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Best WA High Lacrosse player ever?
Submitted by laxaholic on Sat, 2006-04-08 13:37.
I've often wondered who was the best WA high school player ever. Especially, with the continual league parity - there are so many more quality players today than there were 5 years ago.
This topic may be more suitable in the Coaches forum, but I'll give it a stab here.
Two players come to mind...
First, Spencer Evens of Bainbridge. I remember watching his games and he seemed like a man amongst boys - athletic and physically a force. If I remember correctly he was an all state linebacker as well. A pure athelete in every sense of the word and he had a real presence on the field. His game didn't have any weaknessess it seemed. To my knowledge he is the only one playing on scholarship at a DI school from WA.
However, the one player that really sticks out was Jordan Bailey of Eastside (graduated in 00' or 01'?). I don't know if it was because the WA lax was so much weaker back then (this being the reason that he looked so good), but I remember him single handedly taking over games. His quickness was superior to anyone then AND now (in the games I saw him play it was not uncommon for a defender to trip over themselves trying to guard him on a dodge). The thing that set him apart was his stick skills - they were so quick and fluid. He made things look effortless. I remember talking to a Lakeside player some years back and their gameplan for Eastside was that they knew Bailey would get at least 3-4 goals, so they put their effort into shutting the rest of the team down. I also believe he was all -american 2 straight years - the only person to accomplish this feat in WA. It seems like no one since has dominated the league and games like he did. The only knock against him was his size. I would be interested to see whatever became of him.
Anyways, just my thoughts. I'd love to hear from people who have been around WA lax for a while.
Drew Snider
For a long time Bailey was the only 2time all american in the history of washington but recently that has changed. Snider has had teams create their game plans around him to try to stop him through his whole highschool career. He can use both hands pretty equally and his is very agile. If Bailey is being discussed then i think that Snider should be mentioned too.
2 things
1. you say that people game plan for him, but that is expected for top players, and guess what, he has been shut down in some big games (0 points in last two bainbridge games).
2. Adam Smith should have been all american his junior year, it's a crime that he wasn't, he set the points mark that year with 104 (broken by vander hoek last year), and was by far the best player in the state that year, and the next when he was all american,
FYI- Garfield only played Bainbridge once...
And points don't make you an all-american- otherwise Mahony would have had that last year too...
non factor
yeah, but the point is he did nothing in either game other than miss a few shots. this year he wasn't even locked off, he was one on one with brian gilbreath all game.
and that was not the case with smith, he was THE dominate player, while mahoney was one of many good players on a team, and mahoney didn't have the most points either, he was 27 points behind hoek, and had 3 less than snider
they are counting last
they are counting last year's game too . . . and the only reason mahoney got AA this year is cause he had a lot of points. I'd take masi over mahoney any day
mahony is better
thats not what bainbridge said on wed
Jessica Verilli
Jessica Verilli is hands down the best boy or girl player to come out of Washington state, look her up and you wont have anything to argue with
j penn was good . . . anyone
j penn was good . . . anyone know what he is up to now?
med school
med school
Penn
Since everyone ignored Rob Blethen, what about Justin Penn?
Adam Sangeorzan
Do any of you remember Adam Sangeorzan? A fundamental player that put his team on the map. May not be the most flashy player but he got the job done better than anyone ive seen play
CT
Chris Taylor, I believe, is the best lacrosse player to come out of Washington. He is quick and fast and has a great shot both left and right hand. He was also really dependable. When the MI team was struggling, Taylor just went in there and scored to open up the game. That was the way he played. He wasn't like Kevin Mahoney, who drives in almost every time MI was on offense. He was the guy to look to when the score was close. In the finals of the All American game, he scored 2 or 3 (i don't remember) goals which is really amazing because everybody player on the field was all american and they were from the east coast which has very talented lacrosse players.
