St. John’s reclaims spot at the top as challengers await in a competitive field

St. John’s entered last spring on the heels of an appearance in the Geico Nationals title game, looking to continue its dominance within and outside the area. The Cadets ended the season with a 19-0 record and held the No. 1 ranking in several national polls.

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference powerhouse returns eight seniors — including goalie Caleb Fyock, an Ohio State commit — and retains the top spot in The Washington Post’s initial boys’ lacrosse rankings for the 2023 season.

But the gap between St. John’s and its local rivals has narrowed.

St. Mary’s (Annapolis), last year’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association runner-up, returns a particularly deep roster that includes 23 college commits. Georgetown Prep, led by senior attackmen Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri, who are committed to play together at Princeton, played the Saints on March 7 and came up short in a 17-13 barnburner. The Little Hoyas took a 2-0 lead early, but St. Mary’s scored the next nine to open a seven-goal lead before Prep battled back and took a 14-13 advantage.

The Interstate Athletic Conference was a dogfight last year, with Bullis topping the Little Hoyas by a goal in the championship game. The Bulldogs, who return seven seniors, are unbeaten in the early going, most recently blowing out Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 14-2, on March 12. (Records from last season)

1. St. John’s (19-0): The Cadets beat Baltimore powerhouse Boys’ Latin, 10-7, on March 7 and dropped a 10-9 game in overtime to Academy New Church (Pa.) on Friday.

2. St. Mary’s (Annapolis) (17-3): Nearly every one of the Saints’ 20 seniors is committed to play in college, led by attackman Nick Golini (Navy), who scored 11 goals over their first two games. They already have knocked off No. 6 Paul VI, Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s Belfield and Georgetown Prep.

3. Georgetown Prep (14-6): The Little Hoyas, whose roster boasts 16 seniors, defeated DeMatha, 14-5, on March 3 and pulled out a 13-9 win over Gilman on March 10.

4. Bullis (15-5): The Bulldogs, winners of four of the past six IAC titles, are led by midfielder Tucker Wade, a Princeton commit.

5. Archbishop Spalding (12-6): The Cavaliers, led by senior Towson commit Logan Meighan, defeated Richmond’s Collegiate School, 12- 6, in their season opener March 11.

6. Paul VI (19-6): The Panthers, who came up a goal short in last year’s Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association final, are led by experienced goalie Matt Dineen (Utah). Their losses have come against top teams in Towson powerhouse Loyola Blakefield and No. 2 St. Mary’s.

7. Gonzaga (14-6): The Eagles, who return 14 seniors, dropped their opener, 6-4, to Mcdonogh.

8. Severn (10-8): The Admirals defeated IAC contenders St. Albans, 13-8, on March 3 and Landon, 9-6, on March 7.

9. Landon (11-7): The Bears topped The Heights, 7-5, in their home opener. They return nine seniors, including defensemen Will Abramson, a Washington and Lee commit, and Nico Schermer, who will play at Bowdoin.

10. Riverside (20-1): Back-toback Virginia Class 5 champions, the Rams opened their season Tuesday with a 15-3 win over Loudoun Valley. The Loudoun County powerhouse is led by two Jacksonville commits, senior attackman Chase Paschuck and junior faceoff specialist Zach Ward.

On the bubble: Battlefield, Briar Woods, Broadneck, Churchill, Freedom (South Riding), Severna Park, St. Albans, St. Stephens/st. Agnes.