Previewing Contenders for Pennsylvania's 3A State Title

The PIAA 3A state tournament kicks off on Tuesday afternoon with several intriguing first round contests that will feature a host of talented college prospects. So today we examine the four teams we consider the favorites to bring home the 3A hardware.   First, we will provide a breakdown of what makes each of these teams a legitimate contender for the 3A title. Then we will highlight one standout player as well as one under-the-radar prospect from each roster.     La Salle (20-1)   After solid early season wins against Hill Academy (Ont.) and St. Mary's (Md.), La Salle rolled through its Philadelphia Catholic League schedule. In early May, they posted an impressive 3OT win over Radnor. Their only hiccup of the season happened in a close loss against nationally-ranked Malvern Prep.   LaSalle's chances of winning the first 3A state title hinge on their high-powered offense. Elite face-off prospect and UPenn commit Stevie Davis allows the Explorers to play downhill all game. Fellow Penn signee and Philly Catholic League MVP Paul Van Bastelaar and Johns Hopkins commit [player_tooltip player_id='14599' first='Max' last='Wickersham'] provide the scoring and distributing at attack. An under-the-radar prospect to watch for La Salle is midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='29034' first='Declan' last='Heilig'].   Defensively, the Explorers are a solidly built group that plays a physical style. Cornell commit Logan Missett and Harvard signee Andrew Van Stone anchor the back end. Penn-bound Matt Wills is a versatile prospect who can play LSM or close. SSDM Jack Koch does a tremendous job covering in space and generating turnovers. Koch will head to Villanova in the fall.    After a lights-out senior year at the face-off dot, the highly skilled and technically precise Davis was named an All-American selection. His ability to cleanly win the draw and generate an odd-man break is second to none in Pennsylvania. Davis possesses a solid frame and a bulldog mentality. That combination enables him to do the dirty work in a scrum and emerge with possession. Davis has also flashed the ability to stay on the field and use his physical dodges to present an additional offensive threat in La Salle's settled action. The Penn Quakers are getting a prospect who should have an immediate impact next year.     In 2024, Heilig registered 25 goals and 15 assists. Considering he missed eight games with an injury, those are remarkable numbers. Heilig's first game back from injury was the PCL title game vs. St. Joe's Prep. He jumped into the lineup and did not miss a step, as Heilig notched one goal and one assist in that win. Heilig is a multi-skilled lefty midfielder. He can pick corners from distance, play off the ball, and operate from X. On the perimeter, his quick first step and crafty moves enable him to blow past defenders to create scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates. After the regular season, Heilig was named to the 2nd Team All-PCL squad.      Radnor (17-5)   Do not let Radnor's five losses fool you. The three-time defending 3A state champions played a brutal schedule in 2024. Three of the Raptors' losses were to nationally ranked teams – No. 2 Brunswick, No. 8 Salesianum, and No. 13 La Salle. The setback at the hands of rival La Salle was a triple OT thriller.   As always, the key to Radnor's success in states will be its staunch defense. That renowned group is led by All-American and Harvard commit Michael Savadove. Uncommitted 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='123295' first='Tyler' last='Vitale'] has posted a standout year at SSDM and uncommitted 2024 Henry Pierce has developed into a plus player at close defense. Middlebury commit Brian Henry's recent return from injury will bolster the Radnor defense.   Offensively, the Raptors feature a balanced attack and get contributions from a host of prospects. At midfield, they feature UPenn commit Nate Lucchesi alongside Williams commit Tucker Graham and uncommitted 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='18401' first='Sawyer' last='Smith']. The maestro up front for Radnor is Drexel signee Owen Knight. He can ping corners from any angle and is a creative passer. Keep an eye on uncommitted 2024 Owen Smith, too. He has been on fire since moving from midfield to attack in early May.    Savadove was recently named an All-American and the 2024 Central League MVP. Watch him play for a game and it is easy to see why. For starters, Savadove is a shutdown 1-on-1 cover man. It does not matter if the other team's best player is a midfielder who plays on the perimeter or a lefty attack who works from X. If Savadove has the assignment, that opposing player will be a non-factor on that night. A Harvard commit, Savadove creates turnovers with stick checks and by taking the body. Once the ball is on the ground, he has the athleticism and speed to scoop up a ground ball and lead Radnor's transition game. Plus, Savadove leads with a high IQ and a deep understanding of team defensive strategies.        