Here are 12 Greater Columbus high school boys lacrosse players to watch in 2024 season
Dublin Jerome boys lacrosse coach Andy Asmo quickly noticed an attitude in this year’s team that he did not expect, considering the Celtics are 60-5 since the start of the 2021 season with two Division I state championships and a runner-up finish.
“I think we have a chip on our shoulder,” Asmo said. “I think that’s unique with a team that just won a state championship and has been to the last three (finals), but I think this team seems to really want to prove that they belong with the other great teams we’ve had. The intensity level in practice, the attention to detail, is in a great place.”
Asmo agreed such an approach almost certainly comes from the graduation of more than 800 career points, a state-record 447 of which came from Marek Tzagournis, who now plays at Denver.
But the cupboard hardly is bare for the defending state champion Celtics, who opened March 15 with an 18-8 win at Milford and resume play Saturday at Olentangy Orange.
Cory Lorentzen, a senior and first-team all-state honoree last spring, returns in goal. College signees Xander Johnson (Massachusetts), Mason Rice (Keiser) and Kyle White (Tampa) are in the midfield and lead a group of nine returning starters.
Johnson scored four times in the opener. White added three goals and two assists.
Freshman Ty Haqq, the brother of senior long-stick midfielder Cael Haqq, earned a starting spot at attacker.
“For them to go out and own it and compete and realize what they are a part of, to bring that level of intensity every day, is really fun to watch,” Asmo said.
Central Ohio’s other state finalist, Division II runner-up DeSales, hopes it is in position to remain among the state’s elite.
Nine starters return, including defender and Cornell signee Cooper Simpson.
Senior attacker Blake Carawan, who totaled 67 goals and 106 points a season ago, originally committed to Jacksonville but since has decided to concentrate on academics, coach Matt Triplet said.
DeSales opened Sunday with a 16-3 rout of Glenbrook (Illinois) North.
“One of the big things we talked about ... was the big difference between the runs we had in ’22 and ’23,” Triplet said, referencing the Stallions’ most recent state championship. “We’d boat-race teams to halftime and be up 12, 13 and 14 goals versus letting teams hang around so long. It makes for a completely different mindset on the other sideline.”
Other leaders of a deep senior class include goalie Gavin Burns, midfielders Avery Garlock and Neal Ritchie, attackers Ty Hampton and Jack Jordan and defenders Drew Jones and John Kraker.
“It’s a lot of fine-tuning, but it’s also more difficult in the sense that you have the smart kid in the back of the class who has learned everything before everybody else,” Triplet said. “We’re trying to find new ways to keep things fresh, challenge ourselves.”
Here are 12 central Ohio boys lacrosse players to watch this spring:
Elliott Baur, Watterson
The senior goalie, who does not plan to play in college, looks to cap a strong career by leading the Eagles to at least a second consecutive Division II, Region 7 final and third in four seasons. Baur stopped 238 of 347 shots (68.7%) a season ago and was named regional Player of the Year, first-team all-state and an All-American.
Blake Carawan, DeSales
The senior attacker took the Stallions’ offense on his shoulders last spring, scoring 67 goals and amassing a program-record 106 points to lead his team to its Division II state runner-up finish. Carawan was named Region 7 Attacker of the Year and first-team all-state. DeSales (19-2 in 2023) is seeking its second state title in three years and third since 2018.
Ayden Hanna, Olentangy Orange
A senior midfielder who has signed with Bellarmine, Hanna set the program records for career goals (120) and points (163) within the first two games of this season, both of which Orange won. Teammate Will Musgrove, a junior, owns the program record for career assists (48). Hanna has been first-team all-Division I, Region 1 and third-team all-state each of the past two years.
Harlee Hanna, Canal Winchester
A first-team all-Division I, Region 3 attacker who is versatile enough to play other positions, Hanna will try to finish his senior year by leading the Indians to their best season yet. Hanna led Canal in goals (63) and points (85) as a junior, and the Indians’ 9-8 record was the best in their three varsity seasons. In football last fall, Hanna was Division II district Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-state and Dispatch All-Metro, racking up 173 tackles with four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and three forced fumbles at linebacker.
Preston Hawkins, Worthington Kilbourne
A junior who is ranked among the top goalies in the Midwest, Hawkins was key to the Wolves’ run to a Region 3 semifinal last spring. A four-star prospect and the No. 46 recruit nationally per the National Lacrosse Federation, Hawkins committed to Penn State in September after being named regional Goalkeeper of the Year and first-team all-state. Hawkins made 236 saves, stopping 61% of the shots he faced.
Tommy Janowicz, Upper Arlington
A senior who committed to Ohio State before his junior season, Janowicz earned first-team all-Region 3 and all-state a year ago in helping lead the Golden Bears to a state semifinal. UA (20-3) fell to Cincinnati St. Xavier in overtime. Janowicz, who also was a quarterback and linebacker in football, tallied 52 goals and 40 assists last spring. He is a great-nephew of one-time OSU football great and 1950 Heisman Trophy winner Vic Janowicz.
Angelo Lamatrice, Watterson
The senior midfielder and Ohio State signee is one of five starters back for the Eagles, who after a 3-3 start last year won 13 consecutive games to reach the Region 7 final. A four-year starter who has been instrumental in faceoffs throughout his career, Lamatrice earned regional Midfielder of the Year and first-team all-state as a junior.
Ryder Lewis, Dublin Coffman
A versatile attacker and midfielder for the Shamrocks, Lewis is a Drexel signee. He was named second-team all-OCC Central, first-team all-Region 3 and third-team all-state after amassing a team-best 52 goals with 14 assists. Lewis is among 15 letterwinners back for Coffman, including several of its top attackers and midfielders, as it tries to improve on last year’s 9-11 record.
Dominic Shaw, Pickerington Central
The senior midfielder and Ohio State signee is coming off a season in which he led the Tigers (14-5) in goals (56), assists (42) and caused turnovers (31) and set single-season records in assists and points (98). The Region 3 Midfielder of the Year and a first-team all-state honoree, Shaw began this season 35 points shy of becoming Central’s all-time scoring leader. He is one of five college signees for the Tigers.
Jake Struck, Olentangy Liberty
A junior midfielder who committed to Ohio State in September, Struck had 28 goals and 26 assists a season ago to lead the Patriots (16-6) to the Region 1 final. He is one of 22 letterwinners back for Liberty, a group that also includes fellow midfielder and Virginia Military Institute signee Luca Minniti and attackers Keegan Kuhns and Austin Mallory. Struck became the hockey team’s single-season record-holder in goals (47) and points (105) this winter and also is a running back in football.
Adam Van Voorhis, Hilliard Davidson
A senior attacker who helped lead the Wildcats (19-3) to their second consecutive Region 3 final last spring, Van Voorhis totaled 60 goals and 65 assists. He was named regional Attacker of the Year and first-team all-state. Van Voorhis is a Cleveland State commit, along with teammate Caden Wilson, a senior faceoff specialist. They are among five starters back from 2023, a group that also includes senior defenseman Joey Clifford and junior goalie Vance Ames.
Kyle White, Dublin Jerome
The University of Tampa signee moves closer to center stage this season as the Celtics (22-1) try to defend their Division I state title and seek a sixth overall. A first-team all-region and second-team all-state midfielder as a junior, White has become a primary scoring option after the graduation of Tzagournis, the 2023 state Player of the Year. Jerome beat St. Xavier 12-10 for the title.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 12 central Ohio boys lacrosse players to watch this spring
