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Adrenaline Senior Game athletes

Adrenaline Senior All-American Games Put Spotlight on Best of the West

July 29, 2025
Mike Waters
Adrenaline Lacrosse

FRISCO, Texas — "Defense wins championships" is an often-used adage in team sports — though seldom does defense come to the forefront in All-Star Game competition.

But it was the defense that propelled Team North to a 12-10 triumph over Team South in the 15th annual Adrenaline All-American Boys' Senior Game that culminated a two-day lacrosse weekend spectacular July 26-27 at the Ford Center at The Star.

A stifling North defense, including sensational play in goal, held the South scoreless for the entire third period and 8:23 into the fourth quarter — a span covering 20:23 — that allowed the team to erase an 8-6 halftime deficit. The North scored five unanswered goals — three coming out of the break and two more in the fourth — en route to victory.

Virginia commit Ben Boyer (Highland Park, Tex.) said "we did a great job communicating" during that defensive stretch. "And we got great play in goal on some stops as well."

Game MVP Kimo Kouletsis (The Woodlands, Tex.) banged in his game-high third goal of the match with 3:43 left to forge an 11-8 North advantage. Six seconds later, the South finally ended its scoring drought on a Harry Luong (Valor, Colo.) goal. Luke Jaeger (Western Reserve Academy, Tex.) notched another with 1:24 left that sliced the South lead to 11-10.

At that point, it was hard not to harken back to the year prior. The thrilling 2024 game was a 10-9 South win after the South scored with 33 seconds left in the game.

This time, Jack Berg (Santa Fe Christian, Calif.) punched in an insurance goal with 1:12 remaining, and Team North held on to win.

"Just a great job by our defense," said Kouletsis, who will attend Penn. "Glad we were able to hold on for the win. I was just glad to contribute."

Boston Badraun (Tesoro, Calif.) played the second half in goal for the North and recorded eight saves.

Team North led 4-2 after the first period. Team South responded with a 6-2 second quarter, as Tommy McCool (Torrey Pines, Calif.) blasted in consecutive goals in 58 seconds and Thatcher Killian (Jesuit, Ore.) also recorded a pair of scores, one to open the period and another with 3:53 left before halftime. The South led 8-6 at the break.

The halftime Boys' Senior Game Fastest Shot Event, which this year included two participants from each squad each getting three shots, went to a one-shot tie-breaker. Colton Pawlak (Fossil Ridge, Colo.) rocketed a 112-mph shot to win the event over Ethan Turner (Tahoma, Wash.) who hit 105 mph on the radar gun.

Pawlak and Turner rifled 113 mph shots to necessitate the tiebreaker.  

"That was super," Pawlak said. "I did not realize at first we had a tiebreak situation, so was glad I had one more shot in me."

PRAGER DRAWS NORTH TO WIN

MVP Millie Prager (Lake Oswego, Ore.) had a goal and an assist — both in the fourth quarter — to lead a balanced North squad to a 20-16 win over Team South in the Girls' Senior game. It was Prager's masterful draw control performance, 16 total, that netted her MVP honors.

Thirteen different players found the net for the North, while 11 scored for the South.

"It was a tremendous game," Prager said. "Any number of players could have been the MVP, but I am thrilled for the honor."

Team South held the upper hand early, forging a 6-3 lead after the first quarter, as the team had all four Hockaday (Tex.) players on the field together. Lily Gum scored less than two minutes into the match on an assist from high school teammate Aynalie Charron. 

"Just like old times," Gum said after the game.

Sunnie Wang, who finished with a game-high four scores to go along with one assist, knocked in a go-ahead 4-3 goal.

The second period belonged to Team North, with six players scoring a goal, as it took a 9-8 lead at halftime.

It took just 22 seconds coming out of the break for a Hockaday collaboration to tie the score.  An assist from Gum allowed Wang to find net.

"That was really cool," Wang said.

Just over a minute later, Wang notched another goal for a 10-9 South lead, which it stretched to a three-goal cushion, before Team North used a 6-0 spurt, spearheaded by a pair of Colorado high school standouts, in the final 8:11 of the third period to surge ahead.

