Nevada Playoffs: Semifinal Stars on Offense

The Nevada Playoffs have started, and I was able to watch a couple of the semifinal games. I attended the Faith Lutheran vs Cougars lacrosse game on Tuesday night, which turned into an absolute barn-burner. It was a back-and-forth contest throughout, with both teams fighting tenaciously for the win. There were more than a few offensive standouts from that game, as the final score was Faith Lutheran 16, Cougars 15, in one of the more thrilling games of the year that went down to the wire. [player_tooltip player_id='174962' first='Joey' last='Marmor'] (2028) came up in the clutch, though, and scored with just over a minute left to help the Crusaders advance. Meanwhile I caught the Truckee North Tahoe vs Spanish Springs matchup on High Sierra Lacrosse's YouTube Channel, and it was also very close. Although it wasn't quite as high-scoring a contest, it was still a battle, and both teams left it all out there. [player_tooltip player_id='176988' first='Ethan' last='Berry'] (2028) took matters into his own hands at the end and scored to help Spanish Springs advance 7-6. Below are 12 offensive prospects that truly stood out, with defensive standouts set to be included in a separate article.    [player_tooltip player_id='176691' first='Finn' last='Reber'] lit it up on Tuesday night for the Crusaders. The freshman was incredibly locked in and hunted shots all game long. I was a big fan of how he made swift off-ball cuts, and he capitalized as well, scoring four significant goals. He also made an impressive scoop pass at midfield, which sparked a transition goal for Faith. It was a high-IQ and skillful play, and was easily one of the top highlights of the evening. Look for him to be flying around in the LVLA Final against Palo Verde.     [player_tooltip player_id='125067' first='Tyson' last='Vickers'] stepped up and scored some big-time goals in the LVLA Semifinal. He is a tough player to slow down once he picks up steam, and his shots can hit the back of the net before the goalie even sees them coming. He buried a couple of shots from the wing for his first goal, then followed it up with back-to-back goals in the third quarter that gave the Cougars real momentum, with the second of the two tying the game up. Although the Cougars will not be advancing, Vickers put together a very productive and entertaining high school career.     [player_tooltip player_id='127435' first='Andrew' last='Viloria'] made an impact early on, scoring back-to-back goals to help the Cougars keep pace with the Crusaders. His second goal was essentially a perfect snipe that went top right. Viloria then made it a hat trick when he once again found the right corner. All in all, he competed with intensity, did a great job of contributing, and showed out in his final high school game.     [player_tooltip player_id='176690' first='Jason' last='Koa Hernandez'] was another pivotal player who filled up the stat sheet in the semifinal. He scored the Cougars' first goal by utilizing his burst to wrap around the cage from X. He then scored again after quickly snagging a loose GB and tossing it in. Next, he dished out a quality assist to Viloria. He then tallied his fifth point of the game in the fourth quarter when he cranked a shot from up top, giving the Cougars the lead at the time. It was a dynamic and impressive performance from the Utah Tech commit.     2027 middie [player_tooltip player_id='176484' first='Henry' last='Pack'] delivered two significant goals against the Crusaders. He executed a slick hitch dodge that allowed him to create separation and score his first goal of the contest. He then slipped another shot by the goalie when he dodged hard from X in the fourth quarter.     [player_tooltip player_id='176689' first='Weston' last='Schultz'] started off the game as a facilitator for Faith Lutheran. He found [player_tooltip player_id='174962' first='Joey' last='Marmor'] on a cut during a man-up play. He then put one past the goalie on the crease when the Crusaders had a fast-break opportunity. In the second half, he had a smooth split dodge that helped him get inside his defender before putting it away in the bottom-left corner. Expect him to be a threat in the LVLA Final.     2028 attackman [player_tooltip player_id='174962' first='Joey' last='Marmor'] had himself a night against the Cougars. He was a part of their first three points on the board, notching two goals and an assist. He then dished out a second assist after catching a shot behind the goal and hitting [player_tooltip player_id='176691' first='Finn' last='Reber'], who was in front of the cage. Next, Marmor got the rock with minimal time remaining in the third quarter and dropped in a goal near the doorstep with one second remaining. To cap it all off, he made a hard dodge from X with 1:11 left, scoring what turned out to be the game-winning goal.     [player_tooltip player_id='176987' first='Kymani' last='Blas-Barlow'] got going in the first half, connecting on two of his shot attempts. He leveraged his speed and got downhill on a dodge that began outside the box for his first goal. Blas-Barlow struck again before the end of the first half. Getting to the middle of the field and releasing a bit of a twister-like shot, which the goalie had a tough time anticipating.     [player_tooltip player_id='176988' first='Ethan' last='Berry'] burned defenders when dodging and had a few impressive shots on the run. His riding efforts also paid dividends. He read the goalie a couple of times and made plays on the ball, similar to a DB seeking out an interception, including the game-deciding goal, where he promptly got into shooting space after picking off the pass. It was a great all-around performance from the sophomore attackman.     [player_tooltip player_id='176992' first='Sam' last='Kuntz'] had two points for Truckee North Tahoe in their narrow loss. He used his field vision to find a teammate in front of the goal, while also ripping a deceptive bouncer that stung the back of the net. They were head-turning plays, and he is now off to Springfield College to continue his lacrosse career.     Concordia commit [player_tooltip player_id='176994' first='Kanden' last='Brown'] made his presence felt on the offensive end, scoring a pair of goals for the SS Cougars. He had the first goal of the game and shot it around a Truckee North Tahoe defender. He then got his second goal by shooting it over the goalie near the crease.     [player_tooltip player_id='176993' first='Seamus' last='Colburn'] unleashed a couple missiles from the wing for Truckee North Tahoe. His shot placement was on the money, and I liked how much power he displayed. It was evidence that he's more than ready to play at the next level at Concordia University. Look for him to keep developing into a dangerous shooter.

The Nevada Playoffs have started, and I was able to watch a couple of the semifinal games. I attended the Faith Lutheran vs Cougars lacrosse game on Tuesday night, which turned into an absolute barn-burner. It was a back-and-forth contest throughout, with both teams fighting tenaciously for the win. There were more than a few offensive standouts from that game, as the final score was Faith Lutheran 16, Cougars 15, in one of the more thrilling games of the year that went down to the wire.

Joey Marmor Joey Marmor 5'8" | 140 lbs | A/M | Right Hand Faith Lutheran | 2028 NV (2028) came up in the clutch, though, and scored with just over a minute left to help the Crusaders advance. Meanwhile I caught the Truckee North Tahoe vs Spanish Springs matchup on High Sierra Lacrosse's YouTube Channel, and it was also very close. Although it wasn't quite as high-scoring a contest, it was still a battle, and both teams left it all out there. Ethan Berry Ethan Berry 5'11" | A/M | Right Hand Spanish Springs | 2028 NV (2028) took matters into his own hands at the end and scored to help Spanish Springs advance 7-6. Below are 12 offensive prospects that truly stood out, with defensive standouts set to be included in a separate article.