Top contenders in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky boys lacrosse playoffs

The fields are set for the high school boys lacrosse playoffs across Greater Cincinnati.

Southwest Ohio schools are wrapping up their regular seasons and gearing up for playoff runs beginning May 13. Division I action features defending state champs St. Xavier looking to hold off challengers from the Eastern Cincinnati and Greater Miami Conferences. In Division II, a crowded field might see some chaos as Mariemont looks to return to the state title.

Northern Kentucky's playoffs are already underway, with Dixie Heights and Ryle reaching the finals of the Region Five tournament. Both teams will head to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's State Tournament, which kicks off May 13 as well.

Here are the top contenders you need to keep an eye on as boys lacrosse begins postseason competition.

St. Xavier clear favorite in OHSAA Division I

The defending champs had another banner year in the 2026 regular season. While scheduling aggressively to play top contenders from Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky, the Bombers went 15-1 with their lone loss coming by a single goal. Ranked No. 2 in Ohio by MaxPreps behind only Western Reserve, a boarding school, St. Xavier shouldn't be pushed until at least the third round of the tournament. The team controls all facets of the game, led by a strong senior class that includes midfielder Ryder Munz and defender Rowdy Scheer.

On the other side of the Region Four bracket are the two leaders out of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, Milford and Loveland. These two powerhouses took different routes to earn the second and third seeds, but they're set up for a pre-playoff clash to decide the conference champion on May 12.

Milford holds an 11-6 record as of May 11 and are a perfect 6-0 in ECC play. The Eagles took on top regional talent throughout the season and grew from that adversity. Their only loss against a Southwest Ohio opponent came against St. Xavier, and they have otherwise had strong offensive outputs against other local foes. Milford's offense is balanced, with Clay Barkimer, Tyler Allard and Wade Rotunna all scoring over 28 goals this season. Junior Gabe Arbino has proved to be a huge advantage in faceoffs this year, leading the conference with 230 faceoff wins.

Loveland didn't get as many opportunities outside of Southwest Ohio but the Tigers' 14-3 record reflects a dominant season. Loveland secured each of its wins by five goals or more, and two of their three losses came in overtime. The Tigers' conference-leading offense is a three-headed monster, made up of seniors Lincoln Boldizsar (49 goals), Rocco Filia (42 goals) and Adam King (37 goals). Defensively, junior Kyle Harden has been a thorn in opponents' sides as he forced 77 turnovers in 16 games.

Mason secured a top-four seed after tearing through the Greater Miami Conference. The Comets went a perfect 10-0 in conference play, winning all but one by seven goals or more. A dynamic and versatile offense is led by senior twins Jacob and Tyler Lupinski, with juniors Aiden Nyhuis and Cameron Simmons racking up plenty of goals and assists as well. All four of those players have scored over 25 goals and have double-digit assists this season.

Here are a few other teams to keep an eye on:

∎ Kings has one of the strongest defenses in the area, allowing just two opponents to reach double figures in a 12-4 season. Senior goalie Logan Reyes anchors the defense, tallying 158 saves on the year.

∎ Moeller is a bit of a wild card after playing a primarily non-area schedule. They have some quality wins over Mason and Mariemont, but went just 6-10 in the regular season. The Crusaders are led by a trio of sophomores offensively: Chase Novak, Noah Hamre and Wyatt Brotherton.

Mariemont, Fenwick among front-runners in Division II

Mariemont's top seed reflects a top-tier strength of schedule. Mariemont played more Division I teams than Division II teams and lost only one game to Division II competition while taking out other top Region Eight teams. The Warriors have been dominant on both sides of the field, boasting both the Cincinnati Hills League's leading scorer in senior Vince Fiorina (44 goals) and top goalie in junior R.J. Naticchioni (136 saves).

An undefeated 8-0 record in Greater Catholic League-Coed play led Fenwick to claim the third seed in Region Eight. At 12-3 overall, the Falcons cruised in all of their wins and came up just short in competitive games with one-seed Mariemont and two-seed Bellbrook. Junior D.J. Berning had a tremendous individual season to lead Fenwick in both scoring (50 goals) and assists (39 assists), while senior Jackson Howard and sophomore Cam Neeley rounded out a potent offense with 85 goals and 39 assists combined.

Indian Hill boasts the best record in the Cincinnati Hills League, entering the playoffs at 11-3 on a six-game winning streak. With only one loss to Division II competition, the Braves have been a well-balanced team all season long. One of the team's greatest advantages comes from senior faceoff specialist Jonathan Salazar, who has secured 195 draw controls to lead the conference. Sophomore Joey Jernigan and senior Beckett Heimann lead the offense with 52 combined goals, while senior Jaxon Frye and junior Tripp Miller hold down the defense with 44 combined forced turnovers.

One of the area's top scorers is leading La Salle's hopes for a run to the state tournament from the fifth seed. Senior Wes Limle has scored 68 goals this year, helping La Salle win all but one game against Division II foes. Defensively, the Lancers have excelled at forcing miscues from opponents. Senior defender Max Henson leads the way with 73 caused turnovers this season.

Other teams to keep an eye on:

Clinton-Massie takes the seven-seed after an 11-2 regular season, with both losses coming against Division I Little Miami. While the Falcons didn't exactly have a murderer's row of a schedule, a winning culture should make Clinton-Massie a threat in the postseason. Clinton-Massie has four players responsible for 37 or more points this year, between sophomores Corban Cartner and Carson Long and seniors Isaac Young and Tristen Trampler.

Dixie Heights, Ryle set for regional title clash

Postseason play is already underway in Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky's top two teams are set for a May 11 showdown to determine the Region Five champion. No matter who comes out on top, both Dixie Heights and Ryle will head to the KHSAA state tournament.

Dixie Heights is the defending Region Five champ and the favorite to repeat. They've already taken down Ryle once this year, with an 11-7 win back on March 16. The Colonels went undefeated in region play and currently hold a 10-6 record, thanks to the region's top offense. Senior Bray Brzygot led the way on offense for the second year in a row, scoring 43 goals and recording 31 assists. Fellow seniors Eli Lawson and Aiden Wood rounded out the top threats for the high-scoring unit, each totaling more than 50 points. Senior goalie Cole Grimes has held down his side of the field, tallying 174 saves to just 110 goals allowed.

Ryle will look to avenge its only region loss of the season, as the Raiders finished 5-1 against Northern Kentucky foes. Where Dixie Heights leans on offense, Ryle boasts the top defense in the area. Sophomore goalie Carter Alsip allowed just 108 goals, totaling 150 saves in 15 games. On the other side of the field, fellow sophomore Charlie Park has kept the offense flowing with 40 assists and 29 goals of his own. His top assist targets are seniors Blake Leiker and Ronin Herbert, who have scored 40 and 39 goals, respectively.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school boys lacrosse postseason contenders in 2026