Lucy Connors (Mead, Colo.) tallied back-to-back goals over a 37-second span, the former on an assist from Amanda Stevens (Valor Christian, Colo). Following two more North scores, the Colorado connection reversed. Stevens scored back-to-back (an assist from Connors on the first) with 30 and 6 seconds left in the frame, respectively, as Team North forged a 15-12 lead heading into the final period.

Stevens finished with three goals and three assists in the victory.

A pair of South scores to open the fourth trimmed the margin to 15-14; however, a 4-0 run by Team North sealed the win.

Team North's Ava Horrocks (San Ramon Valley, Calif.), won the halftime Fastest Shot competition, hitting 79 mph.

"Just letting it rip," Horrocks said. "That was pretty awesome to be a part of."

ADRENALINE ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY

The Adrenaline All-American Games — which began in 2011 for boys' competition with a girls' event added in 2018 — are a showcase of some of the top lacrosse players from the western part of the United States.

Broadcast on ESPN3 and using a North vs. South format, rosters are divided geographically with a few exceptions. Over 100 outgoing boys and girls high school seniors were selected to this year's squads, hailing from 12 states. Players are chosen based on coach recommendations and the Adrenaline Evaluation Team.

The two senior games culminate a fun-filled weekend for these college-bound athletes. Almost all the participants and their families arrive Friday, staying at the Frisco Omni Hotel, which connects to The Star. Saturday's events include player check-ins, Media Day, some afternoon free time and a banquet in the evening. Sunday is game day.

As part of the banquet festivities, Adrenaline honors the Jeremy Huber Scholarship winner, named for the Las Vegas native and Johns Hopkins freshman defenseman who died of flu and pneumonia complications in 2016. This year, Adrenaline awarded two recipients — Eddie McElroy (Bishops, Calif.) and Garrett Ip (Corona Del Mar, Calif.).

Senior game participants had nothing but high praise for the two-day extravaganza.

"Wow! An incredible weekend," Kouletsis said. "Everything was top-notch. This venue, Media Day, the banquet, game day — something I will always remember."

Pawlak said this was an experience he will never forget.

"Meeting new people, the game, taking it all in, the entire weekend was first-class all the way," he said.

Prager called it a "spectacular weekend all the way around."

THE FUTURE

Prior to the two Senior Games, the Adrenaline Futures event, featuring incoming freshmen from the class of 2029, was unveiled for the first time.

The only format change for the Futures games were 10-minute quarters (compared to 12 for Senior Games) and faceoffs were only at the beginning of each quarter. Following each score, the defending team immediately started its offensive possession, which made for a fast-paced contest.

Boys' MVP Hudson Ray (Houston Kinkaid, Texas) recorded three goals as Team South rolled to a 13-4 victory.

Episcopal School of Dallas incoming freshman Charlie Swann twice made history in the boys' match.

He gave his North team a 1-0 lead in the opening quarter, thus scoring the first goal in Adrenaline Futures Boys' Game history.

"The lane just opened up, and I was able to knock it in," said Swann, who displayed his laser-like abilities with the stick in the fastest shot competition. Swann rifled in shots of 101, 102 and 101 mph on this three attempts, the lone player of the four to top triple digits. "I was just trying to sling it," he said, "as hard and as fast as I could."

Parker Aggerholm (Seattle Prep, Wash.) registered a team-leading five goals, earning MVP honors as the Team North Girls' team began the Day's four matches with a 21-15 win over Team South.

Anna Gallagher (Dripping Springs, Tex.) tallied five goals for the Team South squad and hit 70 mph to win the girls' halftime fastest shot competition.

The Futures weekend includes a day-long clinic with various college coaches at the Lacrosse Barn in Addison, which is a world-class lacrosse training facility built by lacrosse players for lacrosse players. The Futures players and their families also attend the Saturday evening banquet.

Swann marveled at the entire weekend.

"Very well done," Swann said. "Great coaching. Meeting a lot of new people. Just lots of fun."