PRESEASON TOP 10
1. ST. IGNATIUS PREP (CALIF.) The Wildcats are the premier program on the
West Coast. St. Ignatius’ only loss last season was to Chaminade (N.Y.). Joe Lang (Harvard) and Cyrus Scott (Colgate) return.
2. TORREY PINES (CALIF.) The reigning San Diego Section Open Division
champ lost 19 seniors but has the depth to repeat, starting with Bryce Cady (Bryant).
3. ARAPAHOE (COLO.) The Warriors won their third state title in
five years and could three-peat this season with the return of Zach Runberg (Delaware).
4. LA COSTA CANYON (CALIF.)
The Mavericks fell short of a sixth straight Division I title and will butt heads again with Torrey Pines for San Diego supremacy.
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5. BELLEVUE (WASH.) The Wolverines, unbeaten in Washington, boast Ohio State-bound Hank Bethke (above).
6. CHERRY CREEK (COLO.)
The Bruins have a good enough core, led by Matt Goettelman (Army), to upset Arapahoe.
7. ST. MARGARET’S EPISCOPAL (CALIF.) The Tartans have momentum after winning the Orange County and Southern Section titles.
8. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC (CALIF.) The Dons had a 16-game winning streak before La Costa Canton ousted them from the playoffs. Cole Wolfson (Bellarmine) returns.
9. CORONA DEL MAR (CALIF.) The Sea Kings fell in the Orange County final but remain one of the top West Coast teams.
10. BISHOP’S (CALIF.) The Knights are a sleeper pick in San Diego as Jake Seau (Duke), the top gun in the West, enters his senior season.
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At an imposing 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Seau has become a complete player at midfield, where he is the catalyst for Bishop’s offense and can quash a counterattack with a fierce check. Seau, however, has continued to work hard and get better. He spent the offseason working on his left-handed shooting and trying to find open teammates when he faces double coverage. Last season, he finished with 40 goals and 15 assists and was named to the Under-
Armour All-American Underclass West team. “For me, it’s still a lot about passing,” said Seau, who also plays for the West Coast
Starz club. “I’ve been a big downhill dodger. I’ve been working on trying to get my team more involved. I’ve also been working on lot on my footwork and moving the ball in a way that gets the offense generated, not so much being a one-dimensional dodger.” Zissi wasn’t surprised to see Seau
thrive in lacrosse. He knew Seau had the size, talent and work ethic to be a top player in the sport. “He wanted to blaze his own trail,”
Zissi said. “He also wanted to stop being labeled as a football kid who was also pretty good at lacrosse. He wanted to be a lacrosse player.” The rest of the lacrosse world took
notice of Seau when, as a sophomore, he committed to Duke. “I knew I wanted to go Division I. I
knew I wanted to go big-time lacrosse and play for one of the best teams in the country,” Seau said. “It was nice, but there’s also a lot of pressure to play at that level to be the best.” Duke coach John Danowski said
Seau was a perfect fit for his program. His combination of size and skill will present formidable match-up problems even in the ACC. “Jake has a tremendous upside,” Danowski said. “We love big strong athletes who
Seau, playing here with the San Diego All- Stars U15 team in 2010, left football for lacrosse after his sophomore year.
are coachable. I watched him play this summer and score a goal in overtime in a summer tournament when the West Coast kids beat Long Island. He wants the ball in pressure situations and wants to make plays. You can work with that as a coach.” One of the questions Seau often faces revolves around concussions. His father committed suicide, and long-term effects of suffering numerous head injuries have been linked to his death. The Seau family filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL in January 2013. “I suffered through one pretty major concussion when I was in sixth grade,” Jake
M Justin Anderson Centennial (Nev.)
D Hugh Crance Corona del Mar (Calif.)
A Carson Dutkanych Park City (Utah)
M Michael Kay Cathedral Catholic (Calif.)
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A Joe Lang St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.)
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M Colin MacIlvennie Eastside Catholic (Wash.)
M Joe Reid Casa Grande (Calif.)
G Cyrus Scott St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.)
M Jake Seau Bishop’s School (Calif.)
M Josh Wellman Oak Ridge (Calif.)
50 LACROSSE MAGAZINE March 2014
Seau said. “I basically blacked out on the field and had to go to the ER. I couldn’t go out in light for a few days. It’s definitely in the back of my mind. I don’t think concussions are what steered me away from football. I do play very aggressive. I understand that it’s there and it’s a real possibility. But I’m never going to back down from a hit. It’s part of playing the game.” For now, Seau is focused on his season senior at Bishop’s School, where expectations are sky-high. “I’m so ready to play,” he said. “There’s nothing like playing varsity with all of your boys and getting the whole school behind you. It’s a different vibe.” Zissi called Seau “an old soul” with still-untapped potential as a lacrosse player. “He’s probably the best athlete playing lacrosse in the country right now,” Zissi said. “He’s going to make an impact his freshman year at Duke.” LM
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©STEVE DEMEO (JS); ©SOUND LACROSSE (HB);©DIRK DEWACHTER (JL)
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