Coach George Harris is now in his third season at the helm (as well as continuing his stint as the assistant coach of the Launch) and he is looking to see his team come out of the shoot quicker this year, against a similar early schedule. He will look towards David Tescher, Noah Dearman and Chris Dunne on attack, Quin Spey at FOGO/middie and Austin Nero to lead the way.
Calvary Christian finished at 8-8 last season and snuck into the third slot in the district playoff but fell to Pine Crest in the first round. The season started out with a 5-2 early run against relatively weak competition but as the season went on the team regressed and some of the losses were just plain ugly. Hard to pinpoint what happened as the offense and defense seemed to take turns with off performances. One thing to work on was that there were 5 games where the defense gave up at least 16 goals, so an improvement in the record could come quickly if they figure that part out.
Coach Adam Bond wrote to us about the following players:
Senior Hunter Ramsay returns in his final year at CCA. He is a returning captain and leader of the defense, who will by vying for an All-American selection. Sophomore goalkeeper Ben Fuchs enters his second year as the starter with exceptional lacrosse IQ and stopping capabilities. Tiras Shashaty returns in his second year as a sophomore with unmatched speed at the midfield, and will be complemented by sophomore attackman Ben Stephenson, a big strong finisher who can also carry the ball well. Finally, newcomer Jason Thomfohrde, 8th grade attackman, is showing exceptional promise with remarkable vision and slippery dodging ability.
Coach Bond went on to note “While very well-coached Stoneman Douglas finished on top last year, I believe Pine Crest remains the team to beat. They seem to have the feeder program that continues to replace graduating players with great young talent.
Our favorite game every year is with our closest rival, Cardinal Gibbons. We have a great relationship with the players, coaches and parents at Gibbons and our last five games have been decided by two goals or less – Gibbons has come out on top twice, and Calvary three times. Many of these players play together during the travel season and really enjoy getting after each other in spring.
We have a very experienced defense and a very young offense. One of our ten starters has been playing lacrosse for less than two months, and another five have been playing for exactly 12 months. That said, we believe we can finish with a strong winning record and challenge for a spot in the district championship game.”
Cardinal Gibbons finished 8-7 on the year and their season mirrored their district rival in that the defense showed lapses while the offense had spotty production and it showed in the record as they could not handle the stronger teams on their schedule while winning against the weaker ones.
Coach Rudy Williams enters his second year at the helm and he will look to senior Trent Motta- LSM/Close, senior Luke Motta and sophomores James Foster and Cole O’Halloron on Attack, junior Joe Maguire in Goal, junior Marshall Flavell on Defense and junior Whitman Hengtgen at midfield.
Coach Williams noted “I’d say Douglas is the team to beat since they were close two years ago and then had the outstanding year they had last year. I’m not one to count out Pine Crest just yet but Douglas would be the team to beat. Gibbons and Calvary seems to be turning into a pretty good divisional rivalry. It is my understanding that within the past five years or so no team has won consecutive years with each game being determined by no more than two goals.
If history has anything to do with it this year should be our year but a good game I am expecting. As of right now that will be our senior game as well. This season is my 2nd year as Head Coach; of course it would be great to make a run and win the district for the first time in school history but realistically I just want us to continue to progress as a program and maybe shock a team or two in the process this year.”
Taravella improved from a dismal 1-12 in 2014 to finish 6-7 this year as they were able to turn the tide against a couple of teams that beat them in 2014. Arguably, the best results of the season were two one-goal losses to Coral Springs Charter, which is a game I covered in 2014. There seems to be a growing sense of excitement around the program and new head coach Joseph Chiarella takes over.
Coach Chiarella took the time to give us his thoughts on the team and the season:
“I anticipate Taravella’s team leaders this 2016 season to be Joseph Monterrey, a 2016 Senior Midfielder who has been playing for Taravella the past 3 years. Joseph is a great ball handler and has a very good lax IQ. Joseph is also a face off specialist who shows up to practice ready to go and gets the team pumped up. On the defensive side we have Jake Schneider who is a 2016 Senior Close D. Jake has great physical ability and loves to learn how to play his position. Jake always gives 100% in practice and sets the tone for the rest of the defense. He will be a great asset on the field for the Trojans this season.