Chris Taylor
I fully agree with H Kurzl about Chris but disagree that Kevin drives almost everytime MI is on offense. He had 54 goals and 27 assists in last years regular season where he was free to roam but this year being guarded more healvily he had 48 goals and 24 assists which shows he is also a passer not only a goal scorer. He will do whatever takes to takes to win
Holt
I dont know his current status, and i wouldnt rank him as the best ever (that distinction is clearly reserved for spencer evans) but i know Dan Holt from Nathan Hale is or was playing at D-II Adelphi University. I also remember all to well the hell he brought down on whatever attackmen he was guarding or whatever middie crossed the restraining line with his head down. Maybe not the best, but my vote for the meanest and most intimidating.
Holt was a damn aggressive
Holt was a damn aggressive dman.... thats why he spent half his games in the penalty box. Damn that reichgot...
Re: Holt was a damn aggressive
"Holt was a damn aggressive dman.... thats why he spent half his games in the penalty box. Damn that reichgot..."
Huh? Just because Holt couldn't control his stick does not mean Riechgott is a bad ref. "Watch the video". I bet it turns out Holt did the crime.
Oh no i definetly agree with
Oh no i definetly agree with you. I just like making fun of Reichgott...
Mark Dingfield
I played with Baley, Smith and Vanderhoek. He had a great shot on the move and was very quick. Also he stood out because he played on a weaker team, forcing them to use him more. Smith had the advantage of great feeders and in my opinion Vanderhoek was probably the best midfielder in WA during his time and definitely should have won All American over Jeff T. Jorve is a player that people have missed (huge offensive showing despite being a d-man and playing the entire game). Overall, Mark Dingfield was a much better player. He made the all centennial team on the east coast back in the day and held school and league records. He had a much more complete game than any of his piers. A clear standout.
Vanderhoek(both of them)
Vanderhoek(both of them) were attackman not middies.
sorry
Sorry... it has been a while...Jessie Fairbanks was who I was thinking of..total work horse
fairbanks
haha i forgot about him. his 8 or 9 goals in the 2001 title game has got to be a record. great faceoff guys too, im not sure about best ever though. probably all WA team though
Smith, Bailey or Larson
It would be a tough call, but it would have to go to one of these three.
Agreed
Larson and Gillis (lol google will disagree)
ha-yup
your right- i do disagree w/ gillis(see my comment below). but not larson. larson is a great player who is now constantly contributing to a solid d111 school out in ohio. I played against him from middle school all the way through high school and it wasnt hard to see he was going to be a great player. i always had great respect for him as a player and a person. i would rank him up there with the greats.
Sick Handles
I remember Larson turning a goalie inside out and every which way in an All-State game with about 5 ball fakes on a breakaway. He had the guy twirling his goalie stick like a drum major, and, remember, this was an All-State goalie. I don't remember the goalie, and wouldn't want to mention a name anyways.
Gillis
Brad Gillis from Mercer Island. He was a all american and now coaches the winning University of Oregon Lacrosse Club Team.
coaching?
why isn't he playing, he was a sophmore in college this past year. and guess what, dylan preble, arguably the best defenseman ever out of WA just won the club national championship as a starter with Colorado State.
haha
are you being serious. if your not-great joke. if you are actually serious then you must not know the game that well. yea gillis was all-american his junior year, but only because of his stats, and his coach o'hearn left him in during blow outs so he could get more goals. all the kid ever did was wind up and shoot, he couldnt stick a shot unless he had a two step wind up and a clear follow through. The fact that he was named all american was because the ignorant coaches that voted for him only looked at players goals, not actuall all around skill at the game. gillis had no left hand, all you had to do was make him go left and he was useless. he would drop the ball or trip over his goofy legs and feet. if you dont believe me try to get a look at the BI-MI 2003 title game, i think he was on his ass or looking for the ball almost every time he was on the field. he also didnt make all-american his senior year. terrible. the fact that his name is mentioned on this topic is a disgrace and insult to smith, bailey, vanderhoek, spivey, jorve and any of the other true greats.
