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Are you ready for the 2025 RIIL boys lacrosse season?
While Mother Nature might not be, The Providence Journal certainly is. We’ll be covering the sport with the same fervor and intent we did last spring and try to do even better. Last week we got things started with our preview of the divisions and players to watch, managed to shoot a game on the season opener and now have more.
Every Monday this season we’ll unleash the Providence Journal boys lacrosse power rankings, telling you who we think are the four best teams in each of the state’s four divisions. We’ll start things with our preseason ranks and yes, we understand the season technically started last Thursday. We can only promise to be more precise in the future.
We’d like to do more with lacrosse. Last spring we attempted to have a Player of the Week feature, but the large majority of the state’s coaches weren’t keen on sending game results in. If coaches can consistently report results to The Journal, we’ll gladly get that feature going.
To report results, coaches can email the Providence Journal at PJSports@ProvidenceJournal.com with the final score, the top three goal scorers for the winning team, the top two scorers for the losing team and any pertinent goalie stats. If someone scores a game-winning goal, we’d love those details as well. If a player did something that doesn’t show up on a scoreboard – a lockdown defender, or a fogo dominating – throw it in as well. The more info, the better.
It'll be fun to see how things play out this season. We’ll try to use this space to inform and entertain. Check out our rankings below and we’ll see you back here next week(*).
Ready for a scary stat? There are players on the Rams’ roster who weren’t teenagers the last time they lost a league game. La Salle’s last loss came on June. 8, 2021, and don’t expect the defending champs to lose one this season (unless you’re going to count one of the big-name out-of-state teams they play as a real league loss).
What’s larger? The gaps between the Quakers and La Salle or the gap between the Quakers and the rest of the state? Moses Brown is a few notches behind its rival, but will need to be careful this spring if it wants to get back to the state title game. The Quakers are still strong, but they’ll have a big target on their back all season.
The Hawks aren’t quite in the championship conversation, but the program is certainly trending in the right direction. Hendricken made huge strides last year and the goal for 2025 is simple – beat Moses Brown and get to the state championship game.
There’s little question about the Eagles being the best public school program in the state. Graduation and transfers will sting Barrington a bit this spring, but there’s little reason to think this isn’t a final four team this season.
ON THE BUBBLE: North Kingstsown
The Patriots are in that weird spot where the program is too good for D-II but too small to consistently compete with the elite D-I teams. Portsmouth took some beatdowns the last three years and now, as the bully, will unload a few this spring. Not making the title game would be a shock.
The other Division I.5 team, there’s no reason why the Avengers won’t make the Division II final. East Greenwich can compete in Division I – at least with the bottom half – and there should be little question about what it can do in D-II. Anything short of the title game seems unlikely.
There isn’t a more fun team in D-II than the Bulldogs, who come in fresh off two D-III titles and are ready to win one in Division II. Westerly has the talent and skill to compete with these teams an these next two years could merely be a speedbump as the Bulldogs try to become an elite program in Rhode Island.
The defending Division II champs should get some credit, but the Crusaders have a lot of holes to fill heading into the spring. Prout’s build a reputation on defense and that will help. If that toughness returns, expect the Crusaders to continue to find ways to win in 2025.
ON THE BUBBLE: Cranston West
With the top two teams in D-III gone, the Huskies come in with a healthy crop of returning players and right into a favorite to win the program’s first title since 2010. Mt. Hope does toughness better than anyone and grit has a way of doing well in Division III lax.
A semifinalist last spring, there’s reason to think the Mariners can take things a step – or two – farther in 2025. Experience is crucial in D-III and Narragansett has it in the right spots and if it finds consistency it sometimes lacked last season, the program could win its first championship.
Solid is probably the best way to define how the Titans’ program has been since its inception, but its championship hopes are high this spring. Toll Gate has added Exeter-West Greenwich to its roster and having that championship pedigree – EWG co-opted with Prout last year – will be huge.
