Breaking Down the Positional MVPs from The Show 2028s

MDLX Events hosted The Show at Western Regional Park in Maryland this past weekend, giving college coaches an early look at a strong group of 2028 players before the summer circuit officially kicks off. The event wrapped up with an all-star game, and seven players left with a brand-new ECD lacrosse head as their trophy. <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/pennsylvania-transfer-watch-2026-part-i/" id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/pennsylvania-transfer-watch-2026-part-i/">One of those positional MVPs, Colin Cotton, was recently covered by our own Carey Smith.</a> Now, let's take a look at the rest of the positional MVPs from The Show.    [player_tooltip player_id='178365' first='Dylan' last='Watson'] was one of the best offensive players at The Show last weekend. A sophomore at Milton Academy, he played midfield and saw many short-stick matchups. He finished with 10 goals and five assists in 13 games, with most of his production coming off the ball and out of invert situations. Off the ball, he has a strong feel for how to set himself up for quality shots and the hands to catch everything thrown his way. Around the cage, he knows how to open his hips and get into positions where it is tough for defenders to get a stick on him. Behind the cage, he plays tight well as a swing man and understands the cat-and-mouse game, setting himself up for both front-side and back-side sneaks.   With the ball is where he really showed off at The Show. He had the speed to get a step easily and the physicality to lean in when he needed to. He was especially good behind the cage, mixing in split and roll dodges to get up the hashes while showing the ability to score with both hands. Watson is a player who is under the radar right now, but after seeing him at The Show, I do not expect that to last.     [player_tooltip player_id='172407' first='Ryan' last='McDermott'] first popped onto my radar in the fall when I saw him playing with Madlax. The first thing you notice about his game is how much he loves the opportunity to play on the other side of the midline. He is an LSM who can force turnovers, pick up ground balls, push transition, and stay on the field offensively until the sub game dries up. On day one of The Show, he had several good shots and tallied an assist while I was watching. He uses his pole well on stepdowns, gripping and ripping straight overhand that will make most goalies tense up. He is not just a stepdown shooter, though. He is also comfortable staying inside and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMDgQDKO96I/" id="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMDgQDKO96I/">finishing with some crafty touch around the cage.</a>   On the defensive side, his athleticism shows up in many ways. On the ball, he has an active stick and active feet. He stays on gloves without compromising his footwork. He could still add some weight for the next level, but he plays bigger than his build might suggest because he is not afraid to body up when needed. He is active off the ball as well. At The Show, he got his stick into passing lanes, knocked down some skip passes, and looked like he was shot out of a cannon when he slid. That forces dodgers to make quicker decisions than most are used to. McDermott is an LSM you cannot miss when watching Madlax this summer, and one that college coaches should go out of their way to see.     [player_tooltip player_id='173326' first='Cooper' last='Petruzzi'] was voted the top shortstick defensive midfielder at The Show last weekend, and for good reason. He has the size, strength, IQ, and stickwork for the next level. In 1v1 matchups, he uses a confrontational cross-check to jam dodgers before they can get going, which showed up multiple times when opposing offenses could not get anything off their second or third re-dodge. Because of that, along with his ability to stay on hips, he matches up well against bigger, more physical midfielders. Moving forward, I would love to see him continue to improve against smaller, quicker dodgers.   On day one of The Show, he also played well off the ball. He got his stick in passing lanes to force turnovers and consistently put himself in position for sound, fundamental approaches. On the other side of the ball, his athleticism shows up as a dodger. He is a downhill midfielder who wants to beat you down the alley and get to his shot on the run. His arm strength shows up as a finisher, too. He does a good job getting over the top and finishing low with an overhand release, naturally holding goalies high before pulling it hard to the bottom of the cage. Petruzzi started his summer hot and is an SSDM worth watching in the 2028 class.     [player_tooltip player_id='174905' first='Tobi' last='Aderoju']'s athleticism was obvious the first time I saw him in the fall at NHSLS. He has great height to swim past defenders, the speed to beat them to spots, and the agility to stop and go. He is a dodge-heavy midfielder who can beat slides down the alley or when sweeping to the middle, and he has the threat to do it with either hand. His jump shot has been lethal both on tape and when I have seen him live. He still generates a ton of velocity on it, and it has a way of leaving goalies guessing about where it will end up. His athleticism shows up on the other side of the ball as well. His feet help him stay in front, and he comes up with takeaway checks between the lines. Aderoju was a midfielder many college coaches were talking about at The Show, and that should continue throughout the summer.     The Defensive MVP of The Show was [player_tooltip player_id='178367' first='Elliot' last='Wajda']. He has the feet, physicality, and stick work to play down low or at LSM. He uses his stick well to make his matchup uncomfortable in 1v1 situations, and he is also strong, throwing a hard cross-check that makes life tough when his man is on the island or trying to get to dangerous spots. He is not the biggest defender, but he is super physical and can lay the wood as a slider or in the open field. What stands out is the control he has over his six-foot pole. He sneaks in takeaway checks, plays with confidence in his stick, and handles the ball well in tight spaces during the clear.     [player_tooltip player_id='173249' first='Liam' last='Brown'] was part of an Episcopal (Va.) defense that had its share of ups and downs throughout the season. Brown has great size, and when he is in position, he takes up a ton of the cage. When he locked in on shooters coming off dodges, Brown was excellent. Other strengths in his game show up on low-angle shots, where he can hug the pipe and use his size to take away space, and in tight, where he uses his anticipation to match sticks and deny dunks. His deep pocket allows him to make a lot of clean saves and hit outlets on looping clears.   Because of his size, he leans low in an effort to get to every part of the net, and that hurts him at times. Brown has the size and reactions to be a very good goalie. He has also shown well in showcase settings, winning Goalie MVP at The Show. Moving forward, I am curious to see if he will be able to make more saves moving pipe to pipe, especially since Episcopal's defense really struggled at times against offenses that moved the ball well.

MDLX Events hosted The Show at Western Regional Park in Maryland this past weekend, giving college coaches an early look at a strong group of 2028 players before the summer circuit officially kicks off. The event wrapped up with an all-star game, and seven players left with a brand-new ECD lacrosse head as their trophy. One of those positional MVPs, Colin Cotton, was recently covered by our own Carey Smith. Now, let's take a look at the rest of the positional MVPs from The Show.