The Jesuit Rangers in my opinion are the undisputed number one lacrosse team in the state of Texas. Argue with a tree. Jesuit has beat every Texas team they have played this season and have also fiercely competed with some of the premier lacrosse teams in the country. They have consistently proven that they are a talented and sharp team that makes few mistakes and is always ready for the next challenge. A prime example of this being this past week as the Jesuit Rangers took on two in-state opponents. The Rangers also faced Gonzaga Highschool from D.C., but the game was canceled due to an injury late in the 4th quarter.
Southlake Carroll
Jesuit lacrosse would roll into Southlake coming off of a massive pair of wins against ESD and Torrey Pines. A win for the Rangers in this game would clinch their divisional title. The Rangers offense came out to play on this Friday afternoon lead by Penn state commit Mac Hobbs ’22 with 4 goals. Hobbs has been electric all season and this game would propel him to 50 goals this season. Hobbs’ season has been ridiculously impressive especially when considering this is his first season at the attack position. Midfielder Charlie Metz ’22 would notch a pair of goals for himself as well as 6 ground balls. Star goalkeeper Connor Knight ’22 also continued his impressive season with 11 saves in goal. The Rangers would clinch this game with a 10-8 victory.
Highland Park
It is always an eventful game no matter the odds when Rangers and Scots face off in sports. Whether it’s basketball, lacrosse, or football, any matchup between the two cross-town rivals is electric and full of emotions. The Scots came into this game 9-2 and a win over the Rangers would propel them into the conversation for a state title contender. The Rangers came into the game on a 4 game win streak and as the top-ranked team in the state.
The game started out with an early goal from the Scots, however, this would be the last time HP would score until the 2nd quarter. Star underclassman Beckett Foley ’24 would then single-handedly take over the game scoring 4 goals to cap off the first quarter. Three of which were in a minute and a half span. When asked about what was going through his head during this unreal performance, Foley responded, “I was really feeding off the energy of my teammates and the crowd. After my first goal all the anxiety left and from then on I knew it was going to be an entertaining one for our fans.” Charlie Schmidt ’23 would tally a hat trick while Mac Hobbs ’22 scored a pair of goals himself. Connor Knight ’22 only allowed five goals and the Rangers stomped the scots with a 13-5 win.
Analysis
I keep saying this every week, but Jesuit lacrosse just keeps surprising me more and more each game. It has felt like at times the Rangers have started slow, and maybe even sloppy, but this game was nothing of the sorts. The team played a complete game that was void of errors and full of highlight plays that not only excited fans but demoralized opponents. An underlying stat that means a lot to me from the HP game was that the Rangers were 4-4 on clears and held the Scots to 1-4. This has been an issue for the Rangers all year, and it seems like they’ve finally moved on from what had been their Achilles heel. One thing is certain for this team. When they are clicking, they are an unstoppable force and undoubtedly the best high school lacrosse team in the state of Texas.
We now await the finish of other teams in the regular season, and look forward to the upcoming playoff seeding. Jesuit will most likely be a top seed and the favorite to defend their state title.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more Rangers Lacrosse coverage!
