The inaugural Pacific Elite Championships brought together the top teams and programs from Texas to the West Coast for a 2 day December Tournament. FCL was on site, providing evaluations, presenting MVP Awards and running a pre event tune-up session.
I was blown away with the talent and compete level. Let's take a look at some standouts across the 2026, 2027, and 2028 age groups.
Playing a quarterback type role for this ADVNC squad, Lee's ball carrying and X play have continued to improve since we last saw him this summer. He's very 2 handed and his vision on cutters and decision making ability will be very beneficial as he continues to develop.
A summer 2023 BIC attendee, Cross showed high level stick skills, poise and playmaking ability. A smooth operator on the wings and at X, Cross makes great decisions with the ball in his stick and strikes a great balance of ball carrying and playing off his teammates. I'm excited to see how he continues to progress and lead a talented Kings team.
Credit: @Brailhighlights
Bligh is a crafty attackman with strong COD. Day 1 he caught my eye with a feed on a rope for the GWG by Tate Starr. Strong stick skills and IQ, he is sure on his way in following his brothers footsteps in his lacrosse development.
Wyatt stepped up for the 2028 squad throughout the weekend. Scoring goals inside and from range, he was a key piece to the attack unit for MDW. He has smooth stick skills and is willing to take a hit and finish in front. Despite a 1 goal loss, he put up at least 2 and 1 in a comeback effort vs Mountain West.
When you show up to the game, the size for Keegan sticks out right away. However, his ability to shoot up the hash and put some big goals in the back of the net was key for their run to the title game. Drawing the top matchup for their attack unit, it'll be exciting to see as his game continues to expand leading into high school.
Dylan is a skilled righty attackman playing under the guidance of former teammate Jeremy Noble. I love how this kid moves and swings the ball. He's heady, carries well, and as he grows his best lacrosse is in front of him. Typically under appreciated in write ups like this, one play sticks out in my mind from this weekend where he picked up a tough ground ball and swung it quick off the ground which led to a goal on the backside. These aren't plays you typically see often from younger guys.
Brody was one of the top players I saw all weekend. Utilized out of the box, and sometimes taking rest at attack, he was consistently getting his hands free down the alley or over the top, and making things happen. Producing some big time goals, such as a Day 1 GWG, and some crucial ones in the Championship and semis, Booen has a high level skillset that he will only add to as he progresses. The future is bright for Los Angeles lacrosse.
Credit: @Brailhighlights
Starr is a dynamic lefty that can hammer the ball on the run or on step downs. Stepping up in big moments for ADVNC, he's a coverage priority for defense up top. He is smart without the ball too. His game winning goal stuck out to me on Day 1, not because of the shot and the moment, but because of how he actively moved into the skip lane and demanded the ball. That will serve him well down the road.
Credit: @mavericksportsmedia
Johnson is a smooth athlete and he's someone that can be used in a variety of ways offensively. He gets downhill well off the dodge and makes strong decisions whether to shoot or feed/move it.
McKnight was the straw that stirred the drink for the 28's on their way to a Pacific Elite Championship trophy. Demonstrating a high IQ and vision, his change of speed and ability to break defenders down was hard to stop. He rifled skip passes and created a ton of assist opportunities through the weekend, even when drawing early doubles. McKnight scored some tough goals from below and above GLE and shows the makings of a very "positionless" offensive player.
Brown stuck out to me with his athleticism and skill set. He has a great hitch, using it for a big time goal in day 1. He has great presence in the middle of the field and on the clears.
Brannish put up a big time effort throughout the weekend. Gritty, tough off the ground, and demonstrates the ability to score with or without the ball in his stick. A lefty who could hitch and turn the corner, Brannish played huge in the title game, leading the Kings to the Pacific Elite Championship.
Credit: @brailhighlights
A great 1-2 punch along with Kimo, Stevens is a fantastic athlete. Shorter, but plays strong and has great footwork. He can body up on D, separate on offense, and make great decisions. His feel for the game jumps out right away. Coaches say he's a strong 2 sport athlete as a running back as well. He will be one I have my eye on coming out of Utah in the coming years!
Tomlin is a scrappy midfielder who made some timely plays for Texas Nationals. With a lot of attention on McKnight, Ty scored a big off ball cutting goal showing his IQ on the offensive end. He rode hard and picked up some big ground balls as well for the Nationals.
Pasquale was a major game changer in my opinion. Leading a stout defense, with Coach BJ Grille at the helm, Pasquale was a vacuum off the ground and was a "avoid dodging him" type of matchup for opposing teams. His stick and IQ on the field are high level, and I imagine he'll quickly make an impact at the HS level when his time comes.
Nate caught my eye as he drew some of the top opposing matchups. Consistently approaching with his stick out in front, and demonstrating good feet, I think Sokolowski is going to continue to develop as a strong cover defender. He navigates picks well and makes good contact on tough matchups when needed.
Leonard impressed me with his stick and slide decisions. He had some big nuggets and was a great presence on and off ball. He is part of a great unit for MDWE.
Ligas is a skilled pole with great compete and a big time motor. He was a resounding vote for MVP, has a strong stick and is tough to run by. He's a crucial piece to a talented ADVNC NDP squad.
Fouts was a premier athlete on the field all weekend. Physically imposing, he also has a strong stick and ability to push it up the field and cause turnovers with the stick in lane. He is disruptive on his slides and offensive players certainly feel his presence on ball.
Alota was consistently drawing the top matchup for opposing teams. He has strong footwork and moves well, constantly staying in front of his attackman. Fundamentally sound and rarely found himself out of position.
I was impressed with his play every time I went to see the Texas 28's. He made an impact on wing play, and I think he has great footwork in covering the ball. His stick was active and was sharp off the ground. As he grows and progresses he's going to continue to be an impact player in the middle of the field.
Baker and Aragon were a tough duo for Kings. Baker is a strong athlete, and I loved his play off the wings. He has good size and makes good decisions in the clear. He's going to be one to watch
Grant was a do it all midfielder for True 2027, however most of his impact that I saw was in the middle of the field and the defensive ends. He's a strong athlete who was a tough cover on ball and could push transition.
James was a key cog in the Kings rope unit. Quick and moved well laterally, he led a rope unit that was tough to beat off the dodge and helped power the Kings to the title. His spark moment came off a big takeaway check that led to a transition goal in the title game.
Credit: @stickmen303
More than a FOGO, "Kimo" is a face-off, stay-on, do-it-all midfielder for this Mountain West team. Clearly the heart and soul, he battled every game, winning possessions, making D stops, and scoring some big goals. I think the hardest part for him going forward will be deciding where to focus development efforts, but he has a great nose for the goal and making plays in the middle of the field.
Playing on both the 2027 and 2028 West Elite squads, Weston stood tall in net and does a great job tracking the ball. Making several saves across both 2028 and 2027 games respectively, Guerra has quick hands and a calming presence in net. He came up with some huge inside stops in big moments in tight games for both brackets.
Mills saw the ball well and made some athletic low saves in particular. His eyes are up off the save and pitched some beautiful outlets right on the stick to trigger transition.
Ford impressed me with his ball stopping ability. He moved well in net, and played with poise. He was ready to fire outlets and was a key piece of the 2028's title run.
The Maddog and ADVNC 2026 goalie battle played out big time in the championship game. Exchanging saves throughout, all 4 goalies did their part in a tough battle to end the day. We tip our cap to : Gabe James & Ryan Peitzmeier of Maddog, and Keegan Putney & Bryson Lewis of ADVNC.
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