Buckle your seats ladies and gentlemen . . . players, coaches, referees and fans . . . As the old saying goes     But, as always, we bring you this warning sponsored by the Securities and Exchange Commission (just checking to see if my Compliance Department is still checking in . . .)  

Senior Writer Lee Roggenburg is out with his second annual preseason Top 20 (since it was a Top 10 the first year) for Florida High School teams. In keeping with the fine new legal tradition of modern society it should be noted the opinions expressed are solely of the author and not the senior management, board of directors, general ledger staff, and all other associated FLN owners and employees. So all digs, barbs, outright annoyances and curt, snarky remarks need to be directed at Lee personally, not the site. Lee’s direct cell phone number is not listed specifically for this purpose but he can be reached at lee@floridalacrossenews.com. We only ask that physical threats and comments on his manhood directed at Lee be limited to 2 per day as that is all his public defender can handle. Lee, as always, is a big believer in pacifism when it personally impacts him. And most importantly, past performance is no guarantee of future results . . .  

First, let’s recap last year’s Preseason Top 20   The Preseason Top 20!!   #1 – Lake Highland Prep – you have to go with the state champs this time #2 – Barron Collier – pretty much EVERYONE is back from a team that easily could have gone to the finals. #3 – Ponte Vedra – they played LHP very well in the semis last year #4 – Jupiter – arguably the best high end talent in the state, depth and a young midfield will be an issue #5 – St. Thomas Aquinas – some key losses but a lot of thoroughbreds return #6 – Saint Andrew’s – IF the offense gets it together #7 – Benjamin – IF the defense gets it together #8 – Gulf Coast – we’ll see if the harder schedule can be overcome #9 – Oxbridge Academy – another year, another move up.  Their schedule also toughens a lot #10 – Lake Mary – Garrick Robinson might be playing possum this year #11 – Maclay – too bad they play in a weaker area #12 – Boca Raton – can they overcome the losses?  Plenty of offense returns. #13 – Jensen Beach – the offense needs to step up #14 – Columbus Catholic – a ton of seniors lost the last two years but Coach DeLang has built a consistent program #15 – Martin County – just have a sneaky suspicion that this team is ready #16 – Pope John Paul II – have to replace two All-Americans, never an easy task #17 – Bolles – Anthony Texeira is a special talent. #18 – Lake Brantley – a fresh slate and one of the best juniors in America #19 – Seminole – a breakthrough year, can they continue the growth? #20 – Hagerty – giving them a chance to redeem my prediction last year   Others considered: Vero Beach, Providence, Melbourne Central Catholic, University School (Davie), Pine Crest, Palm Beach Gardens, Dr. Phillips, Plant, Gulliver Prep, Stoneman Douglas   And the Final Four Predictions   This year Barron Collier takes the next step and goes to Bradenton; they likely play St. Thomas but getting by Gulf Coast in the first round might be even more difficult.  They will meet someone from the Southeast . . . yeah, that’s a cop out but how do you ever choose this Region this year?  Benjamin lost their starting defense and goalie.  Boca lost their starting defense.  So in all likelihood it will be a new Elite 8 matchup.  Is Oxbridge ready or still a year away?  Can Jensen find enough offense? No, I think it comes down to Jupiter versus Saint Andrew’s for the regional title.  It will be a beauty.  Maybe OT.  And just maybe transfer Davis Diamond makes the difference in this year’s SA team.  They could not score enough last year against the best teams.  If the offense is fixed the rest of the pieces are in place. Last season, after the loss to Boca, I wrote that it was déjà vu to me to my time at Hobart.  But Hobart came back to win it all the next year.  I don’t see that happening but there’s a sneaky feeling I have that we could see an SA run this year out of region.  But it will be really close and Jupiter has the better high end talent while SA has the better depth. In Orlando the song remains the same.  Only a 1980-style miracle keeps LHP from getting back to Bradenton.  Up north though there might be a tougher road.  Lake Mary came very close last year and little birdies are telling me that both Ponte Vedra and Lake Mary are much deeper this year than last.  