Fall Preview: Garden State's Public '29s Worth Noting

Following my breakdown on multiple promising <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/10/fall-preview-new-jersey-non-public-29s-to-keep-tabs-on/">2029 prospects from the Non-Public sector of New Jersey</a>, let's now shift focus to the public side of things with another seven sophomores including Rumson-Fair Haven's [player_tooltip player_id='216610' first='Chris' last='Paik'] and Haddonfield's [player_tooltip player_id='172632' first='Owen' last='Chiarieri'], looking to get their names circulating in recruiting circles this fall, among others.   This piece will examine some of the most interesting prospects in this 2029 class, looking to establish themselves as top names to know in this class consisting of players like Ridgewood's [player_tooltip player_id='165780' first='Jax' last='Monte'] and Shawnee's [player_tooltip player_id='166088' first='Mason' last='McGovern'], who have both made a profound impact on their respective teams last spring as freshman and both of which have been covered previously.    McLaughlin is a shifty and speedy threat for the opposition with his ability to beat his matchup with either hand and finish with precision. With a wide variety of dodges in his arsenal, the Shamrocks product showcases his speed out of his break to draw a slide and get the defense moving. Another aspect of his game that jumps out is his vision and awareness with and without the ball. He dodges with his head up, surveying the field, and without the ball, he times his cuts well and stays active on the crease as a viable option. With his feet set, McLaughlin can snipe corners and does so by mixing in stick fakes and changing planes to challenge the goaltender. As a freshman, the Bridgeport (N.J.) native totaled 17 points, and with minimal graduating playmakers, he will have to compete once again for playing time on a roster filled with young talent for Kingsway.     With great shooting skills along with his size, Hughes plays with a confidence that is exciting to watch. The Leading Edge product has a smooth release on his shot with a lot of power behind it, mixing up shot locations and stick angles. He is a methodical dodger and plays with his head up, looking for open cutters, but can also beat his man clean with his speed to find space. While a natural righty, he can create with either hand and doesn't mind going through the teeth of the defense to find success. In his first year of varsity action, he led the Quakers with 36 goals and 21 assists and was a big reason why they got to the sectional final last spring. His continued development will be fun to watch for the next few years at Moorestown.     Witz is an exciting prospect in the sense that he has the versatility to produce at the face-off X and on the offensive end. While he may not be clearing out his teammates for an alley to dodge down, the Mad Dog product makes himself more than available as a crease option with his extended playing time on the offensive end. He utilizes good off-ball cuts, solid stick skills, and quick hands in traffic to be effective. At the X, he has a quick twitch on the whistle that helps him secure the clamp, and from there he has the skill to go anywhere he wants with the ball. In his first varsity action this spring, he posted a 51% win rate on 105 attempts, while adding three goals and an assist offensively. With Colin Byam off to college, Witz should be able to win the lead role at the X and improve upon his freshman campaign.     Chiarieri is a hardworking lefty who plays fast and uses his high lacrosse IQ to put himself in good positions to affect the game. He stays active without the ball by timing up his cuts and possessing an aggressive and willing mindset to stick his nose into the ground ball scrums. In his freshman season with Haddonfield, the Leading Edge product finished second on his team in goals (48) and points (74) while showcasing the ability to do damage from range or in tight with a quick release and accurate shot to beat opposing goaltenders. When defending at the midfield position, his footwork is sharp and does a good job of matching feet with his speed to stay in front of his matchup. He'll be a fun recruit to continue to watch develop and grow in the next few years.     Damji is a gritty and fearless playmaker at the midfield position, with his effort seemingly always on full display. As a two-way threat, the Mad Dog product works hard on defense, and whether he is an outlet for his goalie or picking up a loose ball, he showcases his breakaway speed in the open field to get the fast break started and doesn't mind taking a hit through the middle for a high-percentage look. While he is right-hand dominant, his versatility to finish with his off-hand is an added wrinkle to his game that makes him tough to defend. Out of his dodge, Damji can burn his matchup down the alley and use different release angles and shot locations to keep the goalies guessing. With many returning playmakers for the Blue Devils, it will be an uphill battle for playing time, but his defensive skill could help him find a role and expand on it throughout the season.     With Scotch Plains-Fanwood producing dominant defensive figures recently in the form of graduated All-American <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/caleb-mcdowell/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/player/caleb-mcdowell/">Caleb McDowell</a> (Yale) and 5-star junior Noah Brown (Maryland), McNulty may very well be on his way to earning a spot on that list. He possesses great size, speed, and strength, with the ability to play close D or LSM and be effective at either position interchangeably. The Leading Edge product can press out on his matchup with precise checks and quick feet but doesn't get himself out of position much with good makeup speed and communication. When he is able to jar the ball loose, he showcases good awareness to get the ball upfield and push in transition for an unsettled chance. As a freshman, he finished with a goal and four assists, while scooping more than 30 ground balls and winning possessions for his offense.     Possessing good size and shooting ability, Paik is a promising prospect who has already had a large impact at the varsity level, finishing top five for the Bulldogs in goals (24) and total points (36). Having the confidence to do damage with the stick in either hand, the Mad Dog product can let it fly from almost anywhere and should continue to be an issue for opposing defenses to handle. Paik has a methodical dodging approach by using his large frame to body his matchup and a quick first step out of his break to create space and find shooting lanes. Off-ball, he finds soft spots in the defense and utilizes smart and well-timed cuts to manufacture offense. With a good amount of offensive production having graduated, Paik could see a larger role for himself in Rumson-Fair Haven's high-powered offense, and it will be fun to see his growth over the next few years at the high school level.

