Impact players and playmakers: Our 2023 Boys Lacrosse Super Team and All-Stars
It was a season to remember for SouthCoast boys lacrosse teams as Old Colony had its first undefeated regular season and won its first State Vocational championship and Apponequet captured the South Coast Conference title.
Here's a look at the top boys lacrosse players on the SouthCoast in 2023:
SUPER TEAM
Stu Burnham, Old Colony, Junior
Burnham earned his second selection to the Super Team and Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star team with a strong all-around performance. The junior midfielder recorded 54 goals, 39 assists and 72 ground balls to help the Cougars go undefeated during the regular season, win the MAC title and State Vocational championship. “He’s a versatile guy on both ends of the field,” said Old Colony head coach Geno Busa. “He’s good offensively and he’s good defensively. He’s a good two-way guy. He does it both at a high level. He’s a very unselfish player. He’s a good decision maker with the ball.”
Tyler Cardinal, Old Rochester, Senior
Cardinal provided a spark on Old Rochester’s offense as a playmaker for himself and others. The senior attack scored 20 goals and dished out 18 assists, earning South Coast Conference All-Star honors. “He was like the quarterback,” said Old Rochester head coach Michael Forms. “He was calling things back out there. He was a great captain, getting the kids fired up.”
Shea Cripps, Fairhaven, Senior
Cripps was once again the SouthCoast’s top goalie. The two-time Super Teamer finished the year with a .667 save percentage and was named to the South Coast Conference All-Star team for the third time. “His strength has always been his dedication,” said Fairhaven head coach Nick Pilla. “Lacrosse has always been his thing since he was really young. Senior year, he had that confidence to become the leader. He helped keep us in most of our games.” A highlight was Cripps' game against Dighton-Rehoboth as he had more than 20 saves, including three or four in a matter of 10 seconds, according to Pilla. “That’s where he really turned the corner this season,” Pilla said.
Jake Cusson, Apponequet, Junior
Cusson helped form a nice 1-2 punch on offense with teammate Kenny Wisniewksi. The junior attack notched 57 goals, 35 assists and 44 ground balls, earning South Coast Conference All-Stars honors as he helped the Lakers capture the SCC championship and reach the Div. 3 Sweet 16. “Jake has grown every year as a player,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “There were games he would take over. He and Kenny had a great two-man game and they’d work off each other. I think that’s why we had so much production from our attack. He’s a smart player and he’s got good speed.”
Jackson Hart, Dartmouth, Sophomore
Splitting his time between midfield and attack, Hart had a breakthrough season. In addition to providing a strong presence on defense, he finished the season with a team-high 40 goals and 21 assists. “He’s a really good two-way player,” said Dartmouth head coach Mark Rossi. “When he was able to play midfield, he was our best offensive player and defensive player. He was athletic and just a really good kid.”
Brady Lee, Old Rochester, Senior
Lee proved to be hard to contain this season as the senior midfielder notched a team-high 60 goals to go along with 15 assists. “Everybody tried to shut him down,” said Old Rochester head coach Michael Forns. “He was unstoppable. He changed people's game plans. You had to address him. There were teams we played that would faceguard him and he still would score at will.” Lee, a South Coast Conference All-Star, finished with 211 career points. He also contributed on defense. “He could play both sides of the field and he would play the whole game,” Forns said. “He’s the complete player.”
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Harrison Lemieux, Apponequet, Senior
As a senior midfielder, Lemieux did it all and did it well for the South Coast Conference champion Lakers. Lemieux finished the year with 26 goals, 63 assists and 51 ground balls to be named the South Coast Conference MVP. “He was our quarterback for getting our offense going,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “He quarterbacked the offense. He was good about finding the open guy. He was always more interested in getting other guys involved. He was always looking for that next person to get involved. He was just a smart player and gritty. He never quit. He literally did everything.”
Breck Marshall, Bishop Stang, Senior
A senior midfielder, Marshall was the complete player for Bishop Stang as the Spartans won 12 games and clinched a berth in the Div. 3 state tournament. “He’s got a team-first attitude,” said Bishop Stang head coach Jeff Gardner. “He’s a quiet confident player who led by example and always put the team first. Offensively, defensively, ground balls, hustle, he did it all. He exemplifies what you want in a player and team leader.” The three-year player was named team MVP and to the Catholic Central League All-Star team. Marshall had 22 goals this season.
Kevin O’Connor, Apponequet, Junior
O’Connor was a force at faceoffs for Apponequet, winning 63% of the time. The Lakers missed his presence in the circle against Old Rochester in their only regular season loss on the way to winning the South Coast Conference crown. “Kevin worked a ton on his faceoffs,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “He’s the reason why our offense was as prolific as it was. He was able to get us possession. He could get the ball out. His consistency was key. Once he got the ball out, he wasn't afraid to go to goal. He didn’t have any reservations about taking a shot.” O’Connor had 13 goals, nine assists and 64 ground balls, earning SCC All-Star honors.
Kenny Wisniewski, Apponequet, Sophomore
Even though he’s only a sophomore, Wisniewski was nearly unstoppable at attack as he scored a team-high 85 goals. He also had 26 assists and 56 ground balls to help the Lakers capture the South Coast Conference championship and reach the Div. 3 Sweet 16. “This year he took his game to the next level not just with his scoring but his assists,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “I told him, 'You need to get other guys involved,' and he did that. Kenny does it all. Obviously he’s an attackman. He can create his own shot. It didn't matter how many guys were on him. He kept so many plays alive with his ground ball work. He was causing turnovers that got us additional shot opportunities. He played defense as much as he played offense.” The two-year starter was an SCC All-Star.
