One Percent Showcase 2023 Evaluations: Red and Royal Blue

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The stars came out to play at the One Percent Showcase!

The best players in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes came to Capelli Sports Complex in Tinton Falls, New Jersey to test themselves against the nation’s elite. Competitors want to see how they stack up against the best, and that’s exactly what went down here.

Every player at the event receives an evaluation from our talented, knowledgeable group of evaluators. Yes, all 430+ players that played get broken down here! Check back in the coming days as we continue to upload evaluations and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel as we add all game footage from the event.

All photos in this story are courtesy of Alex McIntyre. CLICK HERE for photo gallery links and to purchase photos from Alex.

CLICK HERE to see evaluations from the ’23 Black and White teams.

2023 Red

No. 1 John McCurry, attack, Wall (N.J.) / Leading Edge
All-Star for the second straight One Percent. McCurry was always a threat to make a positive play when the ball was in his stick. He’s got a vast skill set and it’s clear that he has a palpable understanding of the game. He’s a creative, well-rounded player and an effective shooter who isn’t afraid to finish in front of the goal. McCurry has excellent stick protection and outstanding foot work.

No. 2 Colin Gols, attack, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) / Shore2Shore
Gols is an outstanding player with an impressive shot. He can carry a double team, redodge, and make the next right play. It was hard to deter him from going to the cage, even while matching up against some very talented defensive players. There is so much to like about what Gols has to offer as an attackman: he’s an efficient scorer between the hash marks, he takes care of the ball, and lastly, he demonstrated the ability to play offense behind the cage or on the high wings.

No. 3 Harrison Edwards, attack, West Linn (Ore.) / West Coast Starz
The young man from the Pacific Northwest has serious game. He can beat his man, draw a double team, and make the correct read progression. He’s unselfish, opportunistic, and skilled. Edwards possesses a number of different finishes, in addition to range on his shot. His ability to change speed and direction on his defender allowed Edwards to routinely get to the middle of the field.

No. 4 Gavin Arcuri, attack, Westhampton Beach (N.Y.) / FLG
Arcuri has a deadly left hand and he knows how to use his wide variety of dodges to get back to his dominant hand. He rides to the midfield, competes for ground balls, and is a very tough player. Arcuri won’t settle for low percentage shots, and like all good attackmen, he finishes in front knowing full well he’ll have to absorb a hard check.

No. 6 Ryan Falkenstein, midfield, Malvern Prep (Pa.) / Freedom
All-Star for the second time. An elite athlete with great size, Falkenstein clears the ball from defense to offense with ease, and he shoots it with pace. He uses his size to make first contact against defenders, allowing him to bounce, redodge, clear his hands, and then pass or shoot. His athleticism and understanding of individual and team defense proved to be incredibly helpful to his team throughout the day. More importantly, it showed his commitment to playing both ends of the field.

No. 8 Zach Bye, midfield, Hotchkiss (Conn.) / 2Way
Bye has powerful wrists that allow him to be more creative than most attackmen. He can dangle his stick, bring it back to the middle of the field, and escape double teams all with one hand on his stick. Bye takes care of the ball and is a threat to score when he dodges between the hash marks. He’s a powerful player who knows how to use his body to back down a defender and draw a double team.

No. 9 Mekhi Taylor, midfield, Pingree (Mass.) / NE Twisters
Taylor has an explosive and effective left-to-right split dodge. When he’s able to get his hands free, and that’s more often than not, he gets his shot on the cage and makes the goalie work to save the ball. He has two different release points that were effective: a deceptive three-quarter arm shot down the alley to go along with an overhand shot on sweeps and from the wing. Taylor is athletic and can turn on his speed at a moment’s notice. In the open field, a five yard advantage for the Pingree middie will quickly turn into seven in the blink of an eye. Defensively, he’s hard to beat on the ball because of his athletic prowess, toughness, and footwork. He makes contact on his opponent’s hips within five yards and is someone teams should be a little slow to help on defense.