Following my breakdown on multiple promising 2029 prospects from the Non-Public sector of New Jersey, let's now shift focus to the public side of things with another seven sophomores including Rumson-Fair Haven's Chris Paik Chris Paik M Rumson-Fair Haven | 2029 NJ and Haddonfield's Owen Chiarieri Owen Chiarieri 5'10" | 165 lbs | M/A | Left Hand Haddonfield | 2029 NJ , looking to get their names circulating in recruiting circles this fall, among others.

This piece will examine some of the most interesting prospects in this 2029 class, looking to establish themselves as top names to know in this class consisting of players like Ridgewood's Jax Monte Jax Monte A Ridgewood | 2029 NJ and Shawnee's Mason McGovern Mason McGovern 6'1" | 160 lbs | M | Right Hand Shawnee | 2029 NJ , who have both made a profound impact on their respective teams last spring as freshman and both of which have been covered previously.

Wyatt McLaughlin

HEIGHT 5'7"

WEIGHT 150

POS A/M

CLASS 2029

View Player

Wyatt McLaughlin

State: New Jersey

School: Kingsway

Club: Shamrocks

Subscribe to read

Is this you, Wyatt? Unlock your evaluation to everyone by subscribing

Highlights

Nolan Hughes

HEIGHT 6'1"

POS A/M

CLASS 2029

View Player

Nolan Hughes

State: New Jersey

School: Moorestown

Club: Leading Edge

Subscribe to read

Is this you, Nolan? Unlock your evaluation to everyone by subscribing

Chase Witz

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS FO/M

CLASS 2029

View Player

Chase Witz

State: New Jersey

School: Madison

Club: Mad Dog Atlantic Elite

Subscribe to read

Is this you, Chase? Unlock your evaluation to everyone by subscribing

Owen Chiarieri

HEIGHT 5'10"

WEIGHT 165

POS M/A

CLASS 2029

View Player

Owen Chiarieri

State: New Jersey

School: Haddonfield

Club: Leading Edge

Chiarieri is a hardworking lefty who plays fast and uses his high lacrosse IQ to put himself in good positions to affect the game. He stays active without the ball by timing up his cuts and possessing an aggressive and willing mindset to stick his nose into the ground ball scrums. In his freshman season with Haddonfield, the Leading Edge product finished second on his team in goals (48) and points (74) while showcasing the ability to do damage from range or in tight with a quick release and accurate shot to beat opposing goaltenders. When defending at the midfield position, his footwork is sharp and does a good job of matching feet with his speed to stay in front of his matchup. He'll be a fun recruit to continue to watch develop and grow in the next few years.