Phillylacrosse.com, posted 8/9/08
La Salle has been named the No. 1 scholastic boys’ team in the country for 2008, according to Lacrosse Magazine’s Top 25 High School Poll.
The Explorers, who went 31-2, won the final Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (EPSLA) title and claimed the Keystone Cup (state) crown with a 7-5 victory over Manheim Township.
La Salle, coached by Bill Leahy, also won its fifth straight Catholic League championship and 14th in16 years. The Explorers last won the Keystone Cup title in 2004. The Explorers were followed in the top 10 by Gilman (Md.), Mountain Lakes (N.J.), Darien (Conn.), West Genesee (N.Y.), Ward Melville (N.Y.), Rocky Point (N.Y.), West Islip (N.Y.), Loyola-Blakefield (Md.) and Calvert Hall (Md.).
The Explorers featured five All-Americans: senior midfielder Conrad Ridgway, and juniors Peter Schwartz (middie), Tucker Durkin (defender), Tyler Knarr (long-stick middie) and goalie Niko Amato the Phillylacrosse.com Player of the Year.
Also in the Top 25 was Malvern Prep (12th), which placed second to La Salle in the EPSLA tourney. The Friars won the Inter-Ac League championship and went 21-3.
In the Lacrosse Magazine scholastic girls’ Top 25, Radnor finished No. 7. The Red Raiders of coach Phyllis Kilgour went 23-0 and won the Central League and District 1 Class AAA championship.
Radnor also featured three first-team All-Americans: seniors Kelly Barnes and Beth Ellis, the Phillylacrosse.com Co-Players of the Year; and sophomore Kelyn Freedman. Senior Molly Early and junior Sam Ellis were named honorable mention All-Americans.
Springfield-Delco, the runner-up to Radnor in the Central League and the District 1 Class AA champion, was ranked 14th. The Cougars went 19-3, and won their third straight district title.
Bayard Rustin, the District 1 Class AAA runner-up and champion of the Ches-Mont American Conference, was tabbed at No. 17. Rustin went 17-3 in only its second year of existence.
Great Valley (No. 25) gave District 1 four teams in the poll. The Patriots (19-4) fell to Springfield-Delco in the district finals and also placed second to Rustin in the Ches-Mont American.
Lacrosse Magazine is the official publication of US Lacrosse.
