  Ranking the Top 20 In any year, in any sport, at any level, the job of ranking the best teams from around the country is very difficult. Who knows which school is better at football, Virginia Tech or Nebraska? The two teams did not play and had no common opponents. However, that decision had to be made to determine which team would battle Florida State for the national championship. The numbers were calculated, and the computer spat out Virginia Tech as the better team. If only it were that easy. High school lacrosse is no exception. After accepting an internship with Lacrosse Magazine, I found myself in charge of ranking the top 20 boys' high school teams from around the country. Basically, the unofficial national championship of 1999 was in my hands. Being a high school lacrosse player myself I couldn't have ranked my own team in the top 200, so bias wasn't an issue, I was too busy to even see any of these teams play. The only game I saw between contending teams was the Landon vs. Gilman game. I also played against Potomac, a school that came somewhat close to the top 20, and lost 20-1. It did not take me long to narrow my choices for the number one spot down to three teams: Landon, of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia's Interstate Athletic Conference IAC; McDonogh, of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association MIAA; and Ward Melville, a public school on New York's Long Island. Each of the three teams had a good argument at the number one position. Ward Melville went undefeated and ended their season by beating upstate New York powerhouse West Genesee who finished ranked #4 in the third consecutive state championship game between these two teams decided in overtime. They didn't lose a game, so who can say they're not the best in the country? McDonogh and Landon, that's who. McDonogh went 19-2 and won the championship of the MIAA, considered the country's toughest lacrosse conference. Landon rebounded from a season-opening loss to St. Paul's to win 19 straight and finish 19-1, winning the IAC for the 19th consecutive year with a 12-10 win over Georgetown Prep who finished #6. After review of dozens' of teams seasons and discussions with dozens of coaches and sportswriters, I decided that, at least for 1999, Maryland was better than New York. Whatever happened in the all-star game between the two didn't matter; it just seemed that for one year Maryland had better teams and thus tougher competition. The choices for numero uno now narrowed to two, Landon and McDonogh. Landon beat McDonogh 3-2 in a preseason scrimmage, but that game had no role in my decision. I played with a few of the McDonogh players in that summer on the E-Lacrosse Tech Team. That helped my decision by getting to know a lot about their team, they were honest and they didn't lobby excessively, but it also hurt my decision by making me close friends with a group of players I was supposed to rank objectively. I made dozens of decisions while writing this article, but this was the toughest. I never spoke with either Landon Coach Rob Bordley or McDonogh Coach Jake Reed, but I discussed the comparison of the two teams with most of their common opponents and with other lacrosse enthusiasts. In the end, my editor, Marc Bouchard, and I decided on Landon, for their 19-game winning streak and the tremendous improvement that took place since their opening loss to St. Paul's. The rest of the top 10 was made of strong New York and Maryland teams as well as champions from the other states that are at the top level of lacrosse. West Genesee, the #1 pick of 1998, took home #4 for their dominance of New York despite a close loss to Ward Melville. Wilton and Delbarton, who won Connecticut and New Jersey, respectively, were both included in this section for winning tough states. I also put Lynbrook at #8 for their 21-1 record and their New York Class B state championship. Among Maryland teams, I selected IAC runner-up Georgetown Prep at #6 and MIAA teams Gilman and Boys' Latin at #5 and #10. This top ten was very balanced in talent, as shown in #10 Boys' Latin's victory over #2 McDonogh. |
 Lund on Lacrosse By Peter Lund February, 2000
THE LACROSSE MAGAZINE TOP 20
E-Lacrosse is reprinting the US Lacrosse Top 20 but is in no way associated with the selection process. 
 Read the E-Lacrosse viewer comments on 1999's High School #1! What do you think? Never before seen Landon v. Gilman video action! |
