Prep Teams To Watch During Fall Ball

Below is a review of three prep / private school teams we will be keeping a close eye on during the upcoming fall season.   College coaches should lock in on these squads too.     Deerfield (Massachusetts)   This Deerfield team is loaded at the midfield position where their host of athletic two-way mids creates serious matchup issues for opponents. Class of 2027 prospects Jack Borg and Kellar Kelusky are a pair of downhill dodgers who can create for themselves or teammates on the run. Griffin Cepiel and Billy Weller provide Deerfield with two fast and elusive midfielders who can destroy defenses with their change of direction moves. Sharpshooter Mack Dance (2028) can unleash missiles from deep while on the run or via step-downs.   Leading the charge up-front will be Harvard commit Cooper Brozek. This gifted attack is a high IQ Canadian with filthy stick skills. Brozek is widely considered a Top 10 prospect in the Class of 2026.  College coaches will also want to keep an eye on sophomore attack Briggs Leary.   Of course, Deerfield's super talented offensive players cannot go to work unless the team has possession. That's where face off specialist Justin Scalzo comes in. Scalzo's ability to consistently win the clamp and dash into the offensive end allows Deerfield to play downhill all day.   Deerfield's defense will be anchored by 5-star close defender / LSM Leif Anderson and SSDM Remi Zeitlin (Princeton commit). Those two elite prospects provide a physical edge for Deerfield and create a slew of turnovers. Look for SSDM Marko Wuchenich (Colorado College) to be a menacing on-ball presence too. On the back end, standout lefty pole Danny Weller along with Duncan MacLeod and Jarron Crosbie form a shut down group of close defenders. Hamilton commit Cooper Lawson is the last line of defense between the pipes.   Perkiomen School (Pennsylvania)   In southeastern Pennsylvania there a handful of programs that we know are going to be a powerhouse each year. On the prep / private school side, Malvern Prep and Haverford School come to mind immediately. While Springfield (Delco) and Radnor annually rule the public-school sector. I am not ready to group Perkiomen School with those traditional Pennsylvania powers yet. But I do think they will be a sleeper team that will make noise in 2025-26.   The reason for my prediction is that over the summer, Perkiomen School added a wealth of talented transfers to bolster an already solid core of returners. Leading that list of incoming transfers is Syracuse commit Owen James (postgraduate). He is a beast of a pole who last year caused 86 turnovers for Heights School in Maryland and was named the Washington Post Metro POY. Fellow Maryland native Liam Finkel (Loyola Blakefield) is also taking a post graduate year at Perkiomen School. He is a 6'4”, 200-pound midfielder who can run past or through opposing players on his way to the goal.     A handful of transfers will also boost Perkiomen School's defense. Goalie Briggs Jamison (2028) is a rising star in the cage. Jamison (formerly of Sewickley Academy) owns fantastic size and quick hands. Plus, he is a poised and technically sound net minder. Athletic and speedy LSM Gavin Rossello is taking a post graduate year at Perkiomen School too. Last season Rossello was a 1st Team All-Central League selection at Garnet Valley. Rossello is committed to Towson. Former Hun School (NJ) standout George Ejiogu was a tremendous addition at SSDM.   Perkiomen School's key returners include 3-star prospect Easton Messina (2027) and Riley Gwinn (2026) at attack as well as midfielder Trent Tremblay. Last season Messina ripped home 50 goals thanks to his shifty dodges and creative finishing moves. Gwinn's field vision and stick skills made him a tremendous distributor. Tremblay (2028) is a 6'4” two-way midfielder with incredible upside. He is a natural lefty, but Tremblay can score with either hand on his dodges from up top.                   IMG Academy (Florida)   Earlier this week, Moe Sobel, the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2027 announced he had transferred to IMG Academy. Thus, including IMG in this article seemed like an easy decision. Sobel will now anchor a defense that in 2025-26will be capable of completely shutting down opponents. Long stick midfielder JP Maggio is 4-star prospect with elite 1on1 defensive skills. Maggio is committed to Army. Brandon Kirby-Lyons is another LSM on this roster who college coaches need to scout immediately. At close defense, IMG features a pair of DI prospects in Douglas Cooper (2026) and Winston Rock (2026). Cooper's polished footwork and defensive instincts allow him to shut down the opposing team's No. 1 option. Rock is a 6'3” pole with impressive range and speed. He can track a ball carrier on the perimeter for long stretches before creating at turnover.   IMG is stacked at midfield too. Ethan Gordon (Denver commit) is a native of Canada who can get downhill in a flash and then score or distribute with either hand. Francisco Williams is an extraordinarily athletic and skilled two-way mid with a high IQ. Williams is committed to Hofstra. Class of 2026 prospect Tommy Williams is a fleet footed midfielder with serious shake. Those assets enable Williams to excel in transition as well as 6v6 action. Giacomo Bollettieri is a talented midfield prospect headed for his breakout year.      IMG's offensive fire power at attack is off the charts. 5-star recruit George Caldroney (2027), Ohio State signee Ezekiel Terry and Mercer commit Brighton Bruce pace IMG's attack group. That versatile trio can cook defenders in 1v1 action, work the two-man game or use crafty off-ball movements to create easy opportunities in-close. All three prospects are accurate long-range snipers too.       Class of 2027 face-off specialist Zander Brasher is a 4-star prospect. His ability to consistently win face offs cleanly and then race down field provides for a transition opportunity gives IMG a huge advantage over their opponents. We expect Brasher to be extremely busy on September 1st.

Below is a review of three prep / private school teams we will be keeping a close eye on during the upcoming fall season.