OHSAA to Sponsor Boys and Girls Lacrosse Beginning in 2016-17

June 2015 – Commissioner Dr. Daniel  Ross

“Lacrosse is definitely growing in our state at both the youth and high school levels, and it’s exciting when schools want their sport to be part of our association and also exciting that more students will be able to complement their high school experience with another participation opportunity.”

The 16 schools below are all hoping to be the first OHSAA State Champions. In 2015 the OHSAA sanctioned both boys and girls lacrosse state tournaments.  Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the US, next season the Illinois High School Association will compete for their first-ever state sanctioned titles.

The majority of boys lacrosse teams in Ohio have been competing in the past as ‘club’ teams and competed for state titles in the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association for many years. Thanks tot the work of the schools and the OHSLA and other lacrosse groups the move to the OHSAA has been made.

The OHSAA in 2017 had 136  boys teams, 66 in Division I and 70 in Division II, allowing for two state champions to be crowned June 3rd at Selby Stadium on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware.

In a News-Herald story, University Head Boys Lacrosse Coach Hans Rydquist :

“To be the first OHSAA champion would be cool, whoever is able to do that this year.”

In the same story, Mentor Head Coach Mike Racutt talks about the growth of the sport:

“For a long time, it was just us and Lake Catholic. Now North has picked up a team. So has South. Riverside is in its second year and Chardon is in Year 3 or 4. Lacrosse is booming in the area.”

In the past high school lacrosse was mainly played in the northeastern part of the US, but the growth has seen it grow moving westward, with Californian and Colorado having strong programs, the addition of ‘varsity’ lacrosse by the state associations in Ohio and Illinois is a giant step in the right direction.

June 3rd will be a history making day for boys lacrosse in Ohio when the first-ever OHSAA State Champions are crowned.

2017 Boys Lacrosse OHSAA Regional FINAL Pairings

All matches scheduled for May 27th, except for D II Region 5 game.

D I
Region 1
Olentangy Liberty vs Olentangy

Region 2
North Canton Hoover vs Cleveland St. Ignatius

Region 3
Upper Arlington vs Dublin Coffman

Region 4
St. Xavier vs Moeller

D II
Region 5 (May 26)
Toledo St. Francis deSales vs Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy

Region 6
University School vs Chagrin Falls

Region 7
Columbus Bishop Wtterson vs Worthington Kilbourne

Region 8
Cincinnati Mariemont vs Cincinnati Indian Hill

STATE FINALS

June 3 at Selby Stadium, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware

Related stories:

 

(5-24-17)- Olentangy Liberty 10  vs Delaware Hayes 6 – State Regional D I  Semifinal