Early Position Groups to Watch in Kentucky: Offense

The tops of the mountains in eastern Kentucky are just beginning to show those bright fall colors and the rolling hills across the Bluegrass have yet to frost over with the winter's cold. But it is never too early to start looking ahead towards lacrosse season.   The spring 2025 season is a big one across the Commonwealth as it will be the first in which the sport is under the umbrella of Kentucky High School Athletic Association. And sanctioning could not be coming at a better time. The 2024 season maybe one of the most competitive across the state since the game arrived in the Bluegrass. Woodford County won the CLL title and thus became the first team not from Louisville of Lexington to win a championship. Newer programs such as Ryle in northern Kentucky and Fredrick Douglass in Lexington impressed greatly. And in the Louisville area, South Oldham was as competitive as ever against the state's biggest powers in Trinity and St. Xavier.   Looking ahead towards the spring, there is a lot of excitement across the Commonwealth. And as always, there is plenty to be on the lookout for from top teams, players, and more.   Beginning to take a look at the upcoming season, here is a breakdown of some of the more intriguing position groups to watch across the state on the offensive end of the field.   St. Xavier Attack   The St. Xavier Tigers had an uber productive attack line last season with Kaiden Sullivan, [player_tooltip player_id='31919' first='Davis' last='Mayer'], and David Powers combining for 169 points on the year. Second-year head coach Kevin Doherty will see each of those starters return for the 2025 season. Mayer and Powers are entering their senior seasons while Sullivan enters his junior season.    Sullivan tallied 87 points off 37 goals and 50 assists as a sophomore last spring for the Tigers. The 6-foot-1 attackman exuberates a certain level of confidence whenever he steps on the field. Especially strong playing at the X attack spot, Sullivan can create a lot of havoc for defenses from behind the cage as both a dodger and feeder. He is also solid off-ball, knowing how to get into those sweet spots for prime opportunities.     Mayer heads into his senior season after a junior campaign last spring where he netted 34 goals and tallied 18 assists for 52 points. An all-around playmaker at the attack spot, Mayer has shown the ability to make plays from anywhere on the field. He is especially good when operating from the wings and is a prime shooting threat.     Powers tallied 49 points off 32 goals and 17 assists last spring as part of that heralded St. Xavier attack line. He has shown to be especially good moving off-ball as he knows how to get himself prime looks on cage.    Trinity Midfield   The Trinity Shamrocks were led to a KSLL championship last spring with a heralded trio of attackmen leading the way for that offense. But where head coach Pete Schroder sees arguably the most proven talent return on offense ahead of the 2025 season is at the midfield spot. Fairfield commit [player_tooltip player_id='20799' first='Logan' last='Bryant'] returns for his senior season and is arguably the best at his position in the state.    The senior headed to Fairfield is perhaps the best midfielder in the Bluegrass State. A consistent and well-rounded playmaker, he put up 94 points off 54 goals and 40 assists while helping to lead Trinity to a KSLL title last spring. Where Bryant really shines is operating from up top as a dodger as he knows how to constantly beat his man and get his hands free for solid looks on cage.     One of two returning starting midfielders for the Shamrocks after last season, McQuillen is a very solid off-ball playmaker. Whether he is on the wings or cutting towards the cage, he knows how to get himself open for prime looks on cage.    The Bruin Trio   Ballard was a solid squad last season as they put together a 15-win season. Much of that squad returns from a year ago which includes the trio of [player_tooltip player_id='24851' first='Cooper' last='Risinger'], Max Leachman, and Bryce Green. Those three combined for 257 points and 163 goals last season, thus contributing a whopping 83% of Ballard's overall offensive production.    Helping to stop teams from scoring as a big piece of the Ballard football defense, the story is different for Risinger in the spring as he is the prime scoring option. Have good size and speed, the senior can make a difference at both the attack and midfield spots with his ability to get his hands free and get to the cage. He had 68 goals and 39 assists for 107 points this past spring.     A recent commit to Lincoln Memorial, Leachman is not biggest player on the field but he plays with a lot of hustle and toughness. He has a good amount of quickness and speed that helps him get around bigger defenders. He is coming off an 80-point junior campaign where he had 54 goals and 26 assists.     Green has a breakout junior season for Ballard last spring and helped to makeup that strong offensive core. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound attackman netted 41 goals and dished out 29 assists for 70 points on the year. He showed an ability to make plays from anywhere and showcased an especially good shooting stroke.

The tops of the mountains in eastern Kentucky are just beginning to show those bright fall colors and the rolling hills across the Bluegrass have yet to frost over with the winter's cold. But it is never too early to start looking ahead towards lacrosse season.