NJSIAA State Playoff Quarterfinals: Dominant Performances, Part 2

Following <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/njsiaa-state-playoff-quarterfinals-dominant-performances/" id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/njsiaa-state-playoff-quarterfinals-dominant-performances/">Part 1</a> of my standout players from the NJSIAA Quarterfinal Round in the Garden State, here's a slew of additional eye-popping performances that fueled their team's energy.    McCaffery played a huge role in how Allentown was able to hold the lead late in their 7-6 quarterfinal win vs Wall in the South Jersey Group 2 bracket, where he went 16 of 17 on draws at 94% and added in 4 goals to help the offense. Allentown holds a 14-7 record, securing the 5th seed in their bracket, and McCaffery's production from the X and offensively has been a big help for the Redbirds all year long. The Virginia commit leads his team in every offensive category, notching career-highs in goals, assists, points, and face-off wins at a whopping 91% this spring, which is among the highest across the state. As a player who can help a team dominate possession time and impact the game tremendously for the offense, he is truly invaluable for his squad.     Grainger put on a show for Summit in its 16-3 quarterfinal win vs. Morris Knolls, posting a hat trick and six assists, making it his third 9-point game this spring and tying his career high. The Washington & Lee commit leads his team in every offensive statistic, while also helping the Hilltoppers to a 17-1 record, regarded as one of the best public schools in the country this season, and earning the top seed in the North Jersey Group 3 bracket. Grainger does an exceptional job facilitating for Summit and dodges hard with his head up, to find open cutters or has the strength to edge his way to the middle for an open look. If the Hilltoppers make another run this spring, Grainger will play a big role.     Reese helps the Minutemen in more ways than one, with great skill from the X and in the open field, displaying good decision-making and awareness with the ball. Washington Township holds the 3rd seed in the South Jersey Group 4 bracket, where they just knocked off Manalapan, 16-3. In the commanding win, the RPI commit tallied 15 face-off wins at a 83% clip, connected on four goals, while also dishing out an assist. He has quick hands at the whistle, able to flick it to himself or his wings with ease, and is very confident with the ball. He has notched career-highs in goals, assists, points, and face-off wins, winning them at an 80% win-rate, and he'll want to finish out his high school career strong as they take on Kingsway next.     Merklinger has been one of the best players for the Pirates this season in his first year playing meaningful varsity minutes, leading his team in goals (40), assists (31), and points (71) and helping them land the top seed in their bracket with a 13-7 record. In Seton Hall Prep's 16-3 win vs. Notre Dame in the Non-Public quarterfinals, the Georgetown commit led the way with a pair of goals and five assists (tied for career-high in assists) and did a great job of playing unselfishly and efficiently. Being that he draws so much attention as one of the top options for the SHP offense, he uses that to his advantage to create for others. The Pirates will want to see his production stay high as they head into the semifinals vs. St. Augustine.     Inzerillo is a tough and gritty FOGO that can grind out battles at the X or ground ball scrums, putting up a good battle at every turn. In Ridgewood's 17-0 shutout of Parsippany in the North Jersey Group 4 quarterfinal, he did not lose a single draw, going 13 of 13 and playing make it, take it all day long. The NJ Riot product has won 180 face-offs thus far at 62% and has also connected on two goals to help his offense. In his first season of varsity experience, he has put up a good fight against a ton of great talent in the Garden State and has held his own, so it will be fun to watch how he finishes this playoff run, along with his development down the road.     Fodor has been as consistent as they come this year, leading his team in assists (47) and points (90). He continued his strong junior campaign in the Green Wave's 14-1 beatdown of Pingry, where Fodor led all scorers with four goals and three assists. The Johns Hopkins commit has been a big piece of Delbarton's success once again this season, helping them to an 18-6 record and securing the 2nd seed in the Non-Public bracket. He uses his dodging ability to create space for himself and to open up opportunities for his teammates. With his ability to do damage with either hand, Fodor is a tough matchup to keep pace with. While he can facilitate with his dodging, he is also a great shooter, either on the run or with time and room, which will be key down the stretch.     