Southern Firepower: Five ’29 Offensive Standouts at Terp Classic

At Prep Lacrosse, we love keeping tabs on the game in the South, and I'm excited about what the 2029 class has in store. For one of our first looks at the region's 2029 class, we're spotlighting offensive standouts who caught my eye at the Terrapin Classic. They're already showing the potential to make some noise in our South rankings next summer—and a few could push their way into the national conversation, too. Here are five who stood out.    A slick lefty with a well-rounded game, Souza was one of the better goal scorers I saw in the '29 division. He has plenty of ways to get his hands free from just about anywhere: the speed to gain a step, a hockey stop into a roll-and-shot, and hesitation/rocker moves that keep defenders guessing. If those don't create enough room, he can get airborne to manufacture separation on a jump shot or simply shoot around pressure.   One goal against Hilltop really stuck with me. Souza dodged down the lefty alley with his defender's stick seemingly right where it needed to be. He read the stick and ripped one low-to-high with plastic all over him. He finishes with either hand, and it's fun to watch him vary not just his release points and shot placement, but how quickly he lets the ball go. That's another layer of frustration for a goalie trying to read him. His feeding game looked sharp, too. On one play, a slider timed a jump perfectly, only for Souza to calmly use his top hand to lever a feed right around the defender who thought he was about to steal his lunch money. He hustled his tail off on the ride and made smart off-ball reads that turned into goals. Whether he was creating the play or finding his place in it, Souza kept giving me something worth watching.     I've seen a lot of shafts snap in half in my day, but nothing quite like watching Pelow run right through a crosscheck and snap one like a toothpick. An absolute horse of a midfielder at 6-foot-5 and probably around 200 pounds, Pelow still has the speed to beat defenders to space and turn the corner. Even with that size, I'd still put him in the "light on his feet" category. And if someone does get in his way, he's more than happy to slam his frame into that poor soul to free his hands.   With that combination, it's not hard to guess where his goals come from: working into the middle of the field and hammering shots home. Between the Autumn Bowl and Terp Classic, I saw him repeatedly get inside the defense for quality looks. That physical presence carries over to the other end, too, where he delivered a huge hit as a slider against the Kings. Getting in Pelow's way seems like a bad idea regardless of the situation.     Luff kept the 91 Charlotte offense humming, with the stick to make the play and the awareness to set up the next one. Whether he was down low with a pole on him or coming out of the box against a shorty, he kept finding ways to make a positive impact. He was especially comfortable attacking short sticks from behind the cage, working up either hash and squeezing off quality shots with pressure on him and before slides could arrive. A natural righty, he also looked confident using his left to feed and finish from that low attack spot. His feel for the game showed up without the ball, too. He cut hard when his defender had help responsibilities and hustled to make plays on the ride and on defense. I love where Luff's game is already, and the way he sees the field gives me plenty of reason to think there's more coming.     Richardson threw a slick skip pass right through the defense on a play that showed two things I love seeing from a sophomore in the fall: he scanned the defense before the ball even hit his stick, then changed his release point to thread the feed through. There's plenty of entertainment value in his game, too. Between the underhand shot release, the gotcha fakes, and the behind-the-back shots and feeds, he has the creativity and skill to put together some pretty impressive highlights.   I'm not sure if he has any box lacrosse in his background, but his game has that feel. The way he snatches the ball, extends his arms to hammer a quick-release shot off a skip pass, and comfortably gets his body into defenders on dodges all hint at it. If he can stay consistent and cut down on the turnovers, he's going to give you plenty to like beyond the highlights.     Evaluating sophomores in the fall can be tricky—the goal isn't just to judge who they are now, but to project who they could become by their freshman year of college. Gilbert strikes me as someone who could make a big jump if a few more pieces fall into place. A more ball-dominant offensive threat, he hammers the ball with both hands, making it hard to tell which side is natural. That power travels, too: down the alleys on the run, from the wing with his feet set or off the catch, where he generates a lot of velocity in a hurry. He has that top-hand wrist snap you see in higher-level shooters. I also like how he leans into defenders on his dodges, using his body to cut them off and carve out a better shooting angle. The shot is already a weapon, and how the rest of his game catches up will be worth watching.

At Prep Lacrosse, we love keeping tabs on the game in the South, and I'm excited about what the 2029 class has in store. For one of our first looks at the region's 2029 class, we're spotlighting offensive standouts who caught my eye at the Terrapin Classic. They're already showing the potential to make some noise in our South rankings next summer—and a few could push their way into the national conversation, too. Here are five who stood out.

Blake Souza

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS A

CLASS 2029

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Blake Souza

State: Georgia

School: Walton

Club: Thunder

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Mason Pelow

HEIGHT 6'5"

POS M

CLASS 2029

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Mason Pelow

State: Texas

School: The Woodlands

Club: Hilltop Black

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Jonathan Luff

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS M/A

CLASS 2029

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Jonathan Luff

State: North Carolina

School: Charlotte Country Day

Club: Team 91 Charlotte, Team 91 South

Luff kept the 91 Charlotte offense humming, with the stick to make the play and the awareness to set up the next one. Whether he was down low with a pole on him or coming out of the box against a shorty, he kept finding ways to make a positive impact. He was especially comfortable attacking short sticks from behind the cage, working up either hash and squeezing off quality shots with pressure on him and before slides could arrive. A natural righty, he also looked confident using his left to feed and finish from that low attack spot. His feel for the game showed up without the ball, too. He cut hard when his defender had help responsibilities and hustled to make plays on the ride and on defense. I love where Luff's game is already, and the way he sees the field gives me plenty of reason to think there's more coming.

Ben Richardson

HEIGHT 5'11"

POS A

CLASS 2029

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Ben Richardson

State: Georgia

School: Blessed Trinity

Club: 3d Georgia

Richardson threw a slick skip pass right through the defense on a play that showed two things I love seeing from a sophomore in the fall: he scanned the defense before the ball even hit his stick, then changed his release point to thread the feed through. There's plenty of entertainment value in his game, too. Between the underhand shot release, the gotcha fakes, and the behind-the-back shots and feeds, he has the creativity and skill to put together some pretty impressive highlights.

I'm not sure if he has any box lacrosse in his background, but his game has that feel. The way he snatches the ball, extends his arms to hammer a quick-release shot off a skip pass, and comfortably gets his body into defenders on dodges all hint at it. If he can stay consistent and cut down on the turnovers, he's going to give you plenty to like beyond the highlights.