Six ’28 West SSDMs Who Put the Straps On Defense

With the release of our <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/national/player-rankings/2028-west-region-rankings/">2028 West Regional Rankings</a>, one of the most important positions deserves some love. Let's take a look at six shortstick defensive midfielders who put the straps on D this summer—and earned their spots in the regional rankings.    The first play in his summer highlights—and the one that put Hill in the national spotlight—was his game-winner against Resolute in the NAL semifinals. He dodged downhill, swam a shortstick, then stepped into it with his left hand and finished to the bottom right corner. That play represents his game: an athlete and a gamer. On offense, he has the skills to do it all—dodge from anywhere, draw slides, and feed and shoot with both hands. That side of the ball is attractive, but it's his play on the defensive end that's getting him recruited to big-time schools. The athlete in him doesn't let others get by. He has great feet to stay with dodgers through changes of direction and the hard jams to knock them back. But the most attractive part of his game is his competitive fire. He makes plays all over the field that change outcomes—big-time clears, groundballs, goals; you name it, and he's probably done it in a big moment.     It was quite the challenge to both beat XLC's shorties and stop them in transition with the duo of Hawkes Packard and Ben Mount. Packard stole a ton of the spotlight as the top player from the West, but Mount deserves a ton of credit. Absolute straps on defense—everything you want in a short stick: great feet and a strong upper body to jam dodgers. Every once in a while, he'll give a little extra on his cross-checks to shatter a dodger's confidence. When it comes to natural movers—groundballs under pressure, one-man clears, splitting doubles—only a handful of players sit above Mount, and that's a national conversation not just in the West. When he turns on the jets and runs past riding defenders, his team likely gets a numbers advantage on the other side.     Wood strikes me as one of those dawgs who'll thrive at the next level. He's the type bigger schools may pass on, but he'll play with a chip on his shoulder at a mid-major. He was a little banged up this summer, which kept him from getting as much exposure. Wood looks locked in and determined not to let anyone past him, confronting dodgers one-on-one with early, hard contact. If you give him a target, he'll hit you—and may even pull out a crowbar if you're lazy enough. He's sharp off the ball, too: he puts himself in great help positions to collapse inside and jump on loose balls. As a former offensive middie with an OK stick like most shorties, his pure athleticism and IQ make him a threat as a one-man clear and in transition.     Miles Johnson is an absolute athlete—one who'll stay in front of dodgers no matter what they do. He might have some of the quickest feet in the '28 region. I'd like to see him be more physical, but you can't teach being a constant shadow. Beyond his 1v1 defense, I saw his athleticism really pop this summer when the ball hit the ground and when it was in his stick. He's so quick to scoop groundballs, and on the clear he looks like Devin Hester returning punts. His straight-line speed is legit—easily beating riding attackmen to space—and he has the spatial awareness to juke them out. His stick could use some work, but when you get an athlete like Johnson to campus, you find a way to get him on the field.     I'd describe Christensen as solid in every way. He has a ton of IQ, plays his angles right, and knows when to make plays. His athleticism won't immediately pop like some of the short sticks from the West, but college coaches need guys who won't get beat easily. Starting with his fundamental approach, he knows how to dictate angles and take away dangerous spots of the field. When ball carriers get to those dangerous areas, I love his ability to knock them off their path and close out by lifting elbows and slapping gloves. Getting it done off the ground and with a great stick in transition, there's not a lot more to look for in an SSDM.     Villegas will fit right in with a program that wants a consistent competitor and likes to run and gun. He immediately stood out to me at Naptown for his work near GLE. He has good length and reach to legally and rapidly hold lefties near the goal line with a great wrap check/reverse V-hold. In other parts of the field, he plays in a low, athletic stance with great feet and the physicality to take away the middle. One of the first to jump on groundballs, he's up and out in a flash. He's probably capable of playing on offense, too—his stick is great, he draws well, and he moves well in settled offense.

With the release of our 2028 West Regional Rankings, one of the most important positions deserves some love. Let's take a look at six shortstick defensive midfielders who put the straps on D this summer—and earned their spots in the regional rankings.