Fall NHSLS: PA Prospects Who Boosted Their Stock

The Pennsylvania programs that really popped at NHSLS on Nov. 22–23 were Kiski, Mars, and Episcopal Academy, each putting together strong weekends in Maryland. Kiski went 5-0-1 with wins over Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.), St. John's (D.C.), Curley (Md.), Topsail (N.C.), Catonsville (Md.) and a tie with Gilman (Md.). Mars finished 2-1 with victories over St. John's Catholic Prep (Md.) and Bishop Ireton (Va.) while Episcopal Academy went 2-0-1, beating Valor Christian (Colo.) and Detroit Catholic (Mich.) and tying Loyola (Calif.).   We've highlighted the star power on these rosters plenty, but here are the under-the-radar PA standouts (committed and uncommitted) who deserve more love from us at Prep Lacrosse.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Committed</h2>    The Bryant commit looked the part at NHSLS as an initiator, quarterback, and scorer. He has a really smooth game and the physical build to succeed at the next level. As an initiator, he's most dangerous going down the lefty alley—he loves his underhand release and can pull it high on the run with ease. And if he doesn't let it fly, help should not abandon their slide. He's really good at turning the corner near the goal line and dunking it even when it looks like there's no angle. His box background shows up in his off-ball feel—he knows how to keep spacing, slip into gaps, and find easy dunks. As a quarterback, he moves the ball well, skipping passes through off dodges and directing the extra-man unit. He's no slouch defensively either. He holds his own, competes, and can push the tempo in transition.     Mount Union got a serious competitor in [player_tooltip player_id='171899' first='Michael' last='Duffy']. At NHSLS, he consistently sought out the toughest matchups, ran out shots, battled for groundballs, and made life miserable for anyone he lined up against. His range really jumped out—he wasn't afraid to extend near the midline or the endline, forcing opponents to work for every touch. In one-on-one defense, he throws rapid stick checks without compromising his footwork, and as a lefty, he's constantly on righties' hands to keep them from getting topside. He also pushes the tempo well and can make things happen in transition.     One of the biggest factors in evaluating faceoff specialists is hand speed and exits, and Josh Wilburn checked both boxes at an elite level at NHSLS. The ONU commit's pinch-and-pop is incredibly tough to stop. If you're slow to the clamp, he will smoke you forward. If you're quick to prevent that, he can exit behind with ease. Even trying to body him up doesn't help much—his technique is so dialed in that he can still win the ball with a defender draped on him. With the ball in his stick, he handles pressure well using both hands, escapes trouble quickly, and is a scoring threat if teams try to lock off his attackmen in transition.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Uncommitted</h2>    The uncommitted midfielder who stood out at NHSLS for how many different roles he can play was [player_tooltip player_id='171907' first='Brody' last='Fletcher'] from Kiski. It'll be interesting to see how Kiski uses him this spring because he lined up at attack, ran both ways in the midfield, and can even face off if you want him to. An Ontario native, his box roots show up all over his game. Offensively, he can dodge from X but really thrives on the righty wing, where his slick face-dodge under move catches a lot of defenses sleeping. His cutting and finishing pop as well—he's excellent at slipping behind his defender and burying one-timers. On the defensive end, his footwork and jams look effortless, and he consistently forces midfielders down the alley. He picks up ground balls cleanly and pushes tempo in transition. Fletcher feels like Kiski's X-factor heading into the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='171905' first='Cohen' last='Carlson'] took most of Kiski's draws at NHSLS, and he flat-out dominated at the X. The uncommitted specialist has quick hands, a deep bag of counters, and a great feel for using his wings—whether he's exiting clean or goosing it into space for help. What really separates him, though, are his intangibles and competitiveness. He won't win every clamp, but when the ball hits the turf, he turns into a dawg. He throws himself into scrums, boxes guys out, and does whatever it takes to win possession.   With the ball, Carlson is calm and composed under pressure and never tries to play hero ball. That said, he's absolutely a scoring threat—I watched him bury a sidearm rip against St. John's. Carlson is the type of faceoff guy who tilts the possession battle and sets the tone for his team.     I don't have a huge sample size on [player_tooltip player_id='171909' first='Jackson' last='Miller'], but he's an SSDM worth betting on. He's the standout safety on the football team and has an AAU basketball background—exactly the kind of multi-sport athleticism you want in a shortstick. He brings that football mindset to the field, initiating contact on dodges and delivering pop when he slides. Pair that physicality with his fluid footwork, and you start to see real upside. In the open field, he's fast and agile, making him a reliable one-man clear when you need one. Miller has the tools, the competitiveness, and the motor to develop into a high-ceiling prospect for any program looking to upgrade its defensive midfield unit.

The Pennsylvania programs that really popped at NHSLS on Nov. 22–23 were Kiski, Mars, and Episcopal Academy, each putting together strong weekends in Maryland. Kiski went 5-0-1 with wins over Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.), St. John's (D.C.), Curley (Md.), Topsail (N.C.), Catonsville (Md.) and a tie with Gilman (Md.). Mars finished 2-1 with victories over St. John's Catholic Prep (Md.) and Bishop Ireton (Va.) while Episcopal Academy went 2-0-1, beating Valor Christian (Colo.) and Detroit Catholic (Mich.) and tying Loyola (Calif.).