Locked in: No. 1 Wooster boys lacrosse aiming at state title
Wooster boys lacrosse captains Braylon Dawson, left, Jake Haas, Liam Ozar, Grady Hahn and Braeden Flint will help lead the top-ranked Division II Generals into the postseason.
The Wooster boys lacrosse team seemingly has it all.
The Generals entered the week with the No. 1 state ranking in Division II, a 13-2 record, an experienced team and a highly respected head coach.
There’s one thing missing: a state championship.
The Generals started the OHSAA state tournament trail May 16 with a goal of winning a state title.
“The conversation of us winning state started the day after we lost last year (in the Elite 8 against Toledo St. John’s),” said midfielder Braeden Flint, one of five senior captains. “We have a really, really good team. I’d say better than last year. From the day after last season ended, we knew it was possible as long as we executed and really focused on it.”
Fourth-year head coach Reid Delaney’s team knocked off previously top-ranked Rocky River 9-7 last week to take over the No. 1 ranking on laxnumbers.com. The Generals also have defeated state-ranked Medina Highland, Chagrin Falls and Toledo St. Francis DeSales, along with Kenston and University School.
Eight of 11 starters returned from the 2024 regional team, and the veterans have picked up where they left off and kept getting better, Delaney said. The newcomers have fit in seamlessly, he added.
“I think we are in a better position than we were last year,” said Delaney, a 2013 Wooster graduate who has a 49-20 record in four years leading the Generals. “Last year we still had over half of our varsity team as underclassmen, with quite a bit of sophomores, and now they’re all older. That was our first time being in the playoffs outside of the second round. To get to the regional finals was a new experience for everyone. We only had three seniors, compared to St John’s, who had around 20-25.”
Seniors Braylon Dawson, Jake Haas and Flint and juniors Liam Ozar and Grady Hahn are the team captains.
Seniors Liam Harwood, Charlie Williams and Jake Haas are returning All-Ohioans while classmates Blake Troyer, Cole Kuzma, Aiden Burke, Thomas Foster and Ben Schantz add still more veteran leadership.
Harwood leads the team with 68 points (53 goals, 15 assists), followed by junior Drew Thomas (56, 40/16). Dawson (36 points, 20 goals/16 assists), Hahn (32, 23/9) and Flint (16, 6/10) have added to the attack while juniors Gavin Giauque (26, 21/5) and Brooks Laughlin (25, 15/10) add even more playmaking options.
“We’ve had about the same amount of scoring as last year; it’s just more spread out,” Dawson said. “More players are more integrated in the offense, and more players are getting chances to thrive.”
Williams leads the team with 107 ground balls, Haas has 40 and junior Kellen Smith has 27 to lead the defense. Haas also has caused a team-high 26 turnovers.
“I think this is the best team we’ve had in our four years,” Haas said. “A lot of guys in the field have been playing for a long time, especially as a group together. I think most of us have played together for eight-plus years.”
Ozar has been steady as the goalkeeper with 139 saves and a 59% save percentage.
Junior faceoff specialist Logan Beery has won 88% of his faceoffs (256-291).
“Logan is on pace to probably beat the state record for faceoff wins in a career,” said Delaney, who played college lacrosse for Wilmington and is now a financial adviser. “We’re essentially playing ‘make it, take it’ every day. Every time we score, there’s an 88% chance we’re getting the ball back.”
Asked how Beery became so dominant at winning faceoffs, Delaney shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
“I would love to tell you I had something to do with it, but he just works his butt off,” said Delaney, the Division II Coach of the Year the past two seasons. “He’s really self-trained. He has trained all of our faceoff kids — our varsity backup Tommy Foster and JV faceoff kid (Levi McDonald) are also over 80%. Logan is just a workhorse, great kid, super humble and one of the best the state will ever see at that position.”
The success of the Wooster varsity program has led to increased numbers in the middle school and grade school programs.
Although the current Generals are focusing on one game at a time in the tournament, many will continue their careers at the collegiate level.
Harwood has signed with Lewis, Haas is headed to Liberty, Dawson and Flint have committed to Capital, and Williams will play for John Carroll.
Delaney believes at least five underclassmen also will become collegiate lacrosse players.
Harwood is a returning first-team All-Ohioan while Williams, Beery and Haas earned second-team honors.
While there are certainly individual standouts just about everywhere Delaney looks, he said it’s the team-first attitude that’s helped get Wooster the top ranking entering the tournament.
“We don’t get to this position unless you’ve got 25 guys firing on all cylinders,” Delaney said. “(Lacrosse) is the epitome of a team sport. Everyone’s got to step up, and every kid has bought into winning over stats. The whole goal of our team is to win with respect and hold each other to that standard and be accountable each time.”
Setting the tone for the Generals is Delaney, who is as well-liked and respected as a coach can possibly be among his players.
“He’s a wizard,” Flint said. “He knows everything about every play, every fundamental we need to know. If we see something different in the game, he’s already on it. He’s two steps ahead.”
Dawson said, “(Coach Delaney’s) passion for all the kids on this team is amazing. He wants to push us to do our best and get us to where we all want to go, which is the state championship.”