No. 10 Sean Mullan, midfield, Maine South (Ill.) / Team Illinois
The Team Illinois product was able to showcase his athleticism and high level of skill at the One Percent Showcase. Mullan is an excellent finisher between the hash marks, but he can also stretch the defense with his outside shot. He has a number of effective dodges, including a face dodge is the most deceptive move in his repertoire.

No. 11 Tyler Moore, midfield, Connetquot (N.Y.) / Team 91 LI Warriors

Like many left-handed lacrosse players, Moore has a knack for getting back to the middle of the field to shoot with his dominant hand. Moore is a very deceptive dodger who knows how to get his hands free to pass or shoot. He plays with his head up and he moved the ball to his teammates after drawing slides. Teams also had to respect his ability to shoot out of his dodge because of the velocity and accuracy of his shot.

No. 12 Will Schlamme, faceoff, Mamaroneck (N.Y.) / Team 91 Tristate Schlamme’s reactionary counter moves allowed him to compete with some of the top faceoff athletes in the country. He did an excellent job of pinching and popping, which  put pressure on the defense after winning the draw. He’s a skilled player who has the ability to play effective individual and team defense.

No. 13 Ryan Cunningham, faceoff, Salesianum (Del.) / Brotherly Love 

All-Star. Another talented and well-coached faceoff athlete who battled all day long, Cunningham has all of the tools people are looking for at the stripe. His clamp plunger is lethal. The few opponents who were able to counter Cunningham’s initial move had difficulty dislodging the ball because of his balance and disciplined exits. When he was able to go forward, he was an incredibly dangerous player with the ball in his stick. Cunningham throws a catchable ball to the point attackmen when it’s necessary to do so, and he made a point to finish his cuts off of breaks. His hustle and ability not to get beat off the field also stood out.

No. 14 James Carroll, LSM, Boston College High (Mass.) / Laxachusetts Black
All-Star. BC High must have a laboratory where they create these freakishly athletic and talented defensemen. Carroll plays tenacious on-ball defense and he is a menace to his opponents when the ball is on the ground.  He’s got a very unique skillset. He dodges and handles the ball like a midfielder, hoovers ground balls like a faceoff athlete, and he covers ground from box-to-box and sideline-to-sideline like with ease using his long strides and speed. He’s also an exceptional takeaway guy. Teams bury long stick middies like James in the crease for a reason.

No. 15 Hampton Yarbrough, LSM, Stratford (Ga.) / Team UNRL
Yarbrough’s game creativity in the open field certainly merited attention. He can knock a loose ball into space in order to pick it up, and when he does, he’s a threat to score. The highly skilled LSM from Georgia program is an incredibly effective dodger and passer. He has an active stick that allows him to harass his opponents at the event. He also impressed with his verbal communication and his understanding of team defense.

No. 16 Sam Ralston, defense, Hartland (Mich.) / Cherries
All-Star. One of the most talented defensemen in the country, Ralston is physical, disciplined, hard-working, and he communicates well with his teammates. He has tremendous stick work and he throws accurate cross field passes. The Michigan made defenseman isn’t afraid to challenge anyone, though the same can’t be said about all attackmen that have the chance to go against him. He will be a highly sought after prospect on 9.1.

No. 17 Wells Bergstrom, defense, Manheim Township (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH
Bergstrom has good footwork behind the cage and on the goal line. He has an effective v-hold and keeps his stick off of his hip in his long and short approaches. Attackmen have to protect their sticks when Bergstrom is on the ball. He uses pokes, lifts and slap checks to harass his opponents and dislodge the ball when called for. He has the athleticism and skill to float from defense to long stick midfield. He got to the right places in the clearing game, in addition to finding his open teammates.

No. 18 Luke Bobby, defense, Loyola (Ill.) / Midwest Express
Bobby can cover middies in the open field, collapse on the crease to support his teammates, and he keeps his stick in front of him on his approaches. He was able to gather contested ground balls on the wing to provide his team with additional possessions, as well as give the team a bit of a toughness boost.