Our district is extremely competitive with teams like Pine Crest, Cavalry Christian, and Douglas. We will really need to be on top of our game in order to compete and give them a run for their money. In my opinion Douglas is the team to beat in District 27. Coach Burton has built a great program and has a lot of talent that has come into the school. I’m sure they will do well this season. Since it’s my first year as Head Coach, or a HS coach for that matter I don’t have any rivalry. I’d like to give any of the teams in our district a close game and get a few district wins in 2016.
I am sure that a few of my kids will be club players when they get to College. I have been telling them that their lacrosse career doesn’t have to end after HS and that there are plenty of club teams that they can join to keep playing.
Our goals this season are to make a run at districts while building up the younger players on our team and build on that. I hope to be able to have the team playing lacrosse either in travel or in recreational summer leagues to improve their skills and become better players.”
North Broward Prep moves over to varsity status after finishing 4-9 last season in a year of upheaval. Bo Lamon has taken over on a full-time basis and faces the interesting task of building a program at one of the few private schools in the Broward/Palm Beach region that hasn’t focused on their lacrosse program. The highlight of the last year as an independent was the win over Coral Springs Charter and they did sweep Miami-Killian.
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Stoneman Douglas was one of the major breakthrough programs last season as they opened with a convincing 14-7 win over Saint Andrew’s, lost a close road game to Jupiter and then ran the table until losing a one-goal first round playoff game against the Scots before an enormous crowd in Parkland ending with a 16-2 final record. The next step is to try to repeat the success and the schedule takes a jump up as Boca Raton, Gulliver and Final Four Lake Mary are added. All American LSM AJ Ferraro and (in my opinion should have been AA) Blake Israel have moved on but the cupboard is not bare.
Head Coach Ryan Burton has quietly built a solid program and the pipeline is filling up. His comments on the upcoming season:
“Senior Goalie Jason Wyner is one of the top goalies in South Florida. Tyler Gaffney is a three year starter and two year captain attackman who should stand out. Senior Attackman Hunter Bell was the leading point scorer last year. Sam Pinson has big shoes to fill on the defensive side of the ball and we know he’s up to the challenge. All seniors.
Our big game in district will be Pine Crest. Though Gibbons and Calvary are on the rise. We are looking forward to traveling to Lake Mary for a top south vs north public school battle. Our coaching staff is looking forward to playing Boca because of our respect for their coaching staff. Playing against Saint Andrews on the road will be the first for our program. As far as commits are concerned we have only five seniors and all are staying in state for college. For 2017, though none have officially committed, we may have some announcements soon.
And most importantly we have set one goal, whether this year or in the future . . . win a state championship!”
Pine Crest blazed through their second half with an offensive juggernaut but fell to Stoneman in the district final. After a 1-4 start punctuated by close losses to top teams they ripped off 11 of 12, scoring at least 12 goals in every game, and most of the time a lot more than that. In their only loss they scored 17! But it came down to just being in a district with a team that had their number last year.
Coach George Harris is now in his third season at the helm (as well as continuing his stint as the assistant coach of the Launch) and he is looking to see his team come out of the shoot quicker this year, against a similar early schedule. He will look towards David Tescher, Noah Dearman and Chris Dunne on attack, Quin Spey at FOGO/middie and Austin Nero to lead the way.
Calvary Christian finished at 8-8 last season and snuck into the third slot in the district playoff but fell to Pine Crest in the first round. The season started out with a 5-2 early run against relatively weak competition but as the season went on the team regressed and some of the losses were just plain ugly. Hard to pinpoint what happened as the offense and defense seemed to take turns with off performances. One thing to work on was that there were 5 games where the defense gave up at least 16 goals, so an improvement in the record could come quickly if they figure that part out.
Coach Adam Bond wrote to us about the following players:
Senior Hunter Ramsay returns in his final year at CCA. He is a returning captain and leader of the defense, who will by vying for an All-American selection. Sophomore goalkeeper Ben Fuchs enters his second year as the starter with exceptional lacrosse IQ and stopping capabilities. Tiras Shashaty returns in his second year as a sophomore with unmatched speed at the midfield, and will be complemented by sophomore attackman Ben Stephenson, a big strong finisher who can also carry the ball well. Finally, newcomer Jason Thomfohrde, 8th grade attackman, is showing exceptional promise with remarkable vision and slippery dodging ability.
