Boys lacrosse /Scouting Lake County

Antioch

Coach: Matt Larsen (third season)

Returning players: Will Beake (Sr. Defense), Nick Bucci (Jr. Defense), Jake Bulka (Jr. Attack), Max Palmieri (Jr. Midfield), Owen Lane (Jr. Midfield), Jack Bay (Jr. Defense), Brandon Reynolds (Jr. Midfield)

Newcomers: Dylan Czerlanis (Sr. Attack), Lucas Bentley (So. Defense), Anthony Adams (So. Goalie)

Season outlook: The D117 co-op split so the Antioch Lacrosse program will have its inaugural season this spring. The roster includes football players Brandon Reynolds, Nick Bucci and Eastern Illinois-bound Dylan Czerlanis. "Our goal is to exceed expectations and create a solid team chemistry as we have a lot of young players on our team," coach Matthew Larsen said. "Our strength is our athleticism. We will outwork each team we face. We are packed with football players and other multisport athletes. We are young but we are also experienced, and this team will keep on growing, which is perfect as our youth program is (getting) strong each year. The future is bright for Antioch Lacrosse."

Carmel

Coach: Charley Dever (second season)

Returning players: Cole Danner (Sr. Midfield), Scott Gavin (Sr. Defense), Avery Bugaj (Jr. Midfield), Nate Graham (So. Attack)

Newcomers: Mason Hardin (Fr. Goalie)

Season outlook: The Corsairs return their entire starting offense from last year. "We hope to win the East Suburban Catholic Conference for the first time in Carmel lacrosse history and make a run for our sectional championship," coach Charley Dever said. "While we lost our star goalie (John Moran) and three talented defensemen, we have a number of young players who are ready to step up on defense."

Grant

Coach: Josh Christian (first season)

Returning players: Noah Lautner (Jr. LSM), Logan Goessele (Jr. Attack), Tyler Fritsch (Sr. Attack/Offensive Midfield), Stephen Reisig (Sr. Midfield), Harrison Goldberg (Sr. Midfield)

Newcomers: Noah Walker (Fr. Attack), Adryan Gonzalez (Fr. Midfield)

Season outlook: This is the Bulldogs' first year as part of the IHSA. Josh Christian coached the Grant Lacrosse Club (non-IHSA) the last two years. His top players from last season who return this season include Noah Lautner, Logan Goessele, Tyler Fritsch, Stephen Reisig and Harrison Goldberg. "Being a first-year IHSA program, it's going to be a learning process for both the kids and us as coaches as we adjust to the other teams," Christian said. "Our biggest strength is we're a young team that has grown up playing lacrosse together over several seasons. We have some experienced players that we are leaning on to provide some leadership as the program grows. Our only goal is to play each game as hard as we can and keep improving practice by practice, game to game."

Grayslake Central

Coach: Chris Ridella (seventh season)

Returning players: Ethan Boelens (Jr. Long Pole), Dillan Dumanlang (Jr. Midfield), Cole Polek (Sr. Midfield), Josh Akin (Sr. Defense), Reese Kinzig (Sr. Goalie), Gavin Rinaldi (Sr. Long Pole), Dan Garcia (Jr. Midfield), Cameron Mussay (Jr. Midfield), Jared Nicholas (Sr. Midfield), Matt Rubino (Sr. Attack), Nate Cashmore (Jr. Defense), Dan Ota (Jr. Midfield), Payton Waigand (So. Midfield), Anthony Butvilas (So. Long Pole)

Newcomers: Chris Brown (So. Attack), Dylan Cederberg (Jr. Midfield), Brendan Veenstra (Jr. Midfield)

Season outlook: The Rams have some holes to fill, especially on the attack, but return veterans on defense. "Our goal for the season is to grow on and off the lacrosse field," coach Chris Ridella said. "We are focusing a lot on skills and habits, which will help our student athletes to be successful during lacrosse but will carry over to other aspects of their lives. We have been impacted by some off-season injuries but return a lot of experience on defense. We saw a lot of offensive talent graduate from our team last season, so we're looking forward to seeing our underclassmen step into bigger roles."

Grayslake North

Coach: Brad Fish (13th season)

Last season: 17-6, sectional champs, lost to New Trier in supersectional

Returning players: Michael Trabulsy (Sr. Midfield), Tony Rodriguez (Sr. Midfield), Aiden Vettraino (Sr. Midfield), Kyle Bosshart (Sr. Midfield), Mikey Brown (Sr. Midfield), Nicholas Fish (So. Attack), Tayo Oladunmoye (Jr. Attack), Zach Carter (Sr. Defense), Payton Taylor (Sr. Defense), Matt Staudt (Sr. Defense), Adam George (Sr. Defense), Matt Sheehan (Sr. Defense), Campbell Herlt (Sr. Goalie), Aidan Murphy (Sr. Goalie)

Newcomers: Dom Solano (Midfield), Ethan Patton (Sr. Midfield)