No. 19 Luca Meola, defense, Briarcliff Manor (N.Y.) / Prime Time
The Prime Time program continues to develop some of the most talented defenseman in the country, and Luca’s game was on full display. Meola’s active stick makes it hard for attackmen to get their hands free. Additionally, he keeps his stick up in passing lanes when he’s playing off ball defense, collects ground balls and help his team clear it. When he steps over the midline with the ball in his stick, he’s a threat to make a positive play. Meola doesn’t shy away from contact when he’s on the ball or in the paint.

No. 20 Patrick Keenan, defense, Malvern Prep (Pa.) / Freedom 

Keenan has made significant strides since last fall. His patience on the ball is his greatest quality. Keenan’s efficient in the movement of his feet and stick. He moves with grace from a side run to a shuffle, all while keeping his stick in the correct place. His opponents had a hard time capitalizing on his mistakes because he makes so few of them. Additionally, he can pick up tough ground balls and make the correct read in the clearing game. His reliability makes him one of the better defenders in the class. As is said about really good defenders, you don’t notice them all of the time because their opponent shies away from challenging them. That was the case for Keenan.

No. 21 Matthew Craybas, goalie, Christian Brothers (N.Y.) / Orange Crush
The CBA keeper takes up a lot of the cage and he plays with gusto. His passion for the position and making saves was palpable. He was fun to evaluate at the event. His greatest strength as a goalie is his ability to sit and remain in his stance on outside shots. He doesn’t hitch, and as a result, he can make stops on some powerful shooters.

No. 22 Cole Kluepfel, goalie, Bay Shore (N.Y.) / LI Rush
Kluepfel was vocal, demonstrative in his use of non-verbal communication to organize his defense, and he made several big stops throughout the day. Kluepfel steps to the ball and gets his body behind his stick to control rebounds. He was also tough to score on against on outside shots. The shooters at the One Percent Showcase are some of the most talented in the country and Kluepfel performed well.

No. 23 James Cardillo, midfield, Middle Creek (N.C.) / Team 91 Carolina
The Team 91 Carolina lefty has a quick release and a powerful shot. He is an aggressive dodger and an efficient scorer. He wasn’t afraid to challenge his defensive player, and as the day wore on, his confidence skyrocketed as he started to collect points.

2023 Royal Blue

No. 1 Ryan DiRocco, attack, Haverford School (Pa.) / Mesa
DiRocco’s boasts a very complete skill set. He has excellent footwork, an accurate shot, consistent stick work, and a competitive spirit that was on display at the event. He rides to the midline and can manipulate a defense using the two man game. A high-IQ attackman, he takes high percentage shots and he doesn’t turn the ball over on offense.

No. 2 Jack Speidell, attack, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) / Team 91 LI Bandits
Speidell’s skill set, understanding of the game, and propensity to make plays when it matters the most, set him apart from many of the attackmen at the event. He has an effective roll dodge to his dominant hand, the ability to create space with his footwork, and he can score at a moment’s notice. Many of the most talented defenders at the event had difficulty preventing Jack from getting to the middle of the field, or stop him from creating chances for his teammates. He’s expanded his game from being an off-ball finisher to a more complete attackman after being the top guy for a stacked St. Anthony’s JV team this spring.

No. 3 Ethan Taerstein, attack, Blind Brook (N.Y.) / 2Way
Taerstein is an explosive dodger and an outstanding shooter. He can look through a defense to find open teammates, and more importantly, the ball gets out of his stick quickly in settled and unsettled situations. Taerstein moves well without the ball and he has the ability to play midfield with his vast skill set and burst of speed.

No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy, attack, Springfield (Pa.) / Freedom
It’s hard to believe, but Kennedy has improved on his already very good ability to shoot the ball. His release is quicker, his shot is more accurate, and he avoids allowing goalies to make clean saves. He’s become a more adept passer and his stick work is fundamentally sound. Kennedy knows how to get himself open when he doesn’t have the ball and he made the right plays on offense throughout the day.