For the first two months of the 2024 season, Smith was making solid contributions as a midfielder for Radnor. Then in early May, he was bumped down to attack and that is when the fireworks began. In his first few games starting at attack, Smith found the back of the net seventeen times. He posted a five spot against CB South and then eight goals against Downingtown East. In between those outbursts, Smith registered two goals and one assist vs. Springfield. The uncommitted Smith is a wizard at moving off-ball and then sitting down in an open space. Smith will use a variety of creative finishing moves to convert on passes from teammates. On the wing, he is an effective catch-and-fire shooter. As a bonus to his scoring skills, Smith is a fantastic distributor.            Springfield (18-3)   2024 was a streaky but successful season for Springfield. The Cougars opened the year with two wins before losing to MIAA semifinalist Archbishop Spalding. Then the Cougars posted a five-game winning streak that ended with a loss to archrival Radnor. They closed the season by capturing eleven straight Ws, including a revenge victory against Radnor, before suffering an overtime setback to Garnet Valley in the District 1-3A title game. Springfield hopes their next win streak concludes with them raising the 3A trophy at Penn State.   Springfield's potential run to a state title will be spearheaded by its potent offense. Opposing defenses can hope to contain the trio of Drexel commit Ty Gougler, future Maryland Terrapin Pat Flaherty and 2026 standout [player_tooltip player_id='20026' first='Brad' last='Barber'], but they will not stop that group. That trio will get support from athletic midfielder Ty Henderson.   At the other end of the field, Lehigh-bound LSM [player_tooltip player_id='18936' first='Brian' last='Delaney'] and SSDM Brett Doherty are the first line of resistance for Springfield's respected defense. Close defender and Penn State commit Billy Henderson along with future Towson netminder Jackson Kennedy solidify the backside.     Gougler is a remarkably skilled lefty attackman who excels at operating behind the cage. Opponents frequently double-team Gougler, but his crafty dodges and physicality enable him to maneuver through that situation to create scoring opportunities for himself or a teammate. In front of the net Gougler thrives on the crease where he can finish through significant contact. Gougler's catch-and-shoot skills are off the charts too. Recently, Gougler tallied six goals against Radnor in the District 1-3A semifinals. This 1st Team All-Central League selection is committed to Drexel.     Doherty is a versatile, two-way midfielder who is a plus player at both ends of the field. His menacing on-ball defense often creates turnovers. Doherty is quick to pounce on those loose balls. Once Doherty has possession, he owns the speed and stick skills to go coast to coast for goal. Doherty has a high lacrosse IQ and possesses many of the other intangibles college coaches love. After the 2024 season Doherty received 2nd Team All-Central League honors.        Garnet Valley (19-3)   Garnet Valley enters the 3A tournament as one of the hottest teams in the state. Over the last month of the season, the Jaguars reeled off eight consecutive victories. Included in that winning streak was a dramatic 10-9 OT defeat of Springfield in District 1-3A championship game. GV's three losses this year came in their season opener versus St. Joe's and then in Central League contests against Springfield and Radnor.   The Jaguars potent offense is triggered by attackman Andrew Goldt, who is headed to Towson in the fall. Goldt is a versatile weapon with the ability to create scoring opportunities from anywhere in the box. Running with Goldt on offense is midfielder Josh Graham and 2026 scoring machine [player_tooltip player_id='22250' first='Parker' last='Williams']. Graham is committed to Stockton University. Of course, unique face-off specialist Kai Lopez plays a significant role too. Having recently decommitted from Marquette, Lopez contributes to every facet of the game for the Jaguars.   Garnet's defense starts in the net and builds out from there. [player_tooltip player_id='34276' first='Drew' last='Keaveney'] is a brick wall between the pipes. The 6'4” uncommitted prospect was a 1st Team All-Central League selection this season. Out in front of Keaveney is long stick midfielder Mike Medici. This uncommitted 2025 is a fantastic coverage LSM. He excels at causing turnovers and then quickly getting out in transition.      Simply slapping the FOGO label does not do justice to the wide-ranging contributions he makes for GV. Lopez is an extraordinarily versatile and athletic prospect with a high IQ. In addition to facing off, Lopez frequently stays on the field for entire offensive possessions. He can even work as an initiator for GV's offense. At times Lopez will drop back and play impressive defense as a short stick. In 2024 Lopez was a 1st Team All-Central League selection.     Medici is a solid two-year starter for Garnet Valley who is now stepping into the spotlight. This multi-sport athlete (soccer) possesses exceptional instincts, considerable size, and impressive reach. That trifecta enables Medici to frequently snare passes out of mid-air and scoop up ground balls on the run. When GV needs the opponent's top midfield option shut down, Medici can lock off that player. Medici has been known to cause turnovers with well-timed stick checks or a healthy dose of physical play. Earlier this month Medici was named to the 2nd Team All-Central League squad.

The PIAA 3A state tournament kicks off on Tuesday afternoon with several intriguing first round contests that will feature a host of talented college prospects. So today we examine the four teams we consider the favorites to bring home the 3A hardware.