Sports of All Sorts: John Jay Boys Lax Looks Ahead to Playoffs

Just a couple of months ago, John Jay's boys lacrosse team was mired in uncertainty.

The Indians were getting set to start the season with a new head coach for the first time in 10 years.

Then, one of the team's leading returnees, midfielder Brandon Merlino, who is headed to the Division I University of Maryland-Baltimore County, was lost for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a March scrimmage.

But now, with the seedings and selections for the Section 1 tournament set to be made on Thursday, May 20, the Indians have enjoyed one of the best regular seasons in school history.

John Jay can finish the regular season at 15-1 if it wins its final regular-season game on Wednesday, May 19 against Arlington (10-5).

The Indians, who are ranked eighth in the most recent Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse National High School Power Rankings, have clinched the No. 1 seed in Class B for the sectional tournament, which gets under way with first-round games on Saturday, May 22. The quarterfinals are set for May 25. The semifinals will be played May 27. The Section 1 Class B final is set for June 2 at 3 p.m. at White Plains High School.

Here's a look at some regular-season highlights for John Jay:

* Picked up an 8-7 opening-week win at Yorktown – the Indians' first victory against the Huskers, who have won 28 sectional titles the last 30 years, since 2007.

* Won both regular-season meeting against Somers, which defeated John Jay 14-9 in last year's Class B sectional final, ending the Indians' run of four straight sectional titles. After beating Somers 9-7 on April 15 at John Jay, the Indians defeated the Tuskers 12-6 at Somers on May 4.

* Won a game on Long Island for just the second time in school history, defeating host Syosset 12-8 on May 1. (The other win on Long Island came when John Jay stunned the nation's then No. 1-ranked team and two-time state champ Huntington in the 2007 state semifinals at Hofstra University.)

* Scored a season-high number of goals in a 14-9 win over defending Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference champion Ridgefield on May 15.

* Defeated Corning East 6-5 in overtime, marking John Jay's third win in the last four years against the Trojans.

* Pulled out one-goal wins against two-time Class A sectional final Lakeland/Panas and Rye, which has won four Class C sectional titles the last five years.

Defense, a staple of first-year head coach Tim Schurr, has been one of the main reasons for John Jay's success.

John Jay has relied on a two-goalie rotation for each game with seniors Bobby Maher and Fletcher Franklin each playing a half in each of the Indians' games.

The defense has been led by the play of Johns Hopkins-bound senior long-stick midfielder Jameson Pickel and the close defense of seniors Greg Smyth and Zack Waldman and freshman Jack Lambert.

Offensively, balanced scoring has been the key to John Jay's success with attackmen Mike Daniello, Brendan Morris and Billy Pray and midfielders Forrest Walter, Jake Weil, Will O'Donnell, Jimmy Morris and Tom Beck. Daniello, a junior headed to Johns Hopkins, leads the team in scoring with 29 goals and 24 assists.