The Northmen might not qualify as a surprise team in Division III, but after winning the D-IV title its clear they know what it takes to win big. North Smithfield has done a terrific job of reloading each season and this year won’t be any different, as it will find some first-year player who will find stardom and help the team win big games.
[IMG alt="Seth Aguiar, Tiverton boys lacrosse
Grant Bailey, Scituate boys lacrosse"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-providence-journal/9226d441ce9ccc5711a7f96514e2ff6f[/IMG]
The Spartans were dangerously close to making the Division IV title game last spring and with most of the roster back, seem like the easy choice as the favorite this year. Wins won’t be handed to them, but expect Scituate to stay sharp this year and maintain a top two spot all spring.
Last year was a numbers game for the Tigers, who played most of the season with a roster too small to fill an actual lineup. Tiverton still went 10-6 and coach Shane Parker knows how to get the most out of his team. If the Tigers have the bodies, they’ll be competing for a crown.
With half of D-IV’s semifinals in D-III, the Vikings are one of the two returning semifinalists with Scituate being the other. Winning is something Rogers knows how to do and while its lineup from the 2023 D-IV title season is long gone, there’s no reason why this lineup can’t win a title of their own.
It might seem like a stretch for a team that’s won five games in four season to even have a hope of being a contender, but dropping from D-III to D-IV is going to be a difference-maker for the Chieftains. Ponaganset is hamstrung by its lack of a community feeder program, but it has a solid group of athletes who want to compete and win. Expect that to happen in 2025.
*I’m leaving Friday to go to The Masters, so I cannot promise rankings in a timely fashion this Monday. It’s hardly going to be a crazy weekend of golf – we’re old, after all – so when I get some down time I’ll try and bury out rankings for the people.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island High School Boys Lacrosse Preseason Power Rankings
Continue reading...
While Mother Nature might not be, The Providence Journal certainly is. We’ll be covering the sport with the same fervor and intent we did last spring and try to do even better. Last week we got things started with our preview of the divisions and players to watch, managed to shoot a game on the season opener and now have more.
Every Monday this season we’ll unleash the Providence Journal boys lacrosse power rankings, telling you who we think are the four best teams in each of the state’s four divisions. We’ll start things with our preseason ranks and yes, we understand the season technically started last Thursday. We can only promise to be more precise in the future.
We’d like to do more with lacrosse. Last spring we attempted to have a Player of the Week feature, but the large majority of the state’s coaches weren’t keen on sending game results in. If coaches can consistently report results to The Journal, we’ll gladly get that feature going.
To report results, coaches can email the Providence Journal at PJSports@ProvidenceJournal.com with the final score, the top three goal scorers for the winning team, the top two scorers for the losing team and any pertinent goalie stats. If someone scores a game-winning goal, we’d love those details as well. If a player did something that doesn’t show up on a scoreboard – a lockdown defender, or a fogo dominating – throw it in as well. The more info, the better.
It'll be fun to see how things play out this season. We’ll try to use this space to inform and entertain. Check out our rankings below and we’ll see you back here next week(*).
RIIL BOYS LACROSSE DIVISION I PRESEASON RANKINGS
You must be registered for see images attach
1. La Salle
Ready for a scary stat? There are players on the Rams’ roster who weren’t teenagers the last time they lost a league game. La Salle’s last loss came on June. 8, 2021, and don’t expect the defending champs to lose one this season (unless you’re going to count one of the big-name out-of-state teams they play as a real league loss).
2. Moses Brown
What’s larger? The gaps between the Quakers and La Salle or the gap between the Quakers and the rest of the state? Moses Brown is a few notches behind its rival, but will need to be careful this spring if it wants to get back to the state title game. The Quakers are still strong, but they’ll have a big target on their back all season.
3. Hendricken
The Hawks aren’t quite in the championship conversation, but the program is certainly trending in the right direction. Hendricken made huge strides last year and the goal for 2025 is simple – beat Moses Brown and get to the state championship game.
4. Barrington
There’s little question about the Eagles being the best public school program in the state. Graduation and transfers will sting Barrington a bit this spring, but there’s little reason to think this isn’t a final four team this season.