Season outlook: The Knights have won 17 games or more the last three seasons and boast a state Final Four and 2 state quarterfinal finishes. Brad Fish, who is the only coach in the program's 13-year history, says the strength of his Knights will be at the midfield position, which is led by returning seniors and all-conference players Michael Trabulsy and Tony Rodriguez. Both will anchor what should be a highflying offense that will also include do-it-all middies Aiden Vettraino, Kyle Bosshart and Mikey Brown, three seniors who will be relied on heavily. Nicholas Fish returns for his sophomore season at attack after finishing second on the team in points as a freshman with 46 goals and 21 assists. Junior Tayo Oladunmoye is coming off a 57-point campaign and is a "dynamic playmaker," Brad Fish says. The defense is led by four-year varsity starter and three-sport athlete Zach Carter, who was named all-state last season. Payton Taylor, Matt Staudt, Adam George and Matt Sheehan provide depth. Brad Fish says goalies Campbell Herlt and Aidan Murphy both are more than qualified to lead a deep run in May. Among the newcomers, Dom Solano will also be a factor at midfield, and senior Ethan Patton returns after sitting out last season.

Lakes

Coach: Jacob Perry (first season)

Returning players: Nate Langille (Sr. Midfield), Matt Halperin (Sr. Goalie), Salvatore Rouse (Sr. Defense), Aidan Hood (Sr. Defense), Jacob Vercammen (Sr. Attack), Anthony Om (Sr. Goalie), Logan Cramer (Jr. LSM), Mac Ryan (Jr. Attack), Jeremy Stock (Jr. Attack), Tommy St. John (Jr. Midfield), Santo Chisolm (Jr. Defensive Midfield), Ty Dwyer (So. Faceoff/Midfield), Jacob Magad Jr. Faceoff/Midfield), Cooper Langille (So. Attack)

Newcomers: Max Muzones (Fr. Attack), Dylan Mount (So. Defense), Seamus McCue (Sr. Defense/LSM), Mason Lambert (Fr. Defensive Midfield), Frank Watring (Jr. Defense), Logan Lueck (Sr. Midfield), Aidan Kaylor (So. Midfield), Daniel Altmeyer (Jr. Midfield), Phillip Lind (Jr. Defensive Midfield), Adwaitha Menon (Sr. Defense), Ben Korjenek (So. Attack)

Season outlook: First-year coach Jacob Perry was the offensive coordinator/assistant for D117 (Antioch-Lakes co-op) last season. "We have a team with a lot of potential," Perry said. "A lot of our players are capable of playing in different positions, which helps us maximize our roster. The goal of this team is to improve throughout the year. We want to outwork and 'out-heart' our opponents and do the little things right to win games."

Lake Zurich

Coach: Michael Sutton

Returning players: Zach Schwartz (Sr. Midfield), Jake Bailey (Sr. Midfield), Justin Quast (Jr. Attack), Cole McCall (Sr. defense), Bennett Amoroso (Sr. defense).

Newcomers: Kaden Gaamelgaard (Fr. defense), Alex Guzman (So. goalie).

Season outlook: "This year we are hoping to improve on a successful season last year," Bears third-year coach Michael Sutton said. "Even though we graduated 15 seniors, this year's team is experienced, athletic and well-rounded. The goal is simple, to compete for the conference championship. That is never an easy task, as the NSC is as tough as a lacrosse conference as you will find in Illinois. This group of players has a special bond with one another and the coaching staff, the entire LZ lacrosse community is excited to get things started."

Libertyville

Coach: Brady Sullivan (11th season)

Last season: 9-10

Returning players: Matt Wagner (Sr. Goalie), Charlie Foltz (Sr. Defense), Jonny Lauber (Sr. Midfield), Jack Morris (Sr. Attack), Josh Stair (Jr. LSM), Matt Brenner (So. Attack)

Newcomers: Chase Quigley (Jr. Midfield), Jack Olson (So. Midfield), Dom Tarello (So. Midfield)

Season outlook: Brady Sullivan returns as head coach after coaching the Wildcats from 2007-16. With 22 returning players, the Wildcats look to start strong, Sullivan said. They have an experienced defense and look to be anchored by three-year starters Matt Wagner in goal and Charlie Foltz at in-close defense, while Josh Stair looks to continue his strong play at LSM from last season. The midfield returns 11 players alone, and Sullivan says it should be able to reduce mistakes from last season with a year of experience, driven by seniors Jonny Lauber and Illinois Wesleyan commit Garner Werntz. An attack group with 3 players who saw heavy minutes last year - sophomore Matt Brenner and seniors Jack Morris and Kyle Krakowski - should help provide scoring punch.

