Boys Lacrosse programs have been elevating their games over the last 14 years and now sit on the verge of earning the area’s first state title. This Fast Fast is presented by BMO Harris Bank.
Since Naperville Sports Weekly premiered in the fall of 2007, the sport of boys lacrosse has delivered plenty of excitement to the NCTV17 airwaves at the season ending state tournament.
Up until the 2018 season, boys and girls lacrosse was considered a club sport and was not supported under the IHSA umbrella.
During that time, the state tournaments were broken up into two divisions, the A Class Division and the B Class. Each year, the winners of the B Class tournament would be able to advance to the A Class the following season.
In 2008, Naperville North and Neuqua Valley were the only local teams playing in the A Class tournament. But that spring, Benet Academy defeated St. Ignatius to win the B Class Cup.
In 2011, it was Waubonsie Valley’s turn. The Warriors defeated Grayslake North to win the B Class tournament and advanced to the next level.
After falling in the B Class championship game in 2013, Naperville Central finally broke through in 2014 by winning the Cup over Warren Township.
Since lacrosse became an IHSA sanctioned sport in 2018, our local boys teams have continued to make their marks.
In the first ever IHSA boys lacrosse state tournament, Naperville North advanced to the state semi finals with a thrilling overtime victory over South Elgin. The Huskies brought home the 4th place trophy.
In 2019, it was Neuqua Valley that broke through and made it all the way to state. The Wildcats fell to New Trier 8-6 in the semi finals but took down Glenbard West 16-7 to earn the third place trophy.
After a canceled season in 2020, we can’t wait to see what the 2021 state series has in store
For more prep sports content, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
