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New contenders in Section V boys lacrosse? Preview, classifications, teams to watch in 2024

Justin Ritzel, Canandaigua Daily Messenger
·4 min read

The theme for the 2024 Section V boys lacrosse season is turnover.

Only four of the 16 players chosen for the 2023 All-Greater Rochester team return in 2024, while eight teams out of the 34 total turn to new head coaches.

Victor, last season's Class B champion and New York state runner-up, was hit particularly hard by graduation. The Blue Devils must contend with the loss of AGR Player of the Year Thomas Gravino, who buried 73 goals during his senior season in 2023, and four other AGR picks who moved on to the collegiate ranks.

Since the NYSPHSAA switched to four classifications in 2017, Section V has won two state titles and Victor owns them both. Who can challenge in 2024?

Section V boys lacrosse dates to know for 2024

  • May 16: Final day of regular season

  • May 18: Section V tournaments begin

  • May 25: Section V Class C, Class D finals at Finger Lakes Community College

  • May 28: Section V Class A, Class B finals at St. John Fisher

  • June 5: NYSPHSAA semifinals at SUNY Cortland

  • June 8: NYSPHSAA finals at Hofstra

Section V Class A

Fairport's Mitchell Monte gets a step on Penfield's Ethan Hamilton as they battle for the ball at midfield.
Fairport's Mitchell Monte gets a step on Penfield's Ethan Hamilton as they battle for the ball at midfield.

  • Defending champion: Pittsford

  • Runner-up: McQuaid

  • Teams: East United, Fairport, Greece, Hilton, McQuaid, Penfield, Pittsford, Rush-Henrietta

Pittsford held off McQuaid in last year's final to capture the program's first title since 2017 and sixth overall. The Panthers had reached the final in both 2021 and 2022 but lost both times. Alex Gray takes over for last year's runner-up McQuaid and returns six starters.

Fairport ranks third all-time in Section V titles and won three straight from 2019 to 2022, but took a step back in 2023 with a 6-11 record and section quarterfinal exit. The Red Raiders return at least seven starters in 2024, including 29-goal scorer Mitchell Monte.

With five all-league choices back for 2024 (Ryan Bowerman, Adam Schembri, Ethan Aust, AJ Theodorakakos, Mason Schembri), Penfield looks to improve on its 12-6 record from last season. The Patriots were Class A semifinalists in 2023.

Hilton finished 9-9 last season and fell to eventual champion Pittsford in the section semifinals. Coach Tim Byrnes' Cadets have 14 returners this season including four 2023 all-league selections (defenders Justin Guest and Brady Quill, attack Chase Wilson and middie Drew O'Buck).

Section V Class B

Victor's Jack Herendeen works againstt Canandaigua's Dominic Gullace.
Victor's Jack Herendeen works againstt Canandaigua's Dominic Gullace.

  • Defending champion: Victor

  • Runner-up: Spencerport

  • Teams: Brighton, Brockport, Canandaigua, Churchville-Chili, Gates Chili, Irondequoit, Spencerport, Victor, Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas

Victor has won seven Section V titles since 2014 and reached the Class B state title game in 2023, but fourth-year head coach Dan Stone turns over more than half of his starting lineup from last season. Jack Herendeen is the Blue Devils' top returner.

Spencerport fell one win short of the program's first sectional title last spring, but coach Bill Buttaro's team is in good position to contend this season with AGR honorable mentions Zach Tortora and Sean Baird back.

Led by AGR selection Jonah Carrier, Irondequoit won 10 games in 2023 before falling to eventual champion Victor. The Eagles rank second in Section V history with 16 championships, but have not won a title since 2012 and look to end that drought this spring.

Webster Schroeder made a surprise run to the section semifinals last spring, despite a 6-win regular season and the seventh seed in the tournament. Attack Nate Schilling and defender Brady Miller are two returning all-county selections for the Warriors.

Section V Class C

HF-L Drew Angelo controls the ball.
HF-L Drew Angelo controls the ball.

  • Defending champion: Honeoye Falls-Lima

  • Runner-up: Wayne

  • Teams: Batavia/Notre Dame, Geneva, Honeoye Falls-Lima, Livonia/Avon, Newark, Palmyra-Macedon, Wayne

Honeoye Falls-Lima has won two of the last three Class C titles and maintains 10 starters from last season, including two AGR picks with Drew Angelo and Chase Perryman. Angelo, a midfielder and face-off specialist, is committed to Syracuse.

Wayne lost a double overtime heartbreaker to HF-L in last season's championship, but coach John Hanss will lean on several Finger Lakes all-stars (Alex Garrow, PJ Ostrowski, Mason Michel, Avery Bustamante, Tas Strickland) in pursuit of the Eagles' first section title.

Section V Class D

Penn Yan defeated Aquinas to win the Section V Class D boys' lacrosse championship.
Penn Yan defeated Aquinas to win the Section V Class D boys' lacrosse championship.

  • Defending champion: Penn Yan

  • Runner-up: Aquinas

  • Teams: Aquinas, Bishop Kearney, Bloomfield/Honeoye, Gananda, Haverling, Marcus Whitman, Midlakes, Mynderse, Penn Yan

Class D sets up well for the two finalists from last season. Entering his 21st year as Penn Yan head coach, Brian Hobart has seven returning starters from last season's championship team.

Aquinas' deep roster includes 13 returners. Among them is sophomore Tano Auriuso, who one Section V coach called "the best player in Section V." Auriuso was one of 10 players named AGR honorable mentions last season.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Section V boys lacrosse: Preview, schedule, teams to watch in 2024