Maverik Showtime '27s: Top Defenders

Continuing our series on the top players at Maverik Showtime, let's move over to the defensive side of the ball, which featured a bevy of high-caliber longpoles proving their mettle in front of the packed sidelines.    A widely known name in the Class of 2027 for quite some time, Anderson is set to transfer to Deerfield (Mass.) after seeing significant minutes at LSM for Brunswick (Conn.) this spring. Slotting in down low at Showtime, he plays both spots as well as anyone in the class, so I'll be curious to see where he plays at the next level. Anderson is a tenacious competitor who never leaves anything to be desired in terms of efforts, which he uses to constantly impact a game. He's an active checker when playing up top, but is a bit more disciplined with his stick when he's defending around the cage, where he shows a sturdy base around GLE. Possessing excellent stick work, he loves to push transition whenever the opportunity presents itself and is never shy when it comes to shooting.     A year removed from garnering Showtime's Defensive MVP honors, Baker was back in the All-Star Game, during which he went to the rack and chipped in a second half goal. Active on-ball with punishing checks and relentless on his opponents' hands, Baker showed off his smooth stick and GB work while continuing to do a stellar job of preventing his matchup from doing much of anything. The Colorado native constantly came out of scrums with the ball and was always making the appropriate decision once it was in his stick.     Benedict caught my eye as a Second Team All-FCIAC sophomore for the Blue Wave, and he didn't disappoint during my first live evaluation. Fundamentally sound in every sense, every slide from Benedict is well-timed and with the body, and each approach was strong. He can apply pressure with his checks and has excellent hands that allow him to jar the ball loose on a regular basis, but can also quietly blanket his matchup while relying on his footwork and position play. He's got a great stick, picking up a number of impressive GB's and rolling away from pressure.      An absolute behemoth at 6'7 and 230 pounds, it's no surprise that he's a Power Four football prospect as a tight end, holding early offers from Florida State, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin. He's a natural space-eater down low, and did a really nice job using his length to knock down and intercept passes. However, I was just impressed with how involved Currie was in the clearing game. He threw some beautiful over passes, and was constantly taking the ball over the midline. I'll be curious to see if he chooses a two-sport path at the next level or just plays football, given his profile.     Fodor jumped off the page during the fall and winter circuits, and coming away from his sophomore season, I was impressed with how much more polished and confident he looks. Still a 'baby giraffe' type physically, he looks a tad more aggressive on-ball, continuing to show off his sound footwork and smart position play. He opened up the week with a bouncer in transition, and was excellent 1v1 throughout the camp. When someone gained a half step on him, he recovered appropriately and applied pressure to keep his matchup at bay, using his length to his advantage.     Earning an evaluation from our Prep Redzone Ohio scouts as recently as this week, Hayes is a standout defensive back on the gridiron. On the lacrosse field, he's got outstanding footwork and could go step for step with some of the more athletic midfield dodgers in attendance. Beyond that, he plays with a nonstop motor and is a stalwart between the lines, crushing it on the wings of face-off wings and winning 50-50 balls. Hayes' stick work is super impressive: he's got an awesome handle and added a bit of flair with a pretty BTB assist in the last round of games.     Reclassing from 2026, Higdon turned in an All-Star campaign during his time at Showtime and showed off a strong all-around skill set. On several occasions, I made note of his energy and motor - he played his tail off for the duration of the event, and good things happened as a result. He had a few beautiful groundballs on the sideline, and a goal in Games 2 and 3, including a nice buzzer beater. Often pressing out on his matchup, he has a game that could be a natural fit at LSM, however, he showed well as a close defender and has the versatility to excel at either spot.     Another all-around stalwart who had a brilliant sophomore season, King possesses an ideal blend of size, athleticism, stick skills, and defensive principles. He's gifted as a 1-on-1 cover defender and had some downright nasty takeaways at the event, but he was just as effective when he didn't throw checks. His stick was always in his position, his approaches were on-point, and his footwork was stellar. Earning a spot in Wednesday's All-Star Game, he made a plethora of plays that led directly to goals.     Lawrence is the type of longstick midfielder that you always feel on the field, a byproduct of his tenacity and seemingly never-ending motor. He stacks up impactful plays in between the lines, picking up first time groundballs, applying pressure and physicality to ball-carriers, and moving the ball upfield in transition. After popping on film all spring, Lawrence provided lights-out play at Showtime, routinely causing turnovers in the middle of the field. He never fails to make his presence felt up top, and good things often happened when he was on the field. Helping make up an outstanding group of defenders on his Eclipse team, he's sure to have plenty of options this fall.     A fantastic athlete, Paik is really fun to watch. He provides a sideline-to-sideline presence, stalking ball-carriers wherever they went, picking up clean groundballs, and clearing over the midline regularly, finding the back of the net in each of his first two games. Paik held up impeccably well whenever someone decided to go at him, as he's got the feet and hips to go stride for stride and hinder the dodger from getting to a high-percentage area. He's super physical, but not to the point that he finds himself penalized, which isn't always as easy for a young defender as it sounds.     I've quickly become a really big fan of Sullivan, who checks a ton of boxes and looks the part of someone who could find a home in the ACC or Big 10. He's big, strong, athletic, and incredibly disruptive with long arms, laying punishing checks and throwing his body around. His footwork is phenomenal (a nod to his basketball background), and he plays position extraordinarily well. It seems like he's been really well-coached, as he plays angles incredibly well and is man-conscious away from the ball. Not surprisingly, he's been excellent every time I've seen him since Showtime week. Expect him to be pretty high up on a lot of coaches' boards.     Waechter was one of the more impactful longpoles in attendance, so it was a bit of a head-scratcher when he didn't grab a spot in the All-Star Game. Only on my radar after he netted the OT game-winner goal in the Michigan state title game, Waechter does a number of things at a high level. He was a force off the ground, active on-ball with his checks, and disruptive as a cover defender whenever he got dodged. He made some mistakes here and there (at this age, who doesn't?), but it was noticeable how Waechter quickly redeemed himself with a positive play. He corralled a noticeable amount of groundballs during the event, and did a really nice job in transition, adding a goal in his fifth and final game.

Continuing our series on the top players at Maverik Showtime, let's move over to the defensive side of the ball, which featured a bevy of high-caliber longpoles proving their mettle in front of the packed sidelines.