Get ready for the best time of the season with the lohud Boys Lacrosse Playoff Countdown

We're getting everyone up to game speed with breakdowns of players expected to play leading roles and the programs likely to go deep in the playoffs. Check in daily through Friday for lists and polls and insights. Look for the lohud Playoff Scoreboard, too, in the days ahead for schedules, recaps and links to all our postseason coverage.

Win or go home: Who earned the top seeds for the 2024 Section 1 boys lacrosse tournament?

Under the radar

Here are some of the players who've quietly had big seasons and are likely to impact the playoffs. Get to know them now. They won't be under the radar for long.

Ryan Aabel, Sr., MF, Carmel

He provides the intangibles on both sides of the field.

Ryan Brush, Jr., A, Somers

Those hyperactive feet have resulted in 36 goals.

K.C. Bryan, Sr., G, Lakeland/Panas

He is the reason the Rebels play defense with attitude.

Matthew Byrne, Jr., A, Greeley

Every contender needs a player dedicated to ball movement.

Brendan Corelli, Jr., A, John Jay

He is fast becoming a reliable playmaker for the Wolves.

Stephen DiNapoli, Westlake

This guy has 43 goals and 27 assists for an undefeated team.

Emmet McDermott, Sr., MF, Pleasantville

Championship teams have glue guys and that is a role he excels at.

Tynan Murray, Jr., LSM, Tappan Zee

This kid has become a bonafide nuisance.

Rhett Needleman, Sr., A, Scarsdale

He became the go-to scorer the Raiders needed this season and has 31 goals.

Jack Reilly, Sr., A, Bronxville

Delivers timely goals with righty power or lefty finesse.

Henry Shoemaker, So., M, Rye

This underclassmen is displaying the ability to net 40 goals a season.

Ryan Vogel, Sr., MF, Yorktown

He's a ground ball machine who also has 14 goals and 22 assists.

Carsen Winters, So., A, Mamaroneck

The sophomore is having a breakout season with a team-high 32 goals.

Coaches poll

I asked the coaches to list, in order, the top three teams in their respective class. They were allowed to vote for their own program. Here is what they come up with:

Class A

1. Mamaroneck (18)
2. Carmel (15)
3. Scarsdale (9)

Class B

1. Yorktown (26)
2. Somers (23)
3. Lakeland/Panas (8)

Class C

1. John Jay (24)
2. Rye (20)
3. Tappan Zee (10)

Class D

1. Pleasantville (30)
2. Bronxville (14)
3. Westlake (10)

(Point total based on three points for a first-place vote, two points for second and one point for third).

Recipe for a run

We all know lacrosse is a game of runs. Stringing goals together is a lot easier with a standout goalie or a dominant FOGO. There is no shortage of talent in the crease this season. And we’ve seen a number of breakout performances at the dot.

So, who are the best combinations at those positions?

1. Landon Pepe and Matt Mayfield, Somers

T2. Hunter Mezzatesta and Chad Bowen, Yorktown

T2. Blake O’Callaghan and Dom Savastano, John Jay

4. Ryan Elliot and Christian Tapia, Iona Prep

5. Andrew Nessel and David Hundzynski, Pleasantville

6. K.C. Bryan and Anthony Farroni, Lakeland/Panas

7. Ty Ramachandran and Wilson Redd, Rye

8. Denny Piekutowski and Julian Ramos, Stepinac

A thought about league schedules

The best thing about being a traditional power is the ability to set up a schedule that includes highly competitive teams from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. That level of play exposes athletes to real-time consequences for each miscue and forces corrections to be made on the fly.

Playing a dozen or so games under pressure is a great way to playoff ready.

Iona Prep, Stepinac, Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, Yorktown, Somers, Lakeland/Panas, Mahopac, Rye, John Jay, Pleasantville and Bronxville all played ambitious schedules.

Landing in a competitive league helps, too.

There just aren't enough of those right now. Byram Hills, Fox Lane, Greeley, John Jay and Somers were in an enviable position, competing in the only league of note. Ideally, a strong league has at least three winning programs.

Pleasantville was on the opposite end of that spectrum this season and spent two weeks recently treading lightly against the likes of Ardsley, Croton, Dobbs Ferry, Pawling and Sleepy Hollow. A couple of those teams had productive seasons, but they are not on the level of the Panthers. Pleasantville was parking starters early and still outscored league rivals by a 74-8 margin.