I think PV eventually prevails but if there is one upset possibility out there this year it could be this one. So we come down to Barron Collier versus Saint Andrew’s and Ponte Vedra versus Lake Highland.  Can Ponte Vedra finally prevail?  Max Parker has finally graduated and if he had a year ago PV might have won that game last year.  At the risk of again being serenaded on the field after the final by Brian for my lack of respect for northern lacrosse (yeah, Chris got in a few too as he was setting the over age 35 record for the 40-yard dash to avoid a Gatorade bath) I’ll go with Tom West to finally get over the hump and knock off the defending champs.  On the other side let’s go with the new kid in town, Barron Collier.  That sets up the final game between two schools that are 348 driving miles apart.  Which means that if they don’t meet on a neutral site this will be a rare occasion. It will also be a rare occasion because it will be TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS meeting for the championship. That’ll be cool. Oh . . . Barron Collier wins a low scoring final 8-6 because it will be tough for PV to come back the next day after their emotional win over LHP.   https://youtu.be/75SEy1qu71I   Okay, not exactly perfect.  Maybe that’s a little harsh but this is too long an article to not have a little fun with it . . . See kids, this is how it is done . . . combine lacrosse and politics and you get a 2-1 . . . The biggest misses were not including Newsome and Buchholz, underrating Stoneman Douglas at the beginning of the season and not being able to foresee Gulf Coast’s injury filled nightmare.   And this is how we ended last year:     #1 – Lake Highland – no question here, avenged the early season loss in the finals #2 – St. Thomas Aquinas – two goals shy of a perfect record, a fantastic season #3 – Saint Andrew’s – really got it together in the second half, ran into a buzzsaw in the semis #4 – Lake Mary – another great second half and a worthy Final Four run #5 – Jupiter – had a 3-goal lead in the fourth in the quarters, toughest schedule in the state #6 – Stoneman Douglas – killed it all year, one goal shy against SA in the first round #7 – Ponte Vedra – so good for so long, something went awry late in the season #8 – Vero Beach – consistently good year.  Beat SA early, tough first round matchup against Jupiter #9 – Seminole – picked the wrong year to play Lake Mary in District, still a terrific overall record #10 – Maclay – just like the last few years, one game shy of the Final Four.  Would love to see them make a Southern swing next season #11 – Barron Collier – if the offense played as well all year as it did against STA this would have been much higher #12 – Newsome – great season, PLEASE Hillsborough County, CHANGE YOUR RULES #13 – Buchholz – one of the true Cinderella stories until a rough district final upset #14 – Gulliver Prep – sneaky good year down south, will be back next year #15 – Benjamin – defense could never get it going this year and difficult schedule kept them from getting a lot of traction #16 – Oxbridge Academy – maybe a year early for the top 10 preseason ranking, next year will be very intriguing #17 – Jensen Beach – defensively sound, offensively challenged #18 – Bolles – another sneakily good season against a VERY tough schedule #19 – Winter Park – just above Bishop Moore after the District final smackdown #20 – Bishop Moore – solid late season run until the District final   I won’t do the recriminations this year.  I’ll let my managers do that:     If you can’t stand me take it up with them . . .   Some of the things that are on my mind this year . . .   The narrowing of the gap between the haves and have-nots When you look back over the years of Florida lacrosse one thing you didn’t see a lot of upsets.  A few here and there but rarely did you see a heavy favorite go down to defeat.  That’s starting to change.  And that’s an exciting prospect for the state of our game down here.  Upsets do a lot for any sport and we are no different.  It signals change.  Healthy change. Last year’s Stoneman win over Saint Andrew’s gave the early season an exclamation point.  And a MASSIVE crowd for the rematch. Keep it coming!   We are currently at an interesting point in time for Florida lacrosse.  There is a natural growth progression of any sport. In the 1970’s Tennis was all the rage.  Ashe to Connors to McEnroe to Becker.  Court to King to Evert to Navratilova to Graf to Seles.  Tennis was on network television every week.  