Wong had an outstanding sophomore campaign for the Irish, posting 145 saves and assisting them to a 16-4 season that landed them as the 8th seed in the Non-Public bracket. Notre Dame did fall to top-seeded Seton Hall Prep in the quarterfinals, but Wong had a huge impact between the pipes, making a career-high 18 saves and facing an offense of Division 1 talent for the Pirates. He fought until the last whistle and gained a lot of valuable experience this spring. Wong challenges shooters at every turn with good footwork and quick hands to negate offensive chances and shift the momentum. The Blue Star product is a leader for his defensive unit, and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the offseason to avenge this loss.     Cannon is a handful to deal with for any defense with his size, skill and agility and he put all three on full display in Holmdel's 12-7 quarterfinal win against Montville, where he recorded a hat trick and seven assists, posting career-highs in assists and points in a single game. The Dartmouth football commit uses his background as a QB when surveying the defense for open teammates and stays aggressive on dodges with his lower body strength and footwork to methodically work his way into a good shooting angle. Cannon is currently leading the Hornets in assists (63) and 2nd in points (86), generating a lot of offense with a quick and powerful shot, while also mixing up his shot locations to be less predictable.     Palmer has been a steady presence at the X for the Spartans and has played a large role in their 14-5 season, securing the 2nd seed in the North Jersey Group 2 bracket. In their quarterfinals matchup against Mendham, Palmer went 16 of 19 from the X at 84% in the 10-6 win. He was able to control the pace of the game and possession time for Sparta, not allowing his opponents to gain any momentum or mount a comeback. He's smart with the ball and calm under pressure with good stick skills and awareness with the ball. Palmer currently sits at 202 face-off wins at a 57% win percentage and has also tallied a goal and an assist on the season.     Grosso has put up huge numbers for the Cougars, helping them navigate through the North Jersey Group 3 bracket with ease. He's put up five goals and an assist in the quarterfinals and semifinals as the Cougars continue to fight for their first state sectional title since 2023. The Quinnipiac commit does a great job of putting himself in effective spots on the field to generate high-percentage looks and stays active off-ball, making hard cuts to get free. Grosso has been a steady force for Chatham with 24 goals and 13 assists on the year in a loaded offense with a lot of firepower, but with Boyd, Gibney, and Lagunowich garnering a lot of attention, Grosso has been crafty in his approach and continues to find the back of the net.     Filler is an exciting young prospect to watch with his skill from the X coupled with a ferocious intensity and knack for the rock on ground balls. In the Raiders' 16-6 quarterfinal win vs. Northern Highlands, Filler controlled the X all game long, winning 16 of the 19 draws at an 84% clip and adding a goal as well. For the season, he is currently at 72% on face-offs, winning a total of 295 and putting up great fights against stiff competition and performing at a high level as only a sophomore. Filler is undoubtedly a huge reason why Scotch Plains-Fanwood (18-3) has been talked about as a top 5 team in NJ all year long, and if Filler can stay consistent from the X, the Raiders have a good chance to make big waves in a loaded North Jersey Group 3 bracket.     Lydon is the leader offensively for the Bulldogs with 52 goals and 48 assists on the year, notching career-highs in assists and points and helping his team to an 18-7 record and the top seed in the South Jersey Group 1 bracket. In their 20-9 win vs. Johnson, Lydon tied his career-high in points with his 5 goal, 4 assist quarterfinal performance, showing his versatility to impact a game as either a scorer or facilitator. The BU commit has a quick first step out of his dodge and uses his speed to create space and kickstart the offense. When shooting, he changes planes with a powerful and well-placed shot and can produce on the run or with his feet set.     Gouse is the unquestioned playmaker for the Wolfpack with an incredible ability to win draws clean and be a massive threat with the ball on the break. He has helped West Morris Central reach an 18-3 record, securing the top seed in the North Jersey Group 2 bracket, where they handled business against Warren Hills in the quarterfinals, 14-7. In that matchup, Gouse won 20 face-offs, losing only one draw and adding 5 goals and a pair of assists to ignite the offense. The Maryland commit is a big body to defend, using his strong lower-half to explode forward out of the clamp and burn opponents in transition. He currently sits at 84% on the season from the X and also plays first-line midfield for the Wolfpack, leading his team in every offensive category and achieving career-highs in goals, assists, points and draw wins.

Following Part 1 of my standout players from the NJSIAA Quarterfinal Round in the Garden State, here's a slew of additional eye-popping performances that fueled their team's energy.