Massachusetts ’28s: Top MIAA Juniors to Know

Massachusetts is home to one of the largest populations of high school lacrosse players on the planet, and while the private schools tend to get the most love, there's plenty of high-level talent throughout the public school ranks, too. Further south in Maryland, there's another “MIAA,” but for the purposes of talking New England lacrosse, as I've been known to do, these MIAA-ers play their lacrosse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.   Here are five you need to know a little more about in the class of '28, including one who announced his Division I commitment on Friday and another expected to do so this weekend.    A spinning, whirling, free-flowing dodger, MacPherson is actually really fun to watch. Everyone thinks that roll and spin dodges are overrated. But you watch MacPherson, and you think, "No. It's the children who are wrong." Regardless of where you stand on his flashiness, the man just knows how to score. Inside, outside, on the run - if you are defending him, you're going to get got; it's just a matter of time. The way he can turn casual fakes into full-on cinematic drives to the cage is why he is an MIAA gem.     If we're just talking about pure hustle as a skill, then Moerschel should be teaching players two or three classes above him how to flip the never-give-up-on-the-ball switch. He is one of the key players for the Wolverines heading into next spring. A member of Honey National, Moerschel has steadily improved through the last two seasons and is just starting to get the recognition his playstyle deserves. He is physical, can play multiple positions, and is always pushing forward. That sort of versatility is something that is going to get him noticed in the second or third wave of this class, but that's not always a bad thing.     Crawford is that lefty that every coach wants, and he officially came off the board when he announced his commitment to Fairfield this morning. Hard-charging and eager to get past the first man, he is a nightmare in transition and early offense. He has incredible shooting range, and he makes the most of it by using his acceleration and braking ability like a humanoid sports car. If you don't have a stick on him, he will let it fly from 15 yards out without even thinking about it. In fact, he is one of the players that SJP looked to over and over last season to get their offense going in its fallow periods.     Kosinski has strong two-way tendencies, but he's more than capable of contributing to the offense in a larger role. A lefty with creative flair, Kosinski paired so well with [player_tooltip player_id='166062' first='Mac' last='Crawford'] that teams had to pole both of them to try and zero out St. John's Prep's sweep package. Kosinski is a little more traditional than Crawford in that he can exploit the smallest amount of space afforded to him by even the best defenders. In the open field, he hits a different gear, often outrunning defenders with just his first three steps.     I think Rogers is less of a surprise on here than any of the other names, just because he is a proven on-field product. His ability to bull his way down the alley and uncork a shot destined to find a corner was a big part of why the Golden Eagles hoisted the MIAA trophy last June. It's tough to get a ton of shifts on his Laxachusetts squad, but Rogers' game is more predicated on his ability to pull defenders out and use his power to get downhill and hands-free. He can be the party-starter, but he can also be a catch-and-go guy who really opens up an aggressive defense.

Massachusetts is home to one of the largest populations of high school lacrosse players on the planet, and while the private schools tend to get the most love, there's plenty of high-level talent throughout the public school ranks, too. Further south in Maryland, there's another “MIAA,” but for the purposes of talking New England lacrosse, as I've been known to do, these MIAA-ers play their lacrosse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.