Standouts, Takeaways from Boys’ Latin’s 12-4 Win Over St. John’s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a season-opening Baltimore vs. DC showdown, host Boys' Latin put together a balanced performance and had six players record two or more points en route to a dominant 12-4 win over St. John's, turning the tide after falling to the Cadets to open each of the last two seasons. <br><br>Despite St. John's getting on the board first, the Lakers controlled the game from start to finish and dominated possession time by winning 13-of-19 at the face-off dot in an effort led by Carolina-bound [player_tooltip player_id='14833' first='Parker' last='Hoffman'], who went up against a longpole more often than not and even chipped in a goal. With the Cadets playing without top-ranked recruit [player_tooltip player_id='14805' first='Ryan' last='Duenkel'], who is likely to miss the entire season, the offense never hit its stride, struggled with spacing, and was stymied by a buttoned-up BL defense that held the Cadets scoreless for more than 25 minutes between the first and third quarters.<br><br>Marking the start of Prep Lacrosse's in-season coverage, here's a look at three standouts on each team:<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["14526"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"An argument could be made that Higgins was the best player on the field, and his impact went far beyond his two-goal, two-assist stat line. After watching the film again later in the week, I counted at least four would-be assist opportunities in the first half alone that his teammates weren't able to convert, including a handful of beautiful skip passes. Taking a significant step forward as a leader for the Lakers' offense, Higgins was always willing to attack his matchup off the dodge or sling the ball around to his teammates with poise, doing so from a plethora of different spots on the field. Quick off the dodge and able to soak contact and double teams, he had the ball in his stick far more than he did a year ago and looked rather comfortable at X. If Tuesday served as any indication, the Northern California native will be a handful for MIAA defenses this spring.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["14851"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"With a skill set that is comparable to that of Maryland's Jack Koras, I love the way this kid plays. On Tuesday, Draley was essentially the only member of the SJC offense who was able to get anything going. Less than three minutes in, he gave the Cadets their only lead of the game when he unleashed a shot offside hip on EMO. His balls-to-the-wall mentality, overhand shooting stroke, and explosiveness continued. His prowess wasn't just evident in the offensive zone, and at one point, he stripped a clearing d-middie at the midline and was generally a presence from whistle to whistle. The future Terp made one of the better plays of the day just seconds after the Lakers killed the Cadets' 6-on-3 extra-man opportunity in debilitating fashion, Draley paid no attention to the BL sideline celebrating loudly and blew by an LSM before uncorking another hammer into the top left corner.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["14934"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Returning to form after dealing with nagging injuries a year ago, Weller was a bright spot for St. John's and a crucial veteran presence for a team that needs exactly that. A natural LSM, the Michigan signee bumped down to close and did a phenomenal job against top-five recruit [player_tooltip player_id='14809' first='Spencer' last='Ford'], whose only goal came on a defensive breakdown when Ford got free against a shorty in front of the cage for a quick finish. Weller played superb position and prevented Ford from doing damage up the hash, where he's known to do damage in the post-up game. During the second quarter, Weller went cross-handed against him on a sweep, threw a simple poke check to de-stick him, scooped the ball up, and walked the dog upfield in transition.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["14825"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Finishing with 22 goals and seven assists a year ago, White was a bonafide menace for the Lakers last spring and jumped out to a stellar start to his senior year by posting a hat trick in this week's win over SJC. With his off-the-charts athleticism and one of the quickest first steps around, he makes it insanely difficult for opposing poles to keep up with and is always a threat to blow down the alley or a sweep across the top. White's competitive edge is always on display - he shoots angry and has a downright nasty three-quarter release. Bound for Ohio State, White empties the tank in all aspects of the game and is such a presence from sideline to sideline. He deflected a shot to create a BL possession and was an absolute bulldog on the ride and in the middle of the field with his tenacious wrap checks.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["18836"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Unflappable amidst the Lakers' onslaught, you'd never know that this was Inzer's first career start. If not for his ability to routinely stop high-quality shots, this game likely would have been decided by 12-plus goals. There's no doubt that he was frequently put in a tough position with the young Cadets' defensive lapses, but he bailed them out far more than the score would indicate and constantly shut the door on the Lakers' low offerings. He's got highly impressive footwork and is super patient and disciplined in cage, holding his ground and never biting on fakes. I had him down for 12 saves and five in the second quarter alone.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["15199"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"What a steal for Jacksonville. Rangy and physical at 6'2 and 195 pounds, Meredith checks so many boxes and looks every bit of a defender capable of shutting down opponents' No. 1 attackmen and disrupting momentum with his aggressive and well-timed slides. Never out of position, he's incredibly intelligent and pairs his savvy defensive principles with strong footwork and approaches. He plays under control and doesn't necessarily need to throw checks to be successful, though he had a beautiful caused turnover in the first half, a play that jumped off the page along with a really impressive clean and contested GB in front of the cage.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65ea2c9485252"} /-->