Late Goal Keeps Half Hollow Hills Atop Public High School Boys' Top 25

No. 1 Half Hollow Hills pulled out a last-second win and three new teams entered the USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys’ National Top 25 this week, but there’s barely time to digest it all before the next round begins.

Luke Bradley scored with 9.7 seconds left to give Half Hollow Hills a 15-14 win over Massapequa (N.Y.) in the Long Island Class A championship game. Bradley had four goals and three assists in Hills’ first Long Island title. It kept the Thunderbirds unbeaten this spring heading into the Class A quarterfinals against Section I champion Mamaroneck (N.Y.), against whom they opened the season.

A pair of Top 25 newcomers will meet Saturday when No. 17 Somers (N.Y.) and No. 23 Wantagh (N.Y.) face off in the Class C state tournament quarterfinals. Somers earned a 12-7 win over five-time champion Rye for the Section I Class C title. It’s the sixth win in a row for Somers since a loss to Garden City (N.Y.).

Wantagh picked up its second straight thrilling win to claim its first Long Island crown since 2001. The Warriors, fresh off Luke Martini’s overtime winner against South Side (N.Y.) to complete a rally from a four-goal deficit Saturday, won the Long Island Class C championship 16-15 over Kings Park (N.Y.) behind four goals apiece from juniors Carter Loughman and Devin Paccione.

Kingsway (N.J.) is the third newcomer to the ranking. Unbeaten through 20 games, the top seed in South Jersey, Group 4 will host Washington Township (N.J.) in semifinal action on Thursday. Finals are June 10.

In a top-five showdown, Springfield-Delco (Pa.) avenged its only loss of the season and captured the district championship with a 10-3 win over Radnor (Pa.). Tommy Rush won 14 of 17 faceoffs and Luke Valerio scored a hat trick with two assists. The Cougars flipped spots to No. 3 with the win. They had lost to the No. 4 Raptors 7-6 back on April 1.

Both are into the 3A state tournament now but can’t play for a third time unless both reach the finals. Springfield-Delco plays unbeaten Easton Area (Pa.) and Radnor takes on District 7 champion Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Charlie Koester scored four first-half goals, Luke Cascadden was 22-for-29 at X and No. 5 Garden City scored four straight fourth-quarter goals to snap a tie for a 15-11 win over East Islip (N.Y.) in the Long Island Class B championship. It’s the Trojans’ record 20th Long Island title.

No. 7 Ridgefield (Conn.) rides its first FCIAC championship in 16 years into the state tournament. Dylan Penn made 14 saves and Brandon Penn had a goal and assist in a 12-7 win over No. 8 New Canaan (Conn.). It’s just the program’s second FCIAC title ever.

Ridgefield will try to do the same in what should be an incredible Class LL state tournament. Ridgefield is the No. 2 seed in states; New Canaan is the No. 1. They both had first-round byes into Saturday’s quarterfinals. New Canaan plays Notre Dame-West (Conn.). Ridgefield hosts Glastonbury (Conn.). No. 13 Staples (Conn.) is the No. 3 seed and faces Greenwich (Conn.) after a 23-0 opening-round win. No. 12 Darien (Conn.) is the No. 4 seed and takes on Fairfield Prep (Conn.) after a 25-2 opening-round victory.

No. 11 West Genesee (N.Y.) kept its perfect season intact by rallying from a 7-2 deficit for a 15-10 win over Baldwinsville (N.Y.) in the Section III Class A boys lacrosse championship. Jacob Pensabene had five goals, Chace Cogan scored four goals and had two assists while Jonah Vormwald went 25 of 28 on faceoffs. West Genesee is on the opposite side of the bracket of Half Hollow Hills and beat Plattsburgh (N.Y.) 29-2 in the first round. They’ll face Niskayuna (N.Y.) in the quarterfinals.

New Jersey’s best teams are in action today in state tournament late rounds. No. 10 Westfield (N.J.) faces Montclair (N.J.) in one North Jersey, Group 4 semifinal and No. 15 Ridgewood faces Bridgewater-Raritan (N.J.) in the other group semifinal. The two could meet June 10 in a final.

No. 16 Moorestown (N.J.) is the top seed in the South Jersey, Group 3 bracket. They face Mainland (N.J.) in the semifinals today with a potential finals meeting against rival Shawnee (N.J.) on June 10. No. 18 Summit is the top seed in the North Jersey, Group 3 bracket. The Hilltoppers play Ridge (N.J.) today for a spot in the final.

No. 19 Cape Henlopen (Del.) fell in its state championship game against perennially strong prep Salesianum (Del.). Cape led 8-4 before a late rally by Salesianum, which had also beat them in the regular season. Cape’s only losses this year came against prep schools. 

Scroll below for this week's USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25 and Regional Top 10 lists, with each team's previous ranking denoted in parenthesis.

Compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches around the country, these rankings (also found here in our hub) will be updated weekly on Thursdays.