But the participants (particularly on the woman’s side) were very young and a lot of them were immature when it came to handling public relations. The sport ended up losing its’ popularity, partly because of that immaturity (the sense of entitlement by the players was written up in the press of that time) and the oversaturation eventually led to where only Wimbledon and the US Open are shown on network television. When I was in college my sport was volleyball.  Because of the success of the U.S. Men’s National team in the 1980’s (1984 and 1988 Gold Medals and 1986 and 1988 World Championships) the introduction of Beach Volleyball was heralded as the next big thing.  It was appearing pretty much every week on network television and the allure of watching muscular men and in-shape women wearing bathing suits while running around and jumping on sand before a rowdy crowd of tequila drinkers.  What could go wrong? Oversaturation.  And frankly, to a participant like me, the indoor game was far superior anyhow. But the sport was still shoved down our throats until the audience went away. It’s not quite an apples and apples comparison now. But the faint warning signs are there. Let’s nip it in the bud now. Don’t let the growing popularity of the sport be taken for granted. A warning sign?  The continued drop in attendance at the NCAA Final Four. Another warning sign? Some of the crowds at the high school games have trended down.  Some schools had a surge of attendance because it became trendy or the school was having a great season.  And even last year, as some schools saw their programs rise in the rankings they saw crowd numbers grow. But that doesn’t last forever. The hardcore fan decides they want to go out and watch a game, even if they don’t necessarily have a rooting interest. I challenge every player, coach, referee and fan out there to try to hold a conversation with someone they know does not attend games and find a way to invite them to one. This sport sells itself to an awful lot of people when they see it in person.  I’ve never taken someone to a game who hasn’t experienced it before and heard them say ‘I didn’t like it’. It’s too visually attractive.  So strike a blow for the future of the game down here. Parents, invite a family friend or neighbor to the high school game you are attending.  Players, if you are living near one of the Division 2 programs . . . or for those in the Northeast corner, Jacksonville . . . push yourself to go see a college game.  Don’t just be a player, become a hardcore fan too! Referees have the harder sell.  But you also have friends and neighbors outside of the community.  Invite one to each game you go to.  It’s just a couple of hours and you can make a fan for life. When you go to work in the morning talk up what you saw . . . it beats American Idol any day and we all know it . . . Sell the game until there’s no one left to sell to . . . Have fun.  But also remember that the next generation will need the same push that so many of us gave you. It took soccer nearly 40 years to build itself to where it is now in the American sports mainstream.  It will take about that long for ours to get there too . . . start the journey now.     Next a congratulation to something I mentioned in the Year End review Kids, you have gone a long way to eliminating the cheap shots to the head and the neck area.  I saw almost none of it last season. Great job!!! No backsliding. You can compete hard without it . . . and you will show a level of respect for each other that will carry over to other facets of your life. Take a bow kids and keep up the good work!   Okay, so now it’s time to look ahead . . .   First, let’s look at some of the top contenders for Player of The Year, in no particular order:   Jared Bernhardt of Lake Brantley Louie Yovino of St, Thomas Aquinas                Davis Diamond of Saint Andrew’s Anthony Courcelle of Cypress Bay                Andrew Packer of Benjamin Jackson Colling of Lake Highland Prep                Viper Scheele of Jupiter Colin Hayek of Oxbridge                Finn Swanson of Buchholz Mikey Berkman at Dr. Phillips                Clay Welch at Ponte Vedra Alex and Thad Spiker of Oak Hall                I could go on and on . . . And what a wonderful thing that is . . . because in years past that list might have gone three deep . . . by acclimation. Who will it be?  I have no idea. How great is that?   Okay, now on to . . .   The Final Four in Jupiter!!!   But first, a word from our sponsor . . .     As much as I harp on the rising equality between programs I have a feeling we are going to see something this year that is familiar, but not from the last few years.  