Nebraska HS Lacrosse Association (Preseason #1: Millard West)

NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE ASSOCIATION

The Team to Beat: Millard West

The defending champion Wildcats graduated 10 seniors and will have their third head coach in the last three seasons, yet they are still preseason favorite in the Cornhusker State. Millard West, which enters the season on a 15-game winning streak, will have two of the state’s top attackmen returning, which will give them the kind of scoring punch they need to be successful.

Senior attackman Carl Vennerstrom and senior attackman Connor Swanson were Millard West’s second- and third-leading point producers last season, respectively. The pair combined for 88 goals and 115 points during the 2009 regular season.

Joining them will be senior middie Will Mohon, who will likely move up from the second line to the first. Also, in a potentially controversial move, former Millard North senior middie Billy Garry is attempting to switch teams to Millard West. Garry does not attend either school, and if he does play for Millard West, it will be a big boost for the Wildcats’ title chances.

Contenders: Creighton Prep, Papillion LaVista, Omaha Burke

Like Millard West, Creighton Prep also graduated 10 seniors and will have three returning starters. And like in the case of Millard West, it probably won’t matter. The Junior Jays always seem to be there in the end, no matter what. Creighton Prep brings back one first-line middie, one starting defenseman and its goalie. This year’s team will be led by standout senior middie Billy Dineen, senior goalie Chris Feldman, junior defenseman Sam Marasco and junior middie Peter Stoll.

Papillion LaVista only graduated six seniors, which in Nebraska this season is on the low end. The Monarchs have to replace most of their offense, but their entire defense will be back. Senior goalie Travis Tlustos, a first-team All-State selection last season, will run the show in the back along with senior defenseman Nick Molinelli and senor defenseman Ian Goding.

This will only be the second varsity season for Omaha Burke, but a lot is expected of the Bulldogs, who scored surprising upset wins over Papillion LaVista and Millard North last season. Omaha Burke graduated just three seniors and has seven returning starters, including all three attackmen and all three first-line middies. Senior attackman Colton Briggs, junior middie Jake Mulert, junior middie Lucas Whited and sophomore attackman Dan Mulert could lead this group to the state semifinals.

Sleeper: Lincoln

The Rampage went 0-17 last season and has never won a game. But Lincoln has a new head coach in Nate Hoeckelman, who used to lead the University of Nebraska, and it only graduated one senior from last year’s team. With one more year of experience, and some better guidance, Lincoln could very well surprise some people. Junior defenseman Ansel Whittle, junior defenseman Tyler Bailey and junior middie Phil Ehrman will lead this group.

Top Players: Tyler Bailey, Def., Lincoln; Colton Briggs, Att., Omaha Burke; Cameron Bostwick, MF, Valley (Missouri State); Billy Dineen, MF, Creighton Prep; Phil Ehrman, MF, Lincoln; Chris Feldman, G, Creighton Prep; Alec Fleming, Def., Millard South; Billy Garry, MF, Millard West; Ian Goding, Def., Papillion LaVista; Dylan Griess, MF, Valley; Rudi Lackner, Def., Westside; Sam Marasco, Def., Creighton Prep; Will Mohon, MF, Millard West; Nick Molinelli, Def., Papillion LaVista; Dan Mulert, Att., Omaha Burke; Jake Mulert, MF, Omaha Burke; Jesse Rothgeb, Att., Millard South; Tim Semisch, Def., Millard North; Trevor Stoakes, G, Valley; Peter Stoll, MF, Creighton Prep; Alex Sundermann, Def., Valley; Connor Swanson, Att., Millard West; Sean Tjaden, MF, Westside; Travis Tlustos, G, Papillion LaVista; Carl Vennerstrom, Att., Millard West; Brookes Vrana, Att., Westside; Lucas Whited, MF, Omaha Burke; Ansel Whittle, Def., Lincoln.

Preseason Top 10: 1. Millard West, 2. Creighton Prep, 3. Papillion LaVista, 4. Omaha Burke, 5. Westside, 6. Lincoln, 7. Millard North, 8. Millard South, 9. Valley, 10. River City.

Notes: This will be the sixth season of varsity lacrosse in Nebraska, and Millard West has faced Creighton Prep in the state championship game every year but one. Only in 2008, when Papillion LaVista lost to the Junior Jays in the title game, did an outsider reach the title game....Creighton Prep has never failed to reach the championship game. The Junior Jays have won three titles and twice finished as runner-up....Millard West has only failed to reach the final once. The Wildcats are 2-2 in the championship game....Westside graduated 12 seniors and will have a new head coach. Rob Mazanec has taken over for Alex DeManss, and he inherits a team that will be led by junior middie Sean Tjaden, junior attackman Brookes Vrana and senior defenseman Rudi Lackner....Millard North will also have a new head coach this season. The Mustangs graduated seven seniors, but they bring back first-team All-State senior defenseman Tim Semisch....Millard South has a massive rebuilding project ahead of it after it graduated 17 seniors, the most of any program in the league. The Patriots will be led by senior attackman Jesse Rothgeb and junior defeneseman Alec Fleming, the team’s only two returning starters....West Des Moines, Iowa-based Valley will field a varsity program for the first time this season. Last year, the Tigers went 12-1 playing a mostly JV schedule. Valley played three varsity games, going 2-1, and 10 JV games, going 10-0. The Tigers will be led by Missouri State-bound senior middie Cameron Bostwick, junior middie Dylan Griess, senior goalie Trevor Stoakes and senior defenseman Alex Sundermann....Council Bluffs, Iowa-based River City will also field a varsity team for the first time this season....Doug Stewart has taken over as head coach at Millard West for Kurt Carlson, who had to relocate to New England because of a job transfer. Former Millard West standout goalie Ryan Grewcock, who is now a freshman goalie for the MCLA Division II team at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, will serve as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.