Jayden Vega Named USA Lacrosse High School Boys' South Player of the Year

Leading Benjamin (Fla.) to a nearly perfect season that culminated in a second straight state championship, Jayden Vega has been named the USA Lacrosse High School Boys' South Player of the Year.

A senior attackman, Vega was one of the most prolific scorers in the country, leading the Buccaneers with 81 goals and 65 assists, including five goals and three assists in a 14-11 win over St. Andrew’s (Fla.) to clinch the FHSAA 1A championship game.

“He is a great lacrosse player and an elite athlete,” Benjamin coach Peter Cordrey said of Vega, who will play both football and lacrosse at Brown. “The production numbers, which are prodigious and come against the hardest schedule in the state, don't tell the story of his heart and competitive drive. He earned everything through hard work and determination.”

The Buccaneers finished the season ranked No. 1 in the USA Lacrosse South Top 10 (annotated below) and No. 17 in the USA Lacrosse National Top 25. Faceoff specialist Dylan Furshman joins Vega on the USA Lacrosse All-South Team (listed below).

There's a bit of a Benjamin-to-Brown pipeline in the works. Vega and Furshman head there in the fall. Standout long-stick midfielder Jake Ivancevic also has committed to the Ivy League school. He'll be a senior next year.

Players of the year, all-region teams and rankings are compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine writers with input from coaches around the country. This content is produced independently of the official USA Lacrosse High School Awards program that includes All-American and All-Academic honorees.

Our South rankings cover the region from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas.

All-South Team

A Nick Testa St. Andrew’s (Fla.) 
A Jayden Vega Benjamin (Fla.) 
A Brooks Wehman Lambert (Ga.) 
M Kamden Clack Buford (Ga.) 
M Dylan Faison St. Andrew's (Fla.) 
M Ben Habel Christ the King (N.C.) 
FO Dylan Furshman Benjamin (Fla.) 
SSDM Tyler Gross IMG Academy (Fla.) 
SSDM Alexander Michaelides S.T. Aquinas (Fla.) 
LSM Ben Boyer Highland Park (Texas) 
LSM/D Bryson Armstrong Lake Norman Ch. (N.C.) 
D Benton Owens Highland Park (Texas) 
D Kaelum Chandler Martin County (Fla.) 
G Nicholas Pagnotta IMG Academy (Fla.)

SOUTH TOP 10
(FINAL)

1. Benjamin (Fla.), 24-1

The Buccaneers rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third quarter to topple St. Andrew’s (Fla.) 14-11 in the state championship. Jayden Vega led Benjamin with 81 goals. While Benjamin’s offense was high-flying, the backbone of the team was led by more defensive-minded players, such as senior Dylan Furshman and junior Jake Ivancevic.

2. IMG Academy (Fla.), 15-3

IMG Academy’s season came to a close with a 17-8 loss to Culver (Ind.). Season highlights included wins over Westlake (Texas), Deerfield (Mass.), and Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.). The Ascenders will return one of the top goalie’s in the region, Nicholas Pagnotta.

3. Highland Park (Texas), 19-3

The Scots denied Episcopal Dallas a repeat title with an 8-4 win. The team was boosted by Harrison Brown, who was the 2025 THSLL State Championship Offensive Most Valuable Player. The squad’s defense will lose some notable players, including Benton Owens and Ben Boyer, but will see offensive star Spencer Burke return.

4. Episcopal Dallas (Texas), 19-3

The Eagles fell short in their title defense, losing 8-4 to Highland Park. The Eagles will return a solid roster in 2026 after having young players, including freshmen Wayte McKnight and Asher Cooke, who stepped up this year. Two of Episcopal Dallas’ losses were to Highland Park.

5. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), 21-3

The Raiders captured their fourth state title — and first since 2022 — by dominating Ponte Vedra (Fla.) 21-3. St. Thomas Aquinas played a challenging scheduling, falling to Benjamin (Fla.) in overtime and suffering close losses to McDonogh (Md.) and Boys' Latin (Md.). Junior James Finch scored a team-high 76 goals. Diego Salazar will also return next year after scoring 69 goals. 

6. Lake Mary (Fla.), 19-1

The Rams' quest for a three-peat ended in a 10-9 loss to Ponte Vedra (Fla.). It was their only close contest all year, having won their previous 19 games by at least six goals. Chase Truesdell had a team-high 51 goals, but Lake Mary’s strength was led between the pipes with junior Bodhi Lyon stopping 74 percent of shots against.

7. Lambert (Ga.), 22-0

In a dominant state title performance, the Longhorns blanked South Forsyth (Ga.) 12-0. It was Lambert’s third state title since 2021. Cole Greenfield had five goals during the win. Lambert returns top defenders Andrew Pascarella and Bennett Booth, as top offensive players Cole Greenfield (LIU) and Brooks Wehman (Navy) head to college.

8. St. Andrew’s (Fla.), 18-7

The Scots let a three-goal second-half lead slip away in a 14-11 loss to Benjamin (Fla.) in the state final. Nick Testa was quite the distributor with 120 assists this season. Dylan Faison was the benefactor on some of those assists, as he had a team-leading 67 goals. Both players return next year.

9. Lucy Beckham (S.C.), 17-3

The Bengals won the state championship with a 14-5 victory over Nation Ford (S.C.). Senior Bear Hankins led the team with 64 goals, while sophomore Luke Fredericks posted a 63.7-percent save rate. Key wins included Bishop England (S.C.) and Potomac (Va.). 

10. The Woodlands (Texas), 12-5

The Highlanders’ season ended with an 11-7 loss to Episcopal Dallas, their second defeat to ESD in less than a month. Three of the Woodlands’ losses came in overtime. Goalie Steele Croom (Lehigh) and attacker Kimo Kouletsis (Penn) will be key departures.