West Coast Starz Boys Cap Off Another Great Season
West Coast StarzEventsRecruiting
The West Coast Starz boys just finished another incredibly successful fall campaign. Our four classes (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) competed in the most competitive east coast events of the fall season – Crab’s Baltimore Fall Classic, NLF Power of 18, Cottle Fall Invitational, Towson’s Autumn Gold, 3D in FLG, Rotanz’s Fall Classic, and the NLF Elite Invitational. While there are multiple divisions in all these events WCS only competes in the highest divisions as a gold standard testament to the talent of our rosters.
Once again the rosters were comprised of the best players in the western United States across 11 states- CA, CO, UT, WA, MN, MO, TX, NV, OR, AZ, and OH- and British Columbia, Canada, which make this truly The Premier West Coast team. The roster also boasts over 30 NCAA Division I commits. Inevitably that number will increase in the next few weeks as players hone in on their decisions.
Our philosophy of placing an NCAA assistant coach to assist each team at events allows players to get a unique perspective on the game and ways to improve. This past fall we were lucky to have coaches from Tufts, Washington & Lee, Vassar, and Utah working with our athletes. These coaches also served a dual purpose of being advocates for them in the recruiting process. In addition, these college coaches as well as our new WCS advisor, John Paul, hosted information meetings each weekend for parents & players. This gave families information on the recruiting process, the daily life of a college athlete, and the pro’s & con’s of the different divisions of college lacrosse. Read more on John Paul here.
The teams notched an astounding 40 wins this fall while competing against the best competition in the country! The boys battled in every game and left with the respect of their east coast opponents and the interest of the NCAA recruiters. The teams had signature wins against top established programs such as Team 91, LI Express, Eclipse, Dukes, Mesa Fresh, SweetLax, Leading Edge, Edge Canada, NXT, and Crabs. As always the WCS players showcased the size, skill and athleticism which has made it the best club program in the West and one of the top programs in the country.
The 2022 team was led by goalie Hayden Kern (Iron Horse/Texas) and face off specialist Blake Eklund (Tuscon Bandits/Arizona). Offensively, the team was led by Matt Groeninger (SoCal Express, California), John Culley (SoCal Express, California), Taylor Bultman (RC Starz, California), and Peyton Longnecker (Vegas Starz/ Nevada). Defensively, the team was led by Connor Guerrero (OC Crush/California), Cooper Kistler (ADVNC/California), and Owen Hire (Rhino/Oregon).
The 2021 team was led by goalie Matt Nunes (Woodlands/Iron Horse/Texas) and face off specialist Lake Baker (Bishop Gorman /Vegas Starz/Nevada). Offensively, the team was led by Bode Maurer (Juanita/Washington/), Matt Dowden (Benilde St. Margarets/Team MN/Minnesota) and Griffin Grant (Torrey Pines /RC Starz/California). Defensively, the team was led by Joe Azelby (Eastlake/Washington/Seattle Starz), Tyler Blackburn (La Jolla /RC Starz/California), and Dominic Bravo (Bellarmine Prep/Alcatraz Outlaws/California).
The 2020 team was led by goalie Hunter Binney (La Costa Canyon /San Diego United/California) and face off specialist Teagan Bultman (Torrey Pines/RC Starz/California). Offensively, the team was led by Dylan Bauer (Park City/ Utah), Michael Boehm (St. Ignatius/Ohio), and Miles Botkiss (Torrey Pines/RC Starz/California). Defensively, the team was led by Andrew Pederson (Park City/Utah), John Fitzhenry (Oregon Episcopal/Rhino/Oregon), and Ajax Zappitello (Sunset/Rhino/Oregon).
The 2019 team was led by goalie Zachary Tripp (Aguora/LA Mavericks/California) and face off specialist Kellen Hoke (Skyline/Seattle Starz/Washington). The offense was led by Michael Mines (Torrey Pines/RC Starz/California), Topher Bligh (St. Ignatius/Alcatraz Outlaws/California), and Wynton Bastian (La Jolla Country Day/SD United/California). Defensively, the team was led by Jonathan Ford (Torrey Pines/RC Starz/California), Marco Napolitano (Torrey Pines/RC Starz/California), and Jonathan Mills (Menlo-Atherton/ADVNC/California).
Information about our summer season can be found here on each team’s page to the left. West Coast Starz has already established itself as the premier western club. In the last 10 years we have placed over 400 student athletes in NCAA programs. Even more impressive is that these players have proven themselves to be the best in the country with numerous NCAA All-Americans, MLL players, and a Tewaaraton Award Winner! Players are also given the latest in Adrenaline Technical Gear including fully sublimated uniforms. This summer we are adding some features that will make us one of, if not, the best program in the country. Sponsorships with STX, Game Time Footage, and Connect Lax will provide our athletes with the best resources on & off the field this summer.
If you are interested in joining a WCS team this summer please send your name, high school coach’s contact, club coaches contact, and highlight film to jesse.foss@adrln.com.
West Coast Starz will also be hosting a FREE MS tryout the day before the Adrenaline Challenge in San Diego on Friday, January 5th, 2018. Find out more here!
To get an insider look at West Coast Starz boys, check out their Instagram (@WCSLacrosse) and Twitter (@WestCoastStarz)!