No. 5 Hunter Polonkey, attack, Brother Rice (Mich.) / Cherries
The lefty from Michigan had a breakout year for Brother Rice, using his wide array of skills to help his team secure another state championship. Polonkey has soft hands and an accurate shot. He has the ability to find open teammates after drawing a double team, and he used his athleticism to beat his defender to the middle of the field throughout the day.Polonkey can absorb contact, soak checks, and pick up loose balls in a crowd. He rides to the midline and plays with his head up on offense.

No. 6 Brendan Poirier, midfield, Rivers (Mass.) / Fighting Clams
Poirier has great range on his shot. However, once the defense realizes that they have to approach him quickly on skip passes, he digs deep into his bag of tricks to get to the goal. He dodges hard, but he plays even harder. His effort and energy on loose balls, individual defense, and his ability to clear the ball stood out. Poirier is truly a two-way midfielder who is a force to be reckoned with when he steps on the field.

No. 7 Julian Targete, midfield, IMG (Fla.) / Laxachusetts
All-Star for the second time. Targete had another banner day at the event. His greatest asset is his ability to draw a double team on a consistent basis. Targete can carry double teams and read defenses quite well. There were several occasions where Targete made feeds to his teammates that resulted in positive plays. When his feet are moving and he’s going to the cage, his opponents can’t help but have their eyes fixated on him-simply put, he makes the defense compromise its principles when he’s on the field. His upside on the defensive end of the field is high because of his footwork and change of direction, and few middies in the class have his gamebreaking potential.

No. 8 Aidan Lough, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express
All-Star. Lough’s stick work and ability to shoot the ball were on full display at the One Percent Showcase. Lough is a deceptive shooter who possesses several release points (click here for video evidence – what even IS that?). He thoroughly impressed with a step back dodge to a shot that appeared effortless. Lough is also a physical dodger who uses his body to gain an advantage over his opponents, and he’s got the shake to leave guys reaching for air on a consistent basis.

No. 9 Ryan Hildebrand, midfield, Rocky River (Ohio) / Burning River
Hildebrand had a breakout performance at the One Percent Showcase. He has excellent footwork, which he used to dodge hard and play tenacious man-to-man defense. He consistently made positive plays for his team and he made a positive impression on all of the evaluators at the event. Hildebrand is a well-coached player who made a number of correct decisions with the ball in his stick.

No. 10 Jack Higgins, midfield, East Grand Rapids (Mich.) / Cherries
The do-it-all midfielder from Michigan had a very strong day. He can beat his man off of a dodge, play on and off-ball defense effectively, clear the ball using his athleticism, and pick up contested ground balls. Whenever something positive was happening between the lines, Higgins was close to the action. He’s your prototypical two-way midfielder with the mental and physical toughness that any coach would want from a young man on his roster.

No. 11 Patrick Mullen, midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / Prime Time
The lefty has a nasty right-to-left split dodge that he used to score throughout the day. With that being said, one of his greatest strengths is his ability to get to the middle of the field to take high-percentage shots. Mullen doesn’t settle for shots outside of his range. More importantly, he has an effective hitch move that can freeze a defender, and a defense, with relative ease. He is a well-rounded player who moves well from box-to-box.

No. 12 Trent Layton, faceoff, Academy of the New Church (Pa.) / Duke’s
Layton’s incredibly quick hands helped him win a number of draws. His bottom and top sidewall moves were both well-executed, and it’s clear that he excels in the chess match of standing neutral grip faceoffs. His clamp plunger and quick rakes seem to be his best moves. Additionally, once Layton is able to get his opponent on his back, he can escape pressure and get the ball to his teammates. If his opponents were able to tie him up, Layton was able to counter and turn a lost clamp to a 50-50 ground ball.

