1 – Jesuit
We had Jesuit, Plant, and Berkeley as 1, 2, and 3 in our 2018 pre-season predictions. We don’t see a reason to change in 2019 – although we did discuss it much harder this time. Jesuit has lost a ton of talent, as has Plant. The Tigers graduated their entire starting middie line, 2 starting poles, starting FOGO, and starting goalie. The race for district 16 isn’t clear cut at all. 2019 will be a return to 2015 and 2016 where any one of the top 3 teams could be the #1 seed heading into playoffs. Coach Ryan Henry put it this way: “As always, the Berkeley, Plant and Jesuit fight for District 16 will be a fun race to watch!” We feel Jesuit has the edge due to their program size and history.
2 – Plant
As with Jesuit, Plant suffered some big graduation losses in 2018. Their whole middie line is gone as is their outstanding goalie in Schifino. Lucky for the Panthers, they have a 2021 Under Armour All-America goalie in Wyatt Knust to fill that spot. Along with an always-ready group of young guns from the South Tampa area, Plant can and will compete again in 2019. Huge meeting right out of the gate on March 27th as Jesuit visits Plant. Possible TLR Game of the Week?
3 – Berkeley Prep
The Buccaneers suffered heavy injuries in 2018, beginning with 2 players out stating at a pre-season game and continuing throughout the season. Some games had up to 10 players unable to play due to injuries. If Berkeley can stay healthy in 2019, we feel they can and will give both Plant and Jesuit a run for their money. Berkeley was a young team in 2018 and only graduated 3 starters. With the addition of 3d Florida director Mike Ryder to the Buccaneers staff, look for them to bounce back this season. We’ll find out on March 6 when Jesuit visits Berkeley.
4 – Alonso
With so many teams graduating talented seniors, 2019 is the perfect season for a young team to make a splash. Tampa Lax Report believes it will be Alonso. They’ve got great talent at a few key places and can move the ball well. We don’t feel they will get farther up the seeding than 4, but making a move into the playoffs will suit them as they continue to improve.