They also took a forfeit.

Bronxville was in a similar situation due to enrollment and geography. Albertus Magnus, Blind Brook, Edgemont Hastings, Irvington are not ready to challenge traditional powers.

It’s time for Section 1’s alignment committee to make necessary adjustments. There has apparently been some discussion already. We don’t need power leagues, but lacrosse is a contact sport and like football and hockey, deserves a setup that aims to provide competitive balance. A proper league setup also protects struggling teams.

Here’s a thought for next season:

League A: Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, North Rockland, Scarsdale, Suffern, White Plains.

League B: Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, Eastchester, Harrison, Nyack, Pearl River.

League C: Arlington, Carmel, Lakeland/Panas, Mahopac, Wappingers.

League D: Fox Lane, Greeley, Somers, Yorktown.

League E: Brewster, Croton, North Salem, Ossining, Putnam Valley.

League F: Byram Hills, Hen Hud, John Jay, Rye, Pelham, Tappan Zee.

League G: Briarcliff, Bronxville, Haldane, Pleasantville, Sleepy Hollow, Westlake.

League H: Ardsley, Blind Brook, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Irvington, Nanuet, Rye Neck.

League I: Albertus Magnus, Edgemont, Keio, Pawling, Yonkers.

Yes, there would be additional miles for some programs, but there wouldn’t be a huge increase in travel cost or time. No school would play more than three league games on the road. Granted, there is no easy fix, but the experience could be so much better with a more thoughtful alignment.

Top 10: Lakeland/Panas and Scarsdale join the lohud Boys Lacrosse Rankings ahead of the playoffs

10, 9, 8, 7 …

Here are nine players you want unleashing the final shot of a win-or-go-home game. These guys don’t need a lot of time or space to get the ball into the back of the net.

Tim Plunket, Iona Prep

The lefty attackman is a high-IQ playmaker. He’s only a sophomore, but Plunkett has scored more goals against quality opponents than any other player in the Lower Hudson Valley in the last two seasons.

Luca Duva, John Jay

He is Section 1’s artful dodger. There are just a select few poles in the state who can match the UMass recruit’s ability to change speed and direction.

Tyler McDermott, Rye

Do not allow the Princeton recruit to spin off. He's crafty and extremely dangerous in a crowd. There aren’t many players in the Lower Hudson Valley with this much playoff experience.

Miguel Iglesias, Somers

Bring help the second he backpedals. The Notre Dame signee doesn’t have to be going downhill to score, but that turbocharged restart usually leads to a timely goal.

Daniel Picart, Pleasantville

Is there a player in Section 1 better equipped to handle a double team? Nope. There aren’t many headliners capable of matching the Richmond commit’s will to win, either.

Andrew Kiefer, John Jay

Everything he does he does with purpose. And when the Colgate recruit gets a running start with the ball, the odds of a game-changing play increase dramatically.

Chris Constantine, Yorktown

Yes, the Lehigh commit is a pole, but he’s scary good in transition. Just ask Rye. Constantine has netted 20 goals this season and converts nearly 50% of his shots.

Luke Brennan, Mamaroneck

The list of 6-foot-5 defenders isn’t very long, which makes the Bucknell commit a matchup problem for 95% of the section. He is constantly sneaking back door for dunks.

Matt Risley, Carmel

Watch the close defenders go into survival mode when he winds up and unleashes from distance. There is a lot of power in the Salisbury recruit’s game. A lot of desire to win, too.

Section 1 championship scoreboard

Yorktown is the oldest program in Section 1 and has made 43 consecutive Section 1 title game appearances. The Huskers also own seven NYSPHSAA titles. The section now has multiple traditional lacrosse powers. Here is how they stack up in terms of titles:

Yorktown 41

Lakeland/Panas 12*

John Jay-Cross River 10

Rye 10

Mahopac 9

Somers 6

Mamaroneck 5

Bronxville 5

Pleasantville 5

*Total includes one championship won by Panas and five titles won by Lakeland prior to the merger.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Get ready for the best time of the season with the lohud Boys Lacrosse Playoff Countdown