Jersey's Next Wave: 2028 Middies and Face-off Specialists

With New Jersey lacrosse winding down in the days to come and the summer circuit heating up shortly, we continue our trek around the Garden State with new evaluations on 2028 middies (and one face-off specialist) who we have yet to cover.    Cavise's emergence has been a significant reason why RFH has been able to rebound from a 1-4 start, go on a tear, and ultimately win the South Group 1 title the other night. While his title game performance against Haddonfield wasn't necessarily his best, he's done yeoman's work at the X all year, winning 300 of 463 at a 65 percent clip. Possessing a powerful frame and clamp, Cavise is quick to the whistle and, for the most part, makes appropriate decisions, though he could stand to work on limiting his turnovers. When he's won the ball to himself, he's done a nice job of not forcing shots like so many young face-off specialists do, staying self-aware and dumping the ball off to his high-powered offense. Though he may not have the kind of elite athleticism that coaches tend to covet, there are a lot of intriguing qualities to work with, and his numbers don't lie.     The more I watched Holda this fall on a loaded Leading Edge offense, the more I appreciated everything he brings to the table. He's rock-solid in every sense—smart, poised, and consistently making the right decisions while playing within himself. His ambidexterity is one of his greatest strengths, allowing him to shoot effectively with either hand and keep defenses guessing. Combined with his high-level footwork, it makes him exceptionally dangerous coming out of a rollback. What he does without the ball also stands out, and due to the amount of talent he's surrounded with on his club team, his off-ball work allows him to find scoring opportunities with regularity. His shot on the run is especially advanced for his age and is just one of several traits that should make him an attractive prospect for recruiters this summer.     Another piece of the puzzle for an outstanding Leading Edge squad, Paltos plays with an ever-present edge and has a particularly well-rounded skill set. He can mix it up between the lines and show off his athleticism and grit, with his effort never in question, holding up well on defense and picking up hard-nosed groundballs. With the ball in his stick, Paltos can break down his man up top and win matchups, often utilizing an exceptional split dodge or a hard right-to-right with a hesi. He's excellent at drawing the attention of opposing defenses, then finding the open man. As a sophomore, he posted a modest stat line of 11 goals and four assists, missing the last few weeks due to injury. While I'm unsure of his status this summer, his versatile skill set is sure to attract attention. With Seton Hall Prep graduating a plethora of seniors on offense, I'd imagine that Paltos is due for a breakthrough year as a junior.     Showing plenty of flashes this fall, Finkelstein was still shaking off a bit of rust, having put together an impressive First Team All-League football season as a defensive back, an accolade that came as no surprise given how well he moves laterally. This spring, the explosive lefty popped off for 34 goals and 12 assists while showing off his dynamic offensive ability. His sophomore highlights show him scoring via backhanders when inverting from X, shots from the wing, goals in the two-man game, and more. When initiating offense, he's able to accelerate into that extra gear, and his strong lower body lends itself well to hitting jumpers at a high rate. In addition, he has clearly improved his ability to make plays with his right hand. Incredibly energetic and competitive, I've liked what I've seen out of him when he gets caught on defense. I'm intrigued to see the level of confidence that he plays with this summer, given how much success he had this past season.     Although I wasn't able to get as great a feel for Childs' game this fall (which, as noted above, was more of a reflection of his club team's depth), I was impressed with his production this spring. Surrounded by some highly talented seniors, Childs carved out a nice role by finding seams and working hard off-ball, putting up 19 goals and 19 assists, a stat line that included 14 points in his final five games of the year. He was incredibly efficient off the catch, as he's a rather talented shooter with his feet set, while increasingly finding confidence in his shot on the run. As he started to win more and more matchups, he hit his stride later in the season, showing off his range and wrist speed, scoring with just a little flick. Similar to the other middies mentioned in this writeup, he's someone who could very well pop off for a big junior year after the Panthers' graduation losses.

With New Jersey lacrosse winding down in the days to come and the summer circuit heating up shortly, we continue our trek around the Garden State with new evaluations on 2028 middies (and one face-off specialist) who we have yet to cover.