Pennsylvania Public School Teams To Watch This Fall

Below is a preview of three public school teams in Pennsylvania that I will be watching closely during upcoming fall ball action.   Manheim Township   Last spring MTposted an epic season as theywon 22 games, captured the 2026 District 3-3A title and advanced the PIAA 3A state tournament semifinals. MT's encore performance starts this fall, and it appears the 2026-27 squad has the horses for another extremely successful year.   On offense, the Blue Streaks will rely heavily on junior attackman [player_tooltip player_id='142308' first='Chase' last='Fletcher']. During his incredible sophomore campaign, Fletcher recorded 61 goals, 25 assists, and 50 ground balls. Those astonishing stats earned Fletcher 1st Team All-Lancaster-Lebanon League honors. Running with Fletcher on offense will be seniors Cooper Moritzen and Jackson Milne. Moritzen is a downhill style of midfielder who can run through contact and then score or distribute at full speed. Milne is a shifty attackman with an explosive first step and filthy shooting skills. Additionally, we are expecting a breakout year from sophomore attack / midfield prospect [player_tooltip player_id='201101' first='Keegan' last='Nephin'].            Manheim Township's defense will be anchored by a pair of two-way prospects. Recent Cornell commit [player_tooltip player_id='213031' first='Nate' last='Fletcher'] is a menacing on-ball short stick who can swiftly turn defensive stops into transition scoring chances. Senior pole [player_tooltip player_id='178058' first='Calvin' last='Richardson'] (Mount St. Mary's) is a suffocating defensive presence at both LSM and close. Richardson's speed and ground ball skills make him an incredible scoop and go threat.     With his fast hands and explosive speed, junior face off specialist Trey Landis will keep MT playing downhill all year. After the 2026 season, Landis was a 1st Team All-Lancaster-Lebanon League selection.   Ridley   In 2026, the resurgent Ridley program won 20 games, finished third in the District 1 tournament and advanced to the 2nd round of the PIAA 3A state tournament where they lost to eventual state champion La Salle. With the core of that extremely successful team returning for the 2026-27 academic year, Ridley appears primed to build on their success from last spring.   Exceptionally talented attackman [player_tooltip player_id='176146' first='Brody' last='Bair'] and versatile offensive weapon [player_tooltip player_id='214172' first='Jacob' last='Busza'] will take turns quarterbacking Ridley's offense. During the 2026 season, Bair (1st Team All-Central League) used his elusive moves and filthy stick skills to torch opposing defense for 64 goals and 50 assists. Last spring, Busza (Hofstra commit) operated at midfield as well as attack. From both spots Busza used his explosive first step to generate offense for himself and teammates. Opposing defenses will also want to pay close attention to senior attackman [player_tooltip player_id='172738' first='Jacob' last='Keller'] and 2028 midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='165323' first='Jason' last='Rubincam']. During his junior campaign, Keller found the back of the net 63 times. Meanwhile, Rubincan poured in 55 goals for Ridley last season.     Close defender's Kevin Farley (1st Team All-Central League), [player_tooltip player_id='175100' first='Cade' last='Showalter'] (Muhlenberg commit) and [player_tooltip player_id='174394' first='Nicholas' last='Wood'] will headline a stingy Ridley defense. All three of these athletic and talented poles are over six-feet tall and play with a physical edge. Fleet footed and versatile defensive prospect [player_tooltip player_id='171751' first='Allen' last='Brydges'] will again have a key role for Ridley. Brydges can play both SSDM and LSM at a high level, so he gives the Ridley coaching staff tremendous positional flexibility on defense. In between the pipes, Ridley returns goalie [player_tooltip player_id='175888' first='Aidan' last='Evans'] who is an agile brick wall.   State College   State College in coming off a fantastic 2026 season in which they won 19 games and reached the Mid-Penn Conference Championship game as well as the quarterfinals of the PIAA 3A state tournament. The bulk of last season's roster returns for 2026-27, so expectations are high in Happy Valley.   The major reason for the optimism surrounding the Little Lions is the return of senior, all-everything attackman [player_tooltip player_id='177927' first='Trey' last='Combs']. This electric offensive prospect led the state of Pennsylvania is scoring last season with 166 points (108 G & 58 A). With his trifecta of speed, shake and next level stick skills, Combs is impossible to stop 1v1. Combs is committed to D3 powerhouse Gettysburg College. Providing additional scoring punch for SC will be the “Ladrido Twins.” Luke Ladrido is a shifty offensive prospect who lit the lamp for 70 goals last season. Meanwhile Charlie Ladrido is a speedy and skilled, point guard style of midfielder who recorded 41 goals and 34 dimes last season. College coaches will also want to keep an eye on stock rising 2028 midfield prospect [player_tooltip player_id='179232' first='Angus' last='Kimble'].   At the other end of the field, SC's defense will be led by senior LSM Matt Noel. This two-way pole is a ball hawk who excels at vacuuming up GBs and turning them into high percentage, fast break scoring chances. After the 2026 season, Noel was a 1st Team All-Mid Penn selection. Another 1st Team All-Mid Penn selection who returns on defense for SC is close defender Isaac Barone. This junior is a tenacious on-ball presence who uses his deep bag of stick checks blended with a healthy dose of physicality to cause turnovers. Working on the back end with Noel and Barone will be Nial Sefchick. This junior is an athletic and high IQ defender with unlimited upside.          The secret weapon for State College is dominating face off specialist Grant Baron. With his quick reaction times and polished technique, Baron is a master at executing clean pick-n-pops that trigger transition scoring opportunities. Baron won 65% of his draws last season and has amassed over 200 career wins at the dot.

Below is a preview of three public school teams in Pennsylvania that I will be watching closely during upcoming fall ball action.