The best high school lacrosse programs in Florida, and several of the best in the country, convene in Naples this week for the FHSAA state playoffs, with semifinals and finals scheduled Thursday through Saturday across two classifications for both boys and girls.
Every game will be played at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. None of the games will air on traditional television, but fans can stream all of them live on the NFHS Network, which offers an annual plan at $6.67 per month or a monthly plan at $13.99 per month.
The boys' bracket carries particular national weight. The top four teams in the MaxPreps national rankings are all in the field, split evenly between Class 1A and 2A. Saint Andrew's enters ranked No. 1 in the country and is chasing a return to the 1A final. Standing in the way of that goal, potentially, is two-time defending champion Benjamin, which sits on the other side of the 1A bracket. In 2A, national No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas is attempting to defend its title, while No. 2 Ponte Vedra, last year's finalist, is looking for a different result this time around.
The girls' side carries its own streak on the line. National No. 1 American Heritage and No. 2 Lake Highland Prep have met in six consecutive 1A state championship games, and both programs are positioned to make it seven. In the 2A bracket, national No. 3 Ponte Vedra is chasing a first state title but faces a difficult semifinal matchup against Vero Beach, a program that has won the championship seven times. Plant, the defending 2A champion, is still alive in the other semifinal.
The full schedule runs Thursday through Saturday, with championships concluding the weekend.