Further back . . . But let’s take a step back and look at something that is VERY possible this year. First Round FHSAA playoff match-ups in the Southeast . . . Saint Andrew’s versus Oxbridge And St. Thomas Aquinas versus Stoneman Douglas or Pine Crest Thanks to the realignment and reassignment of districts this is the likely FIRST ROUND FHSAA playoffs And the winners GET TO PLAY EACH OTHER in the second round.  That bracket could be a legitimate Final Four this year and no one would blink.  In the 1^st 2 rounds.  In my area!  Yippee! And just above that in another quadrant . . . how about Benjamin versus Vero in the first round?   An interlude to clean the palette before the Final Four preview for those who think I’m stuck in the 70’s . . .     Okay, maybe I should have stuck with the 70’s . . .   I think the Final Four plays out this way.   In the Northern quadrant (District 1-8) you really have some interesting story lines: The Sweet 16 matchups basically look like Maclay versus Buchholz or Oak Hall and Ponte Vedra versus Lake Mary or Seminole Six legit teams slugging it out.  The ‘or’ teams are district rivals. Maclay loses two All Americans but their defense was top notch.  Ponte Vedra lost its’ chemistry down the stretch and we need to see if this year’s team learned any lessons from that.  How does Buchholz take last year’s district disappointment?  Can Oak Hall continue their trajectory?  Lake Mary needs to replace some key pieces and Seminole has been building a solid program. Maclay has been knocking on the door for a while.  Lake Mary knocked the door down last year. Let’s go with Lake Mary to slip by Ponte Vedra to get to the Final Four.  I could make a case for Ponte Vedra to rebound and they might well but the difference might come down to experience.  Ponte Vedra is talented but young and Lake Mary is more experienced.  Seminole still has enough to give Lake Mary a run in the District but last year might have been the better opportunity.  I just don’t know how to pick between Oak Hall and Buchholz this year but Oak Hall did win the game that counted and I think that continues over into this season.   In the Western Quadrant (District 9-16) there are a couple of stories too. As difficult as it is to try to justify a competitor to Lake Highland Prep I do think that this is the year we start to see the gap narrow, and possibly significantly.  They have graduated a TON of great players in recent years and as easy as it is to say ‘they’ll just reload’, I think that will be easier said than done this year.  The schedule is brutal this year, as the MIAA schools are back.   Thank you FHSAA . . .         When you do the right thing for the sport you get the congrats!   On the other side of their Final 8 bracket is Newsome and this could well be the year when the gap gets closed . . . A LOT.  But there is a potential upset there too.  Newsome is still hamstrung by the inept rules governing public high schools in the Tampa area and their schedule is frankly not what you need to prepare for a championship run, if their county administrators actually care about that.  On the other hand you can look at Tampa Jesuit, who went 11-7 last season but took Newsome to a one-goal game in the second round of the FHSAA.  Tampa’s schedule this season is RIGOROUS . . . at Boca, at Belen, Barron Collier, Oak Hall, Maclay . . . and that means Tampa Jesuit will be ready to play a tough game . . . and one goal is not a high bar to climb over. Sometimes the hardest thing to do with a growing program is to come back from your breakout year and repeat it . . . let’s see if they can.  If they get back to the Final Eight it will say something, something that the area needs; a dominant program that can help change minds in Hillsborough County. So let’s go with the matchup with Newsome and LHP will get by, but by maybe 4 or 5 goals this season.   On the Treasure Coast/Southwest quadrant (Districts 17-24) there are really only two schools I think are Final Four possibilities.  Graduation really gutted a lot of the top schools here and I have no idea how some of them compete for a deep run.  Jupiter holds the distinction of losing THREE All Americans.  Barron Collier lost multiple ones too.  Cardinal Mooney lost its’ long-time coach. Gulf Coast has a long way back.  And the old District 19 is not the same. In the first round of this quadrant we likely will see Benjamin versus Vero.  I think that this is the game that decides who goes to the Final Four . . . as a near home team.  Barron Collier will give either of them a run in the Final Eight but there’s just not enough there this year to overcome.  