are u kidding
Coach O'hean doesnt let his players go past 19 goals, so there is no "blowouts". And listen to yourself, "just because of his stats"? How else are you going to be named all american? If you dont have good stats then you are not going to be recognized as a good player.
during blowouts, ohearn
during blowouts, ohearn doesnt let the team score more than 19 points. don't run your mouth until you know your what you're talking about. gillis was a solid player.
do you know where i can get
do you know where i can get a copy of, or watch the 2003 BI-MI game?
and dont rag on Gillis, he was still a good player, maybe not the best but theres no reason to insult him
2003
i believe you can contact the bainbridge lacrosse club, look for info on walax.com for a copy of the tape. i realize you think im being hard on gillis, but believe me, once you watch the tape you will see exactly what im talking about. good luck
I do beleive you, but i
I do beleive you, but i played against him, and I was able to watch him in the 2004 champ game, and he wasnt bad.
But i will have to hold my opinion until I see the 03 champ game, thanks google
some stats on Gillis for you...
Brad Gillis scored 1g 1a in the championship game in 2003. Gillis was the third highest scorer in then Varsity Division I, with 47 goals and 25 assists. Gillis had 9 hat tricks on the season. I think there is footage floating around of that game- I'll have a look around the archives for you guys.
true
yea he did rack up the points, but as i said before o'hearn left him in in the blowout games. agaisnt teams w/ a good defense(BI) he never did anything.
hoek and smith
hoek and smith, hands down. Maybe the Two best pure lacrosse players to come out of washingon. Shame hoek isnt playing college ball
Rob Blethen
Rob Blethen
David Vandehoek
no questions asked
Having not played with or
Having not played with or seen Spencer Evans or Jordan Bayly play, my knowledge of their abilities have been only through word of mouth (which has generally been that they're "the balls"). While Evans may be the only player to get a scholarship, there are pllenty of other great players who come to mind that went to play Division 3 lacrosse (Luke Larson is the first name that comes to mind).
Evans
There’s a difference between being the first player from Washington state to be recruited to a division 1 school, then a kid like Larson who went to a division 3 school.
Doesn't matter where you go
Luke's playing great at that D3 school. Don't forget that. And he has another year to go. I think what matters is what you did when you were here. I think comparing Evans and Larson is like comparing Kobe and Shaq. They both had completely different games, played different positions, and could single-handedly take over a game. That, to me, is the measure of greatness. I love both of their games.
not as big a deal as you think..
Luke was looking at going to a couple of DI schools, but he chose a school he wanted to graduate from, and play Lacrosse. I think the tougher question is, if you were recruited by a DI program, possibly never to see the light of day, or be a star as a freshman- what would you choose? What is the final objective? Graduating, not Lacrosse may be Luke's.
best
I would have to say of all the players I have ever played with from Washington, Jordan Bayly stands out as the one that I hope I never have to guard or have guard me. His speed, stick skills and knowledge of the game make him the most potent player to have played high school lacrosse here.
I would have to agree with
I would have to agree with Mr. Tierney on this one. When I think of Bayly i think of when he made Paul Swanson look like a middle school goalie this summer. Some would argue the Patisons are better, but theyre wrong.
Valid Choice
I have never played with Bayly, but he definitely has an impressive resume. the 2 best players on the offensive end of the field that I have played with are david vanderhoek and adam smith. Vanderhoek was a great feeder and had uncanny awareness and vision. He was a standout. Smith I think is regarded as the best to come out of Bainbridge. He had 104 points his junior year and didnt get AA which was a crime. Senior year he was a marked man and still was one of the top scorers in the league. Since he has gone to play @ Bryant he has progressed to a level which is unrivaled by any player I have been associated with. He played with us last spring and was the complete middie, much like Bayly apparently. He is a team captain and preseason all american this year at Bryant u in d2 ball. BI has turned out a long line of impressive players; sam cameron, kyler spivey, joey picha, rob vasta, jacob hayashi, and countless other guys who have stood out over the past 15 years at BI.