Bennett Matthews, a five-star midfield prospect from Bedford (N.H.) High School, is the 2026 USA Lacrosse High School Boys' National Player of the Year.
He is the first National Player of the Year from New Hampshire.
Bound for Duke in the fall, Matthews is a bruising 6-2, 195-pound beast with a combination of speed and size that allowed him to post 71 goals and 50 assists this season for a Bedford team that lost in the state championship game — a contest in which Matthews had six goals and two assists.
Matthews was a four-year starter and a true two-way middie, and Inside Lacrosse ranked him as the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2026.
A two-sport standout, Matthews was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year in New Hampshire with 38 touchdowns as a quarterback. This past season, he completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,334 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air — and he only threw one interception.
USA LACROSSE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR HISTORY
2011: Conor Doyle, Gilman (Md.)
2012: Devin Dwyer, Garden City (N.Y.)
2013: Jordan Evans, Jamesville-Dewitt (N.Y.)
2014: Shack Stanwick, Boys’ Latin (Md.)
2015: Grant Ament, Haverford (Pa.)
2016: No National Players of the Year selected
2017: Joey Epstein, Landon (Md.)
2018: Jeffrey Conner, Strath Haven (Pa.)
2019: Brennan O’Neill, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
2020: No National Players of the Year due to COVID-19 cancellations
2021: Andrew McAdorey, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
2022: Joey Spallina, Mount Sinai (N.Y.)
2023: Owen Duffy, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
2024: Nikolas Menendez, Culver Academy (Ind.)
2025: Anthony Raio, Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.)
2026: Bennett Matthews, Bedford (N.H.)
