The Five Most Impactful Players I Watched Last Week
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The final week of March has always been a time for some of the most intriguing non-conference matchups of the year, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where conference play has just gotten underway, with teams further up North getting…
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Continue ReadingThe final week of March has always been a time for some of the most intriguing non-conference matchups of the year, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where conference play has just gotten underway, with teams further up North getting a slightly later start over the last week or two.
Having watched a ton of these games on film and in person, I felt inclined to take a look at five of the most impactful players I watched last week. There’s no doubt that it was tough to narrow things down, though I’d imagine I’ll be highlighting a few of the contenders in the coming days and weeks.
In my opinion, DiBartolomeo is the most exciting player to watch in high school lacrosse in 2024. Not only that, but he’s up there in terms of overall impact and importance to his team. He’s always electric, but that sentiment was cemented after watching him from the sidelines of the Friars’ electric 8-7 win over Boys’ Latin last Wednesday in arguably the game of the year.
DiBartolomeo’s ability to disrupt the other team’s offensive possessions (especially during crucial times in the game) is second to none. The frequency with which he gets his stick in the passing lane, anticipates a pass, gets a knockdown or interception, and then darts upfield with the ball in his stick is so impactful on the outcome of a game. In that sense, he’s like a game-changing NFL safety — Ed Reed comes to mind, but since DiBartolomeo’s a Philly kid, I’ll throw Brian Dawkins’ name out there, too.
In the win over BL, he had at least three deflections or passes, several big groundballs, and several more instances where he affected the Lakers’ ability to get quality looks on cage. On top of that, highly touted middie Liam White’s two goals came on EMO or when he came off a pick when matched up with DiBartolomeo. Also, you can’t talk about Lucca without also mentioning his brothers at shortstick, Roman and Peri. Collectively, the trio played a huge part in the Malvern win (though that’s nothing new for them), then apparently followed that up with a lights-out performance in the Friars’ 7-4 victory over St. Anthony’s on Thursday night at Rutgers.
Highlights
Even though his Big Green came up short in a thrilling 11-10 double OT battle with Brunswick (Conn.) on Saturday, the game never would have gotten to that point if not for Tavares’ timely brilliance. After all, two of his three tallies came less than a minute after ‘Wick scored. The only one that didn’t? Well, it came when the lefty from Mississauga (Ont.) found the net with 4.7 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Even amid a flurry late in the game when the refs let things get out of hand and things got chippy, the chaos never got to the unflappable Tavares, who got his hands free and found the back of the net when his team needed a play to stay alive.
Late in the first half with under a minute left on the clock, a Deerfield pole goal was sandwiched between two ‘Wick scores before Tavares notched a huge juice goal off a rebound with six seconds to go, providing his squad with the momentum and knotting the game at 7-7. In the fourth quarter, Tavares buried one high to draw within one, then after the Big Green’s defense held serve for the next six-plus minutes, his last-second heroics sent the game to OT.
Tavares’ production was pivotal given that ‘Wick put the clamps on Deerfield’s starting attack for the most part so a spark was needed out of the midfield. Dangerous without the ball and blessed with outstanding hands, he’s also an accomplished hockey player, which comes as no surprise given his grit and powerful release. While he’s certainly making a name for himself, it’s worth mentioning that his father is the NLL’s all-time leader in goals and Buffalo Bandits head coach John Tavares, whose nephew — also named John — is a captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs and has racked up over 1,000 points in the NHL.
Buy Justin’s stock before it gets too high.
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Ranked as the No. 3 middie and No. 7 overall in the ’25 class, Bair has been on an absolute tear as an attackman for the Crusaders, and from what I hear, there’s a strong chance that’s where he’d play for the Tar Heels. On the road at Bullis last Tuesday, he finished with eight goals, with five of them coming between the closing seconds of the third quarter and the first possession of OT when he collected the ball past the restraining line after the opening face-off and fired it home for a 14-13 walkoff win.
His first two tallies came late in the first quarter when he easily beat his man off the dodge and increased his angle. Just over a minute into the second stanza, Bair picked up a hat trick after Jack Iannantuono (Penn State) beat a pole up top and passed it off to his longtime running mate, who sent an underhand bomb offside hip. An elite shooter both with his feet set and on the run, he’s so good at getting to space consistently and getting shots off before goalies can even get a read. Athletically superior and a fiery competitor, Bair had no trouble getting his hands free and racking up goals in transition on a day when the Crusaders didn’t get their second face-off win of the game until later in the third quarter. While last week’s win was a huge momentum booster heading into Friday’s MIAA opener at McDonogh, the face-off woes continued against the Eagles, who beat St. Paul’s 21-12 while holding Bair to just a goal and an assist.
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Trying to slow down Belmont Hill’s attack has proven to be a tall task so far in 2024. Having watched a lot of them on tape in the last 10 days, I’ve constantly been wildly impressed by the play of DiBattista, an energetic and gritty playmaker who doesn’t seem to let his 5’9, 160-pound frame prevent him from making plays time after time.
In an overtime win at Deerfield, the Lafayette-bound senior popped off for six goals and canned the game-winner. Always keeping his feet moving, he scored several times after simply backpedaling into space to create a scoring opportunity and gave the Big Green defense fits with his off-ball prowess and outside shot. He’s also plenty capable of darting past his man off the dodge, utilizing his burst of speed and change of direction to make defenders miss. In transition and off the ride, DiBattista is as dependable as they come.
A few days later in a home drubbing of Westminster, he had a hat trick and recorded two of his three assists in the first quarter alone to help Belmont Hill build a commanding 8-0 lead en route to a 13-6 victory. The highlight came late in the opening quarter when he backed his man down and nailed a BTB from the hash after pretty ball movement via Preston Evans (a Virginia-bound junior who has also been excellent) and Will Stewart, DiBattista’s longtime 3d New England teammate and the next player I’ll be highlighting.
Highlights
A confident 6’0, 175-pound lefty ball-carrier, Stewart’s stat line of one goal and two assists at Deerfield won’t blow anybody away, as he was held mostly in check in an effort led by former BH teammate and current Big Green PG Ben Wood. Make no mistake though, Stewart is still the straw that stirs the drink for this offense. With Wood hung up at X late in the first, Stewart tossed a pretty feed to freshman John Lynch for a gorgeous BTB on the doorstep, then followed that up with an EMO blast in the third with a little flick of the wrist as well as a look to DiBattista on a breakaway off the ride.
In the win over Westminster, he matched DiBattista’s six-point effort with four goals and two assists and got the scoring started by taking a pass from him in transition and finishing in front of the crease. With the ball in his stick, he’s super unselfish and has tremendous chemistry with his line mates, with the three regularly finishing off tic-tac-toe chances both 6v6 and in unsettled scenarios. A high-percentage finisher, he’s got great hands and likes to throw in subtle stick and head fakes to make goalies move. Looking ahead, he’s definitely athletic enough to run out of the midfield at Villanova, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at attack for the Wildcats, following in the footsteps of fellow Belmont Hill product Danny Seibel.
Highlights
The final week of March has always been a time for some of the most intriguing non-conference matchups of the year, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where conference play has just gotten underway, with teams further up North getting a slightly later start over the last week or two.
Having watched a ton of these games on film and in person, I felt inclined to take a look at five of the most impactful players I watched last week. There's no doubt that it was tough to narrow things down, though I'd imagine I'll be highlighting a few of the contenders in the coming days and weeks.
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Highlights
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Highlights
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Highlights
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Highlights
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