No. 13 Hale Brown, faceoff, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Tri-State
Brown presents a number of matchup problems for his opponents. His size and strength allowed him to outmuscle his opponents at the stripe. Even if he lost the clamp, it was difficult for opponents to beat him after he sawed down on the ball. Brown excelled at using his wings throughout the day, which is a sign of a well-coached and savvy player. He was dogged in his pursuit of ground balls and he had a handful of good counters.

No. 14 Michael Cassano, defense, MacArthur (N.Y.) / Team 91 LI Warriors
The technically sound and athletic defender performed with distinction at the event, showing well as a quiet cover man who blankets his opponents. He has disciplined long and short approaches, and he was decisive in his slide decisions. Cassano has an active stick and was an asset to his team in the clearing game. Lastly, he was very effective in closing out on shooters and taking away space from attackmen throughout the day.

No. 15 Brayden Penafather-Stevenson, LSM, Baldwinsville (N.Y.)
Penafather-Stevenson is explosive off of the wing and his tremendous skill set was on display all day long. He is an outstanding stick handler who has good footwork. He can change speed and direction well, and he uses his stick wisely in order to keep dodging midfielders at bay. Penafather-Stevenson impressed with his ability to collect ground balls and he had solid off-ball technique. He has good posture and he keeps his stick in passing lanes when he’s supporting his teammates. Penafather-Stevenson made good decisions in the open field with the ball in his stick instead of forcing passes to places where they shouldn’t be thrown.

No. 16 Nate Schwitzenberg, defense, Loyola (Ill.) / True
A talented defenseman who may very well be one of the best in his region and the country. Schwitzenberg has great size, strength, and an active stick. He can cover faster attackmen with his long strides and quicker ones with his excellent footwork. He relishes contact at GLE and he worked well with his defensive teammates. Schwitzenberg has excellent off ball posture and he keeps his stick up and in passing lanes.

No. 19 Sam Sneider, defense, Forest Hills Central (Mich.)
Sneider has phenomenal stick work and is excellent at picking up contested ground balls. An outstanding athlete with a burst of speed and long strides, he also uses his terrific stick to knock down and intercept skip passes. He has a variety of stick checks that he used to keep attackmen at bay. Sneider is a versatile player with the stick and athleticism.

No. 20 Pablo Strid, defense, Radnor (Pa.) / Mesa
Another standout defenseman from the reigning state champion and public powerhouse Raiders, Stridhas an active stick that he used to keep offensive players at bay. Additionally, he created turnovers and turned them into positive offensive possessions for his team. He moves well from end-to-end and was effective at collecting loose balls. Strid collapsed well while playing off ball defense, and he can close out on offensive players without compromising his team’s defense.

No. 21 Walker Hunter, goalie, Shore (N.J.) / Leading Edge
Another good one out of the Leading Edge goalie factory – two of the four All-American goalies plied their trade with Chris Roy’s program – Hunter does so many of the things that excellent goalies should do in the cage in order to save the ball. He stays set, sits on the shooter and he gobbles up shots. Hunter was excellent at reading and beating shooters inside, and as a result, he made a few eye-pooping stops. He appears to have improved his clearing ability, too, as he made a number of pinpoint passes. Hunter explodes to bounce shots with his top hand to stop rebounds. He’s a technically sound keeper with notable athleticism.

No. 22 Riley Stanton, goalie, Roxbury Latin (Mass.) / Laxachusetts
Stanton is technically sound, an excellent passer, and he possesses a keen understanding of team defense. He’s explosive to shots at his feet, and more importantly, he gets it out of his stick quickly after making a save. Stanton takes up a lot of the cage with his frame, and he is a goalie that can be depended on to do all of the little things correctly in order to help his team achieve success.

No. 23 Eric Elbery, midfield, Pelham Memorial (N.Y.) / 2Way
Elbery moves incredibly well from one end of the field to the other. His game is smooth from top to bottom. His stick work is consistent, he’s an accurate shooter, and a fundamentally-sound player. Elbery does all the little things correctly, and as a result, he had a positive impact on his team’s performance throughout the day.