Coach Bond went on to note “While very well-coached Stoneman Douglas finished on top last year, I believe Pine Crest remains the team to beat. They seem to have the feeder program that continues to replace graduating players with great young talent.
Our favorite game every year is with our closest rival, Cardinal Gibbons. We have a great relationship with the players, coaches and parents at Gibbons and our last five games have been decided by two goals or less – Gibbons has come out on top twice, and Calvary three times. Many of these players play together during the travel season and really enjoy getting after each other in spring.
We have a very experienced defense and a very young offense. One of our ten starters has been playing lacrosse for less than two months, and another five have been playing for exactly 12 months. That said, we believe we can finish with a strong winning record and challenge for a spot in the district championship game.”
Cardinal Gibbons finished 8-7 on the year and their season mirrored their district rival in that the defense showed lapses while the offense had spotty production and it showed in the record as they could not handle the stronger teams on their schedule while winning against the weaker ones.
Coach Rudy Williams enters his second year at the helm and he will look to senior Trent Motta- LSM/Close, senior Luke Motta and sophomores James Foster and Cole O’Halloron on Attack, junior Joe Maguire in Goal, junior Marshall Flavell on Defense and junior Whitman Hengtgen at midfield.
Coach Williams noted “I’d say Douglas is the team to beat since they were close two years ago and then had the outstanding year they had last year. I’m not one to count out Pine Crest just yet but Douglas would be the team to beat. Gibbons and Calvary seems to be turning into a pretty good divisional rivalry. It is my understanding that within the past five years or so no team has won consecutive years with each game being determined by no more than two goals.
If history has anything to do with it this year should be our year but a good game I am expecting. As of right now that will be our senior game as well. This season is my 2nd year as Head Coach; of course it would be great to make a run and win the district for the first time in school history but realistically I just want us to continue to progress as a program and maybe shock a team or two in the process this year.”
Taravella improved from a dismal 1-12 in 2014 to finish 6-7 this year as they were able to turn the tide against a couple of teams that beat them in 2014. Arguably, the best results of the season were two one-goal losses to Coral Springs Charter, which is a game I covered in 2014. There seems to be a growing sense of excitement around the program and new head coach Joseph Chiarella takes over.
Coach Chiarella took the time to give us his thoughts on the team and the season:
“I anticipate Taravella’s team leaders this 2016 season to be Joseph Monterrey, a 2016 Senior Midfielder who has been playing for Taravella the past 3 years. Joseph is a great ball handler and has a very good lax IQ. Joseph is also a face off specialist who shows up to practice ready to go and gets the team pumped up. On the defensive side we have Jake Schneider who is a 2016 Senior Close D. Jake has great physical ability and loves to learn how to play his position. Jake always gives 100% in practice and sets the tone for the rest of the defense. He will be a great asset on the field for the Trojans this season.
Our district is extremely competitive with teams like Pine Crest, Cavalry Christian, and Douglas. We will really need to be on top of our game in order to compete and give them a run for their money. In my opinion Douglas is the team to beat in District 27. Coach Burton has built a great program and has a lot of talent that has come into the school. I’m sure they will do well this season. Since it’s my first year as Head Coach, or a HS coach for that matter I don’t have any rivalry. I’d like to give any of the teams in our district a close game and get a few district wins in 2016.
I am sure that a few of my kids will be club players when they get to College. I have been telling them that their lacrosse career doesn’t have to end after HS and that there are plenty of club teams that they can join to keep playing.
Our goals this season are to make a run at districts while building up the younger players on our team and build on that. I hope to be able to have the team playing lacrosse either in travel or in recreational summer leagues to improve their skills and become better players.”
North Broward Prep moves over to varsity status after finishing 4-9 last season in a year of upheaval. Bo Lamon has taken over on a full-time basis and faces the interesting task of building a program at one of the few private schools in the Broward/Palm Beach region that hasn’t focused on their lacrosse program. The highlight of the last year as an independent was the win over Coral Springs Charter and they did sweep Miami-Killian.
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