Above – Dwyer’s Nickolas Calabria flies past Mick Upchurch of McCallie School as he shoots on Nick Beatie. You can see the entire amazing series of this play at FloridaLacrossePhotos. Photos by Brooke Davis.

We don’t envy the coaches and evaluators at Under Amour South Team tryouts who had to whittle down the 190 participants to a single roster of 25 players.  The talent was deep and impressive. When I say the talent was deep I mean there were 18 D1 commits trying out for 7 defense positions along with dozens of other highly talented players who have not made commitments yet. We are not evaluators for this event and we have no inside track into who is going to make the roster but a few players did catch our eye.  So for what it’s worth, here are some Florida guys we liked in no particular order. Be sure to see hundreds of great photos of the event by Brooke Davis at our FloridaLacrossePhotos site. Daniel Walsh – 2017 Defenseman from St. Edward’s.  Walsh had an excellent weekend showing he can match up well against just about anyone and get the ball up the field.

Granite Porcher – 2016 Middie at Hagerty High School.  Granite has great speed and excellent lax IQ.  The Air Force commit is dynamic with the ball and he is usually the fastest guy on the field at any given time. Jared Bernhardt – 2016 Attack at Lake Brantley. Jared is a no-brainer for this list and just about any list you want to make of top players.  Bad news for defenders is that Jared is getting even more explosive as he turns the corner and continues to add tools to his game. Stephen Chase – PG at Choate Rosemary Hall.  Stephen, from Maclay, is headed to Choate for a PG year before Notre Dame.  He scored plenty this weekend but can also dish the ball as well as anyone.  He is a very well rounded attackman whose game is taylor made for the next level.

John Michael Night – 2016 Middie – Trinity Prep School.  This face off guy brings a lot more to the field than an ordinary FOGO.  Night is a middie who happens to be a very good face off guy. The Mercer commit was solid all weekend at the “X” and handled the ball well. Jacob Reeves – 2017 Defense from Ponte Vedra.  This rising junior was in the middle of a very deep field of elite level D-1 commits at this tryout but still managed to catch our eye.  He is a solid defender with lots of upside. Chris Britton – 2016 Middie from Vero Beach – He had an excellent weekend scoring some goals and playing tough between the boxes.

Jackson Colling – 2016 Middie at Lake Highland Prep.  Jackson was on this team last summer and had a solid weekend.  He has great speed and laser-like accuracy when shooting.  The Boston University commit was among the top middies in our opinion. Viper Scheele – 2016 Goalie at Jupiter HS.  Viper has been one of those guys who has been in the conversation for a long time and was a member this team last sumer.  He is a great ball stopper but it’s his clearing ability that sets him apart.  He can do it with his feet or with great outlet passes. Eric Simon – 2016 Goalie from Martin County HS.  Simon played well all season and looks to be carrying that into the summer. There was some extraordinary talent from outside of Florida at this event. Nakeie Montgomery- 2017 Middie from Episcopal School of Dallas.  Remember the name because you’re going to hear plenty more from this Duke commit.  He is a large, fast, and talented individual.  He was the most impressive player at the event and created a lot of buzz. Peyton Bogard- 2017 Defense from Lovett (GA).  Excellent defender who is headed to Maryland at the end of his high school career.  Very impressive footwork and is a solid shut down defender. Crosby Matthews – 2016 FOGO from Lovett (GA).  Matthews impressed us early in the spring season when we saw him play LHP and Lake Brantley.  He was the top face off specialist in our opinion this weekend.  The Delaware commit won a high percentage of possessions and could push the transition off the win.  The other guys were happy to bring their best stuff to the X every time as he set a high bar, giving his opponents a great chance to prove their worth. This list could go on and on.  We enjoyed watching a very talented group out there.  Highland Park, TX really had some solid guys in the event.  Guys like Parker Alexander, a 2017 NC commit, who is a fantastic middie.  We some some young up and comers from great programs here in Florida.  Like Lukas Kott of Lake Highland Prep and Jimmy Harrington of St. Thomas Aquinas.  Solid young players we’re sure to hear more from in the next couple of seasons. With 190 of the South’s best players trying out for 25 spots there will certainly be many excellent players who don’t make this roster.  Some of those players will have the opportunity to play in the Uncommitted Showcase as well. Don’t forget to see all of the great photos at http://floridalacrossephotos.smugmug.com/Sports/Lacrosse/Under-Armour-South-Team/