I’ll go with Benjamin to rebound and put behind them last year’s down year.  It is right now a weaker quadrant than in recent memory.   And then we get to the Southeast quadrant (District 25-32), with the brutal top bracket and the easier bottom bracket.  Down south Gulliver was moved into a position where they will have no trouble getting to the Sweet 16 while the Belen Jesuit/Columbus Catholic/Ransom Everglades District survivor will meet them.  But this year that will be for a Final 8 spot and no more. And then there is what we discussed above. SA, STA, Stoneman or Pine Crest, Oxbridge And after thinking it through there is one conclusion I come up with . . . Saint Andrew’s is back.  In a big way. St. Thomas has some great pieces back but they lost a lot more than SA did and depth will be an issue. Stoneman lost two big pieces but the feeder system is starting to kick in Pine Crest loses some but keeps others And Oxbridge is built for this year. Unfortunately for Oxbridge, SA is loaded.  It will be a heck of a game but SA gets by it. STA just gets by Stoneman And SA gets revenge for last year’s semifinals win.   So, we are down to (assuming I have the brackets right):   In case you forgot . . .   Saint Andrew’s versus Benjamin and Lake Highland versus Lake Mary   In the first semifinal Lake Mary gives Lake Highland fits but LHP pulls out the win with the score somewhere around 8-6 as Lake Mary’s offense falls short.  Last year’s semifinal between the two schools was not indicative of the final score.  Lake Mary dominated the first quarter and only poor shooting kept them from taking the lead and then the game would have played out differently (not saying Lake Mary wins). In the second semifinal I see Saint Andrew’s playing a similar game to the one we televised last season and SA will pull away in the second half for a 12-6 win. And here we go again. But for the first time in Florida history LHP enters as the favorite in this game . . . (unless their regular season match-up is a lopsided SA win, which I don’t see happening).   In the end SA turns the tables on the Highlanders and the championship goes to the Scots by about 3-4 goals as LHP’s offense struggles to score, maybe a 10-6 final.   And for the first time in four years we will have a new champion. Let the Games Begin!!!   And now here is my Preseason Top 20!   #1A – Lake Highland – the defending champs get this automatically to me but this will change at some point because their schedule will give them some losses along the way #1B – Saint Andrew’s – since I pick them to win it all #3 – St. Thomas Aquinas – there’s great high-end talent coming back but the depth and the realignment keeps them out of the Final Four #4 – Benjamin – IF they solve the defensive side of the ball (that sounds a lot like last year) #5 – Lake Mary – loses a little too much to be ranked higher, at least they can earn it on the field #6 – Ponte Vedra – I need to see if last year was just a one year thing #7 – Vero Beach – another great season that likely ends with the brutal first round match-up #8 – Newsome – I have to overlook the schedule weakness, it’s not their fault #9 – Oxbridge Academy – the regular season needs to be special #10 – Maclay – I don’t think last year’s defensive soundness goes away, even though they lose two top talents #11 – Seminole – It’s almost amazing how good a year they had with no one noticing #12 – Stoneman Douglas – they are not going away anytime soon, will be a force for the future #13 – Gulliver Prep – also ready to take the next step #14 – Barron Collier – they know how to win and how to get ready for the top games #15 – Oak Hall – my northern friends have me convinced they are ready for a great year #16 – Pine Crest – Coach Harris just quietly gets the most out of his kids #17 – Buchholz – raised the schedule enough to really know where they are as a program.  If you are in their area go see Finn Swanson before it’s too late #18 – Jupiter – too many losses and Viper will need to play lights out every game #19 – Lake Brantley – can Jake Bernhardt turn it around in year 2 and get the program back to recent glory? #20 – Belen Jesuit – maybe a year early for this but potentially the Buchholz of 2016   Also considered: Tampa Jesuit, Columbus Catholic, Saint John Paul II, Cardinal Mooney, Jensen Beach, Bolles, Bishop Moore, Oviedo, Dr. Phillips, Berkeley Prep, Steinbrenner   As always . . . thanks to the coaches, players, referees, parents, game officials and fans for continuing to support this great sport and for continuing to read FLN!   Get out and watch a game!