ON THE BUBBLE: North Kingstsown
RIIL BOYS LACROSSE DIVISION I PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Portsmouth
The Patriots are in that weird spot where the program is too good for D-II but too small to consistently compete with the elite D-I teams. Portsmouth took some beatdowns the last three years and now, as the bully, will unload a few this spring. Not making the title game would be a shock.
2. East Greenwich
The other Division I.5 team, there’s no reason why the Avengers won’t make the Division II final. East Greenwich can compete in Division I – at least with the bottom half – and there should be little question about what it can do in D-II. Anything short of the title game seems unlikely.
3. Westerly
There isn’t a more fun team in D-II than the Bulldogs, who come in fresh off two D-III titles and are ready to win one in Division II. Westerly has the talent and skill to compete with these teams an these next two years could merely be a speedbump as the Bulldogs try to become an elite program in Rhode Island.
4. Prout
The defending Division II champs should get some credit, but the Crusaders have a lot of holes to fill heading into the spring. Prout’s build a reputation on defense and that will help. If that toughness returns, expect the Crusaders to continue to find ways to win in 2025.
ON THE BUBBLE: Cranston West
RIIL BOYS LACROSSE DIVISION III PRESEASON RANKINGS
You must be registered for see images attach
1. Mt. Hope
With the top two teams in D-III gone, the Huskies come in with a healthy crop of returning players and right into a favorite to win the program’s first title since 2010. Mt. Hope does toughness better than anyone and grit has a way of doing well in Division III lax.
2. Narragansett
A semifinalist last spring, there’s reason to think the Mariners can take things a step – or two – farther in 2025. Experience is crucial in D-III and Narragansett has it in the right spots and if it finds consistency it sometimes lacked last season, the program could win its first championship.
3. Toll Gate
Solid is probably the best way to define how the Titans’ program has been since its inception, but its championship hopes are high this spring. Toll Gate has added Exeter-West Greenwich to its roster and having that championship pedigree – EWG co-opted with Prout last year – will be huge.
4. North Smithfield
The Northmen might not qualify as a surprise team in Division III, but after winning the D-IV title its clear they know what it takes to win big. North Smithfield has done a terrific job of reloading each season and this year won’t be any different, as it will find some first-year player who will find stardom and help the team win big games.
RIIL BOYS LACROSSE DIVISION IV PRESEASON RANKINGS
[IMG alt="Seth Aguiar, Tiverton boys lacrosse
Grant Bailey, Scituate boys lacrosse"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-providence-journal/9226d441ce9ccc5711a7f96514e2ff6f[/IMG]
1. Scituate
The Spartans were dangerously close to making the Division IV title game last spring and with most of the roster back, seem like the easy choice as the favorite this year. Wins won’t be handed to them, but expect Scituate to stay sharp this year and maintain a top two spot all spring.
2. Tiverton
Last year was a numbers game for the Tigers, who played most of the season with a roster too small to fill an actual lineup. Tiverton still went 10-6 and coach Shane Parker knows how to get the most out of his team. If the Tigers have the bodies, they’ll be competing for a crown.
3. Rogers
With half of D-IV’s semifinals in D-III, the Vikings are one of the two returning semifinalists with Scituate being the other. Winning is something Rogers knows how to do and while its lineup from the 2023 D-IV title season is long gone, there’s no reason why this lineup can’t win a title of their own.
4. Ponaganset
It might seem like a stretch for a team that’s won five games in four season to even have a hope of being a contender, but dropping from D-III to D-IV is going to be a difference-maker for the Chieftains. Ponaganset is hamstrung by its lack of a community feeder program, but it has a solid group of athletes who want to compete and win. Expect that to happen in 2025.
*I’m leaving Friday to go to The Masters, so I cannot promise rankings in a timely fashion this Monday. It’s hardly going to be a crazy weekend of golf – we’re old, after all – so when I get some down time I’ll try and bury out rankings for the people.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island High School Boys Lacrosse Preseason Power Rankings
Continue reading...