National Top 25

1. Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.), 20-0 (1)
2. Severna Park (Md.), 19-1 (2) 
3. Springfield-Delco (Pa.), 21-1 (4) 
4. Radnor (Pa.), 18-4 (3) 
5. Garden City (N.Y.), 18-2 (8) 
6. Kent Island (Md.), 17-0 (5) 
7. Ridgefield (Conn.), 16-3 (11) 
8. New Canaan (Conn.), 17-2 (6)
9. Urbana (Md.), 17-2 (9) 
10. Westfield (N.J.), 15-6 (10) 
11. West Genesee (N.Y.), 19-0 (20) 
12. Darien (Conn.), 12-7 (12) 
13. Staples (Conn.), 14-5 (13) 
14. Highland Park (Texas), 19-3 (14) 
15. Ridgewood (N.J.), 13-5 (15) 
16. Moorestown (N.J.), 15-4 (18) 
17. Somers (N.Y.), 16-3 (NR) 
18. Summit (N.J.), 15-4 (19) 
19. Cape Henlopen (Del.) 16-3 (17) 
20. Lake Mary (Fla.), 19-1 (21) 
21. Billerica (Mass.), 19-1 (22) 
22. Wantagh (N.Y.), 15-4 (NR) 
23. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 19-0 (23) 
24. Broadneck (Md.), 15-4 (25) 
25. Kingsway (N.J, 20-0 (NR) 

Also considered (alphabetical order): Arapahoe (Colo.), Chatham (N.J.), Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.), Downingtown East (Pa.), Dublin Jerome (Ohio), Easton Area (Pa.), Garnet Valley (Pa.), Horace Greeley (N.Y.), Huntingtown (Md.), Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.), Kings Park (N.Y.), Lambert (Ga.), Langley (Va.), Manhasset (N.Y.), Manasquan (N.J.), Marple Newtown (Pa.), Massapequa (N.Y.), Niskayuna (N.Y.), Reading Memorial (Mass.), Ridley (Pa.), Shawnee (N.J.), Somers (N.Y.), South Side (N.Y.), South River (Md.), Stephen Decatur (Md.), Torrey Pines (Calif.), Towson (Md.), Upper Arlington (Ohio), Wantagh (N.Y.), Wilson (Pa.)

Northeast Top 10

1. Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.), 20-0 (1) 
2. Garden City (N.Y.), 18-2 (4) 
3. Ridgefield (Conn.), 16-3 (5) 
4. New Canaan (Conn.), 17-2 (2) 
5. West Genesee (N.Y.), 19-0 (9)
6. Darien (Conn.), 12-7 (6) 
7. Staples (Conn.), 14-5 (7)  
8. Somers (N.Y.), 16-3 (NR) 
9. Billerica (Mass.), 19-1 (10) 
10. Wantagh (N.Y.), 15-4 (NR) 

Mid-Atlantic Top 10

1. Severna Park (Md.), 19-1 (1)
2. Springfield-Delco (Pa.), 21-1 (3) 
3. Radnor (Pa.), 18-4 (2) 
4. Kent Island (Md.), 17-0 (4) 
5. Urbana (Md.), 17-2 (5) 
6. Westfield (N.J.), 15-6 (6) 
7. Ridgewood (N.J.), 13-5 (7) 
8. Moorestown (N.J.), 15-4 (9) 
9. Summit (N.J.), 15-4 (10) 
10. Cape Henlopen (Del.), 16-3 (8) 

South Top 10

1. Highland Park (Texas), 19-3 (1)
2. Lake Mary (Fla.), 19-1 (2)
3. Lambert (Ga.), 22-0 (3)
4. Lucy Beckham (S.C.), 17-3 (4) 
5. The Woodlands (Texas), 12-5 (5) 
6. Middle Creek (N.C.), 21-4 (6)
7. Westlake (Texas), 12-4 (7) 
8. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 19-4 (8)
9. Plant (Fla.), 20-3 (9)
10. Lake Norman (N.C.), 20-5 (10)

Midwest Top 10

1. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 16-7 (6) 
2. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 19-3 (1) 
3. Mason (Ohio), 17-4 (8)
4. Worthington Kilbourne (Ohio), 19-4 (3) 
5. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 14-8 (2) 
6. Edina (Minn.), 15-1 (4) 
7. Lake Forest (Ill.), 22-2 (5)
8. Rockford (Mich.), 16-3 (7) 
9. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 16-5 (10) 
10. Carmel (Ind.), 13-5 (9) 

West Top 10

1. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 19-0 (1)
2. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 15-5 (2) 
3. Arapahoe (Colo.), 15-3 (3)
4. La Costa Canyon (Calif.), 12-7 (4) 
5. Monte Vista (Calif.), 19-3 (5)  
6. Mountain Vista (Calif.), 12-5 (6) 
7. Eastlake (Wash.), 16-4 (7) 
8. Mount Si (Wash.), 22-2 (8) 
9. Bellevue (Wash.), 13-7 (9) 
10. Mercer Island (Wash.), 16-5 (10)