Maverik Showtime's Top Class of 2026 Midfielders

We've already covered the attackmen (<a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/06/maverik-showtimes-top-class-of-2026-attackmen-teams-1-4/">Part I</a> and <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/06/maverik-showtimes-top-class-of-2026-attackmen-teams-5-8/">Part 2</a>), and now let's get into the top middies from Showtime.    There's always been a lot to like about Colella's game, which spoke loudly during his sophomore year with the Bruins. This summer, he's continued to show off how much he can do at a high level and the effort he puts into all facets of the game. Colella came out hot with his best showing, a two-goal effort on Monday night. He tends to score the bulk of his goals in transition, however, he also looked comfortable when inverting, getting up the hash early on in the event. Put him on either end of the field or the wings of face-offs and feel good about what you're getting.     A tweener who packs a punch on offense and defense, Johnston is the closest thing to a Jake Stevens type in the Class of 2026. If you're drafting a team of rising juniors, he's likely a Top 10-15 pick for his overall impact on the outcome of a game. While Johnston may not have filled up a stat sheet with goals and assists (I had him scoring five), he made winning plays, digging out key groundballs in traffic and making the appropriate play in transition. Placing the ball accurately, he has a big shot with his feet set and does an excellent job with his off-ball offense to create looks for himself and his teammates.     Gillis' offensive repertoire and body of work are incredibly impressive for a Class of 2026 prospect. As a sophomore, the highly talented left-hander racked up 32 goals and 16 assists and shined in some of the Flyers' biggest games. Among other things, what stands out is that there's no drop-off in his production when he goes from attack to midfield. He put home at least nine goals at Showtime (plus a lefty jumper in the All-Star Game) and was also responsible for a downright filthy spot feed early in the week. Smooth, dynamic, and intelligent with the ball in his stick, Gillis had some wildly slick finishes throughout the event and continued to cement his stock as a top-five prospect.     A killer out of the midfield, Rayfield is among several outstanding two-way threats in the class, coming into the summer with confidence after racking up 92 points for the NY Class 'D' finalists this spring. Posting hat tricks in two consecutive games in the middle of his Showtime campaign, he has a superb first step and awesome wrists, as all it took was a simple flick on the run to put a shot in the back of the net. He scored off of ball movement, a leaner, a bouncer down the alley, in catch-and-shoot situations, and more. Beyond that, he's a pitbull on defense and frequently turned groundballs into fast breaks, making a full-field impact.     Right when I was starting to peg Hendricks as a d-middie at the next level, the Houston native turned in one of the more impressive offensive performances I've seen from him. He bounced back in a major way after struggling to take care of the ball to start the week, putting up five goals and three assists in his middle three games. In terms of his athleticism, frame, and physicality, he'd fit on a Division I lacrosse field right now, so there's no denying Hendricks' upside.     What a young tandem Marcellus has in Rayfield and Doshna, with each looking to be two of the better midfield prospects to come out of Section 3 in the last few recruiting cycles. Like his club and high school teammate, Doshna demonstrated a knack for scoring in a variety of ways. The lefty separated at will and made plays with flare, tossing a gorgeous assistant to a cutting teammate, scoring on a shovel shot in tight and a leaner, in addition to hitches and smooth shots on the run. He looked to be highly capable with his off-hand, too.     Watching Ponting, it doesn't take long to realize that he has crazy abilities. Poised for a breakthrough junior year with the Big Red, he made the most of his minutes as a sophomore and newcomer to the program, appearing in 10 games, scoring nine goals and four assists, and shooting 45 percent. At Showtime, the Ontario product made a few of the more eye-popping plays of the week, darting through traffic in front or getting underneath the defense with his box-bred skills and finishing in stellar fashion. Currently playing box for St. Catharines, Ponting is a special talent who is bound to find a home at a top program this fall.     On a completely different level from his peers with his athleticism, it's been a while since I've seen a high school player toy with defenses like Faison. There are times when he scores after his third or fourth move. I had him down for seven goals and two assists plus four goals in the All-Star Game, and just about every one of his goals was pretty. With the ball in his stick, he floats to the point that it almost looks effortless. Back in March, Faison committed to play football at Notre Dame, where he'll also play lacrosse.     Like some of his peers written up above, Scane didn't put up high point totals but made an impact in a lot of different ways. He's another player who is bound to break out next year and whose best lacrosse is ahead of him. Look no further than his bloodlines: his sister Izzy is the all-time leading goal scorer in college lacrosse history and his brother Griffin was a starter for Penn and came in as the top-ranked midfielder in the class. The younger Scane's game has a lot of similarities to his brother, both athletically and in what he brings to the table between the lines and on defense. There were a few occasions when he was almost too unselfish, but he was always making good decisions. His speed and skills are outstanding, and he'll only get better with time.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention</h2>   Alek Askeroglu of Cy-Fair (Texas) / Mad Dog, Texas Mustangs    Ted Budreski of Winchester (Mass.) / 3d New England   Max Bushaw of Southlake Carroll (Tex.) / Mad Dog    Henry Ferguson of St. Ignatius (Ohio) / Resolute    Rick Giordano of Brunswick (Conn.) / Prime Time    Mikey Gutchewsky of MICDS (Mo.) / Project Midwest    Dylan Harrigan of St. Anthony's (N.Y.) / LI Express   Anthony Mancaruso of St. Anthony's (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island    Tanner Olrich of St. Ignatius (Calif.) / ADVNC, West Coast Starz   Spencer Stegbauer of St. Xavier (Ohio) / Resolute   Jake Sturtevant of Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Next Level    Nick Testa of St. Andrew's (Fla.) / Team 91 Long Island

We've already covered the attackmen (Part I and Part 2), and now let's get into the top middies from Showtime.