Zach Zutaut, Old Rochester, Senior
Zutaut was an impact player on offense as a senior attack. He had 36 goals and 11 assists this year to be named to the South Coast Conference All-Star team. “He’s the toughest player pound for pound,” said Old Rochester head coach Michael Forns. “He’s an incredibly tough player. He raises his level with the competition. He can move the ball. He’s crafty and he can finish. He’s gritty and crafty, and that made him a pretty special player.”
ALL-STAR TEAM
Max Anderson, Apponequet, Senior
Anderson was a standout on Apponequet’s defense and named a South Coast Conference All-Star. “Max was the leader of our defense,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “He put everything in the right place. He was the voice of our defense.” Anderson had 51 ground balls, two goals and two assists.
Owen Centeio, Fairhaven, Junior
Using an array of moves, Centeio became a strong offensive threat for Fairhaven and finished with 33 goals and 15 assists as a junior attackman. “He was our best all-around attackman,” said Fairhaven head coach Nick Pilla. “He turned into a good leader and was dedicated to playing in the offseason.”
Harry Costa, Bishop Stang, Senior
A three-year starter, Costa provided veteran leadership on Stang’s defense and was named a Catholic Central League All-Star as well as the team’s defensive player of the year. “He’s one of the best defensemen in the area,” said Bishop Stang head coach Jeff Gardner. “Harry Costa is our second best pure player. Every game, he picks the opposing team’s most dangerous attackman and that's Harry’s new best friend.”
Thomas Janicki, Old Rochester, Senior
A two-year starter in goal, Janicki contributed veteran leadership on Old Rochester’s defense. “He provided consistency between the pipes,” said Old Rochester head coach Michael Forns. “He would always keep you in every game. He would never let teams go on runs.” Janicki would also play defense to help the team out.
Ryan Letendre, Old Colony, Junior
Letendre set a school record with 3.8 goals allowed per game this season. He was named a Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star and helped the Cougars win the MAC title as well as the State Vocational championship. “He worked so hard in practice,” said Old Colony head coach Geno Busa. “He’s always trying to get better every day. He works on his footwork and he works on his ball work. He’s fast. There’s really not a save he can’t make. He reads other teams’ defenses so well.”
Will Levrault, Apponequet, Sophomore
Levrault developed into a strong all-around player for the South Coast Conference champion Lakers with 43 goals, 32 assists and 87 ground balls. “Will came into his own his sophomore year,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “As a freshman, he was more passive. He worked on his game in the offseason. He’s very shifty. You thought he was coming at you slowly and he was already by you.” Levrault was named an SCC All-Star.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL Introducing the 2023 Standard-Times Super Team and Honorable Mention
Luke Melia, Old Colony, Junior
As a junior attack, Melia was an impact player for the Mayflower Athletic Conference champions. He had 52 goals, 39 assists and 94 ground balls. “He’s got a great shot,” said Old Colony head coach Geno Busa. “He's a big, strong kid. He’s got a knack for finding the back of the net. He shoots it so hard.”
Kaiden Pequita, GNB Voc-Tech, Senior
Pequita led the Bears on and off the lacrosse field as a senior attack. He scored 42 goals and dished out 19 assists and set the tone for his team. “He was a leader that was able to move the ball around well,” said GNB Voc-Tech head coach Justyn Walker. “He was always the most dangerous threat on the field. He was one of the guys that others looked up to.” Pequita finished his career with 109 goals.
Dylan Roderiques, Fairhaven, Senior
Roderiques had the tough task of guarding the opposition’s best player every game and he delivered for Fairhaven. The South Coast Conference All-Star also took faceoffs. “He was one of the stronger defenders in the conference,” said Fairhaven head coach Nick Pilla. “He stood out physically. He’s very strong. He was our No. 1 defender so we’d put him on the other teams’ best players so he’d minimize their impact.”
TOP HONOR 2023 Standard-Times Boys Volleyball Player of the Year: GNB Voc-Tech's Curran Farnworth
Will Sanders, Bishop Stang, Freshman
Sanders turned heads this season as a freshman goalie. He averaged 16 saves per game and was instrumental in Stang’s jump from three wins in 2022 to 13 in 2023. “Will was very good,” said Bishop Stang head coach Jeff Gardner. “He had a heck of a season. He stepped into a solid defense and made it even better.”
Brayden Webster, GNB Voc-Tech, Senior
Webster’s versatility helped GNB Voc-Tech over the past three years. “He’s more of an athlete than anything,” said GNB Voc-Tech head coach Justyn Walker when asked what position Webster played. “Since he started his sophomore year, I had him playing every position on the field. This year, when both goalies got injured, he stepped in and played in net. He’s the epitome of a team player.”
HONORABLE MENTION
Hunter Owen, Apponequet, Sophomore; Boston Piquette, Apponequet, Junior; Dylan Freitas, Bishop Stang, Senior; Harrison Gardner, Bishop Stang, Senior; Eli Ikkela, Bishop Stang, Junior; Andrew Lally, Bishop Stang, Freshman; Andrew Weaver, Bishop Stang, Senior; JT Charrier, Dartmouth, Senior; Eli Johnson, Dartmouth, Senior; Graham White, Dartmouth, Senior; Jarrod Frates, Fairhaven, Sophomore; Isander Algarian, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior; Kevin O’Brien, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior; Nathan Pearson, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior; Owen Webster, GNB Voc-Tech, Freshman; Brody Darling, Old Colony, Junior; Matthew Pitts, Old Colony, Junior; Brady Lapierre, Old Rochester, Senior; Andrew Nee, Old Rochester (Wareham), Sophomore.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: 2023 Standard-Times Boys Lacrosse Super Team and All-Stars
