Coming in at number one in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, it’s the national powerhouse the St. Anthony’s Friars who enter the season once again as the reigning CSHAA champions. A team that never has a shortage of talent, they enter the 2024 season once again as one of the top teams across the country and will play some of the top teams across the country and aim to capture another CSHAA title over rival Chaminade, led by longtime Head Coach Keith Wieczorek. The Friars had a very special 2023 class that they graduated last year, but return a number of seniors that give them another great chance at stacking up with many of the nations best and winning another championship.
Now to the number one team in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, it’s the St. Anthony’s Friars who are historically one of the national powerhouses in the country. Last year they were once again CHSAA Champions where they held on for an 8-7 win against Sacred Heart in the championship game. This year the Friars have a new leader in charge as Darcy Messina takes over as first year head coach. The team returns with a very deep and supremely talented senior class, and this winter they showed why they are arguably the top team in the country as they were LILJ HSWL Champions of the AAA bracket.
We get to number two in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, and it’s one of the nationally renown programs the Chaminade Flyers. The Flyers are always one of the premier programs both on the island and in the country, and as they do each year they return with an immensely talented team as they look to see where they stack up against fellow nationally ranked opponents, and hope to take the CHSAA title which they have lost the last few years to rival St. Anthony’s. To get ready for the spring season the Flyers appeared in the LILJ HSWL where for the second straight season they were crowned winter league champions. Continue Reading
With just two teams remaining in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, it’s the Bayport Blue Point Phantoms coming in at number two. Last year was one for the history books as they won their first ever Class C New York State Championship and went a perfect 20-0 along the way. This year it’s about trying to make it back-to-back with the returning group of players that they have, and they are out to prove that they are still the team beat. Continue Reading
As we now get to the final three teams in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, the Garden City Trojans enter the rankings at number three. The last two seasons they have proven to be the best team in the state of New York in Class B, winning consecutive state championships under Head Coach Steve Finnell, with last year’s coming against Victor in an epic 9-8 game. This season Garden City looks to add to their rich history by capturing a third straight state championship and the 10th in the history of the program.
With just three teams to go in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, the Garden City Trojans enter at number three. For the last three seasons they have been the team to beat in Nassau Class B with three straight appearances to at least the Long Island Championship. Last season they were the best team on the Island in Class B and were just a few plays away from winning the state championship against Victor. Leading the charge is Head Coach Dave Ettinger and they return the vast majority of their team this season and have as good a chance as ever to win their first state championship since 2017.
The Wildcats who enter the season as the defending county champions of Suffolk Class C come in at number four in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings. A the helm is Head Coach Mike Taylor, and although Shoreham graduated a number of players in the 2023 class, they still have star power that makes them the likely favorite in Suffolk Class C and possibly the favorite on all of Long Island in Class C.
As we now get inside the top five teams in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, landing at number four are the Manhasset Indians of Nassau Class B. The last three years Manhasset has found themselves at the very least playing in the Long Island Championship game, and this season they hope to make it four straight years in the LIC.
At number five in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings we have the back-to-back Class C New York State Champion Manhasset Indians. As one of the most renown lacrosse programs in the country, Manhasset has done a lot of winning the last few seasons, and last year on their way to a second consecutive state title, they lost only one game the entire season, going 21-1. This year as they chase a third straight state championship, they will look a lot different with the number of players they graduated in the class of 2023. They also make the move back Class B for the first time since 2019 which means they will likely encounter some familiar foes in the playoffs on their quest to three-peat.
Winding down the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings, we get to the top five and at number five it’s the Ward Melville Patriots. In Suffolk Class A the Patriots have been in contention to win the counties the last two seasons under Head Coach Stephanie Peragallo who now enters year three at the helm. Last year Ward Melville earned the one seed going into the playoffs and won in the quarterfinals before being defeated in the semifinals against Smithtown East. This year with much of their team returning, the Patriots have another great shot to capture the county and Long Island Championship they’ve been chasing.