Mundelein

Coach: Zach Michal (first season)

Returning players: Luigi Maligaya (Sr. Goalie), Eli Daugs (Sr. Midfield), Anthony Oleinik (Sr. Defense), Jake Vander Ploeg (Sr. Midfield), Logan Kvien (Sr. Midfield), Josh Mackay (Sr. Attack), Tyler Winkelman (Sr. Attack)

Newcomers: Christian Mendez (Sr. Defense), Pedro Cisneros (Sr. Attack/Defense), Leo Payes (Sr. Defense), Angel Morales (Sr. Midfield), Caleb Ngwango (Sr. Defense)

Season outlook: Coach Zach Michal takes over a team that features 20 returning players, including 11 seniors, 8 juniors and 1 sophomore. There are 18 freshmen in the program. Eli Daugs and Anthony Oleinik are playing their fourth season on varsity. "With a balanced team of veterans and brand-new lacrosse players, we are looking to add stability and consistency to our team," Michal said. "We have a varsity team full of hungry, talented leaders that are excited to fulfill their senior-year goals, and groom our young athletes. Three things that we will focus on this year are building a foundation of leadership, installing a fresh, new offense and defense, and working with our feeder programs such as the Lake County Stallions to help build and promote our game."

Stevenson

Coach: Tom Hake (first season)

Returning players: Nate Spina (Sr. Defense), Cole Okmin (Sr. Midfield), Ben Niesman (Jr. Midfield/Faceoff)

Newcomers: Neal Balotskiy (Jr. Goalie), Ryan Hynes (Fr. Midfield)

Season outlook: The Patriots return 5 defensemen, 9 midfielders and 5 attackmen. First-year coach Tom Hake says he expects Nate Spina, Cole Okmin (Washington University football commit) and Ben Niesman to contend for all-state positions. Hake is also high on newcomers Neal Balotskiy (goalie) and Ryan Hynes (midfielder). "As this is my first year as head coach, we are hoping to instill pillars of culture for our program," Hake said. "We want to build a foundation for years to come. While we establish standards for the program as a whole, we are also very talented. We have great strengths at all positions and a nice balance of senior leadership and young talent. We are focused on the process over the results."

Vernon Hills

Coach: Michael Curtin (fifth season)

Last season: 12-9, 3-4 in CSL

Returning players: Joey Levitan (Sr. Attack), Jimmy McDonald (Sr. Midfield), Jake Olive (Sr. Midfield), Fred Sides (Sr. Defense), Collin Zirzow (Sr. Defense), Nate Elli (Jr. Attack), Miles Lane (Jr. Midfield/Faceoff), Tyler Paszko (Jr. Midfield), Zak Suchomel (Jr. Defense), Russell Swansen (Jr. Defense)

Newcomers: Jeremy Getlin (Sr. Goalie), Francis Gorham (Sr. Goalie), Joe Zimmerman (So. Attack)

Season outlook: The Cougars graduated a strong group that included Spencer Fortman (All-CSL honorable mention), Brandon Espinosa (All-CSL honorable mention), David Geier and Charles Newberg but look to keep winning. Senior attacker Joey Levitan and senior midfielder Jimmy McDonald were named All-CSL last season. Senior defender Fred Sides was All-CSL honorable mention. Junior attacker Nate Elli was All-CSL honorable mention in 2017 but missed last spring due to injury. "Our expectation is to build on last year's success," coach Michael Curtin said, "and compete with some of the premier programs in the state, including New Trier, Barrington, Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Evanston Township, Libertyville and Grayslake North." The Cougars return 13 of last season's 22 varsity players, and Curtin says they have "loads of leadership," including three-time captain McDonald. "Our varsity roster is filled with mature athletes who are coachable and love to compete," Curtin said. "Everything we do involves some type of competition, often manufactured by our players." The coach adds that this will be the most experienced team in the program's history. There are 20 juniors/seniors on varsity, including 13 players who have played varsity for at least two seasons. "The class has made major contributions since they were freshmen, when five of them were varsity starters, particularly Jake Olive, who has been a significant contributor for three seasons," Curtin said. "The group of 12 seniors have changed our program with their work ethic, passion for lacrosse and desire to win. Their energy is contagious, and the buy-in from their teammates is noticeable. Everyone competes and nobody complains."

Warren

Coach: Greg Janczak (eighth season)

Returning players: Nate Crawford (Sr. Attack), Matt Sierzega (Sr. Midfield), Patrick Sharpe (Sr. Defensive Midfield), Jake Fanizza (Sr. Defense), Evan Leden (Sr. Goalie), Logan Haar (Jr. Midfield), Kevin McCarthy (Jr. Attack), Adam Khoury (So. Faceoff/Midfield)

Newcomers: Charlie Herrick (Jr. Attack/Midfield), Carson Ghys (Jr. Attack), Mason Wattleworth (Jr. Midfield), Luc Landry (Jr. Defense)

Season outlook: Coach Greg Janczak is 6 wins away from his 100th career win. His returning players include senior attackman Nate Crawford, who is a few goals away from breaking the school record. " We have a lot of guys with a lot of experience returning," Janczak said. "Our goals are to build on and surpass last year's success (14-4 record, overtime loss in the sectional finals). With so many guys returning, we know this can happen. We have not been in any preseason rankings and we embrace the underdog, underrated roll. Everyone always looks past us when they focus on Grayslake North and Lake Forest, but Warren is a powerhouse."