By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/27/13
Members of the Philly boys’ Class of 2016 have stamped themselves as a group that is highly-recruited and highly-respected by college coaches.
Already, 15 Philly sophomores have made their commitments to Division I programs public to Phillylacrosse.com. And six Philly players were among the Top 25 listed by Inside Lacrosse earlier this week in its High School Sophomore rankings. Another seven Philly players and one that plays on a Philly club team were listed in the Watch List.
Haverford School attackman/midfielder Dox Aitken (committed to Virginia) was the No. 1 recruit. Aitken was a regular contributor on last year’s Fords team that won the Inter-Ac Invitational and finished in most national rankings.
The Top 25 also included Avon Grove midfielder Beau Kush (North Carolina) at No. 8, Upper Dublin defenseman Jack Rapine (Johns Hopkins) at No. 14, Haverford School midfielders Tommy McNamara (No. 19, not committed) and Brendan O’Neill (No. 22, Johns Hopkins) and Salesianum School defenseman Patrick Lyons (North Carolina).
McNamara and O’Neill as well as Watchlist member Alex deMarco (goalie) were regulars on Haverfo9rd’s run last year. Kush was a key starter for an Avon Grove squad that shocked many to win the District 1 championship and Rapine and Watchlist member Michael Sowers helped lead Upper Dublin to the District 1 quarterfinals and an undefeated Suburban One American Conference title.
Lyons was a contributor for Salesianum, which won a state title and finished among all the national rankings. Also from the Watchlist, Lawrenceville School goalie Griffin Thompson was a starter for a team that made the Inter-Ac Invitational semifinals, attackman/midfielder Jack Wilson was a key member for Radnor’s drive to a share of the Central League title; Adam Goldner contributed to Malvern Prep’s Inter-Ac League title; and Ryan McNulty was a starter and All-Ches-Mont defender for a Bishop Shanahan team that shared the league crown.
Other not on the Inside Lacrosse list – such as Conestoga defenseman Jack Reilly and Avon Grove LSM Nick Cardile – also played key roles as starters on teams that were highly successful in 2013. There are many other 2016 players that excelled last year; such as Shipley School goalie Ian Walsh (all-Friends Schools League pick for league champion), Salesianum School face-off specialist Colby Reeder and Avon Grove attackman Bryce Reid.
Inside Lacrosse staffer Ty Xanders, who helps prepare the Inside Lacrosse rankings, had nothing but praise for the Philly Class of 2016. In all, 15 Philly (including South Jersey and Delaware) players in the class have made their commitments public to Phillylacrosse.com (see links to stories below).
“I think from top to bottom it seems like a really impressive group,” Xanders said. “I think it is one of the better classes that Philly has had.
“This class makes Philly look like a hotbed right up there with Baltimore and Long Island.”
Haverford School has five players overall on the list.
“The Haverford freshmen played crucial roles last year and when you think about the impact they made as freshmen and how they played in the summer, I don’t think anyone can argue those picks.”
Philly players among Inside Lacrosse’s High School Sophomore rankings
1. Dox Aitken, Attackman/Midfielder, Haverford School (Virginia)
8. Beau Kush, Midfielder, Avon Grove. (North Carolina)
14. Jack Rapine, LSM/D, Upper Dublin (Johns Hopkins)
19. Tommy McNamara, Midfielder, Haverford School (Not committed)
20. Patrick Lyons, LSM/D, Salesianum School (North Carolina)
22. Brendan O’Neill, Midfielder, Haverford School (Johns Hopkins)
Inside Lacrosse Watchlist
(alphabetical order)
Alex deMarco, Goalie, Haverford School. (Admissions process at Penn,as reported by Inside Lacrosse)
Adam Goldner, Attackman, Malvern Prep (not committed)
Ryan McNulty, LSM/D, Bishop Shanahan. Commitment: Loyola
Phillip Robertson, Attackman/Midfielder, St. Anne’s Belfield (Va.). Plays for Duke’s L.C. (not committed).
Forry Smith, Attackman, Haverford School (Johns Hopkins)
Michael Sowers, Attackman, Upper Dublin (admission process at Princeton)
Griffin Thompson, Goalie, Lawrenceville School (Virginia)
Jack Wilson, Attackman/Midfielder (Maryland)
Philly Class of 2016 verbal commitments
Dox Aitken , Haverford School, attackman/midfielder, University of Virginia
Nick Cardile, Avon Grove, LSM, Penn State University
Luke Desperito, Haverford School, midfielder, University of Virginia
Christian Feliziani, Episcopal Academy, face-off specialist, Ohio State University
Beau Kush, Avon Grove, midfielder, North Carolina
Patrick Lyons, Salesianum School, defenseman, North Carolina
Ryan McNulty, Bishop Shanahan, LSM-defenseman, Loyola University
Brendan O’Neill, Haverford School, midfielder, Johns Hopkins
Jack Rapine, Upper Dublin, defenseman, Johns Hopkins University
Jack Reilly, Conestoga, defenseman, University of Virginia
Forry Smith, Haverford School, attackman, Johns Hopkins
Jack Wilson, Radnor, midfield-attackman, University of Maryland
South, Central Jersey recruits
Griffin Thompson
Jared Chiachetti, St. Augustine Prep (NJ), midfielder, University of Maryland
Owen Black, The Hun School (N.J.), midfieler-attackman, Villanova University
Matt Stagnitta, Montgomery High School (NJ), midfielder, Johns Hopkins University
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