The state playoffs start this week and players from around New Jersey will come to play with titles on the line.
NJ Advance Media is highlighting the best of the best, featuring the top playmakers in Group 2 who will play at an MVP level in the 2025 NJSIAA state tournament.
North, Group 2
Eddie Brown, Sparta, Jr., A
Brown appears playoff ready for the third-seeded Spartans (8-8) after producing 11 goals and four assists in the last four games. He has a team-high 47 points on 29 goals and 18 assists and has 122 career points with 73 goals and 49 assists.
Luke Caldwell, Hopewell Valley, Sr., A
Caldwell’s prolific play over the past several weeks has moved him into third place all-time for both goals and points behind Manasquan’s Canyon Birch and Johnson’s Matt Poskay with 281 goals and 433 points. The Washington & Lee commit has netted 31 goals and assisted on 13 during the Bulldogs’ current seven-game winning streak.
Matthew Chubenko, Somerville, Sr., A
The Susquehanna commit has a career-high 31 goals this year. Somerville graduated a lot of offensive talent and that left a void. Chubenko has helped fill it. Somerville needs to be efficient on offense in this bracket if it wants to make a run. Chubenko will lead that attack.
Anthony Drago, West Essex, Sr., A
Drago has used his scorching left-handed shot and stellar passing skills to lead the fifth-seeded Knights (11-6) to seven wins in the last eight games by scoring 35 goals and assisting on 12. The Duke commit has generated 94 points this season on 61 goals and 33 assists, and has 364 career points on 239 goals and 125 assists.
Dylan Duerring, Warren Hills, Sr., G
Duerring is one of the best goalies in the state. The Marquette commit has stopped 214 shots this year and only allowed 107 goals. His play in net will make the difference for a Warren Hills team that is hoping to win a sectional title. The Blue Streaks beat top-seeded Hopewell Valley earlier this season, and they like their chance against anyone. Duerring’s twin brother, Brock, is also a Marquette commit and is an X-factor as a long-stick midfielder. Junior Logan Healey has a team-high 60 goals. St. John Fisher commit John Korczukowski has hit clutch shots.
Donnie Duffus, Pascack Valley, Sr. A
Duffus is a dangerous scorer, yet his forte this season has been playing setup man for teammates Dylan Borges, Joe Massaro and Owen Dargas. He has helped his club to a 12-4 mark and No. 4 seed with 16 goals and 44 assists, and has accumulated 217 career points on 80 goals and 137 assists.
Luke Gouse, West Morris, Jr., M/FOGO
Gouse has done an outstanding job throughout the season of establishing possession with his facework work and then presenting even more draw opportunities with his scoring. Gouse has won 205-of-285 at the X this season while compiling 39 points on 32 goals and seven assists. Gouse has won 71 percent of his 637 career faceoffs and has 88 points on 70 goals and 18 assists.
Jack Powers, Holmdel, Sr., FOGO
Powers made history earlier this season when he became the first player in state history to win 1,000 faceoffs. That’s a big deal in a state where Trevor Baptiste, a former MVP of the Premier Lacrosse League, was a star FOGO at Morristown-Beard. Powers has been the guy at the faceoff X since day one at Holmdel. His ability to win the ball puts Holmdel in a position to set the pace in games. He’ll be an X-factor in a road game against Somerville this week.
South, Group 2
Liam Butler, Robbinsville, Jr., M
Butler is the Ravens’ top scorer with 50 goals and 22 assists, and they will need him to be be extra sharp Wednesday against Sterling as they look to snap a three-game losing streak. He enters the game with 129 career points on 94 goals and 35 assists.
Jake Hasson, Seneca, Sr., M
Hasson has been a consistent scorer for Seneca since he earned a starting role in 2022. The senior really broke out as a sophomore with 38 goals and 25 assists. He’s on pace to match those numbers now as a senior. Seneca started 1-5, but turned things around. This team comes into the playoffs with seven wins in its last 11 games.
Michael Hoarle, Wall, Sr., M
Hoarle was awesome on faceoffs before he got hurt in the first week of last season. He missed the rest of the year. The Bryant commit has taken any faceoffs in 2025. He’s become more of an offensive presence, though. Hoarle has a career-high 38 goals and 32 assists. His ability to create scoring has helped carry this team. UMBC commit Wyatt Capro leads the team with 44 goals. This team has the chance to play its best lacrosse at the perfect time of year.
Brandon Kunz, Manasquan, Sr., A
The Lehigh commit scored seven times in the Shore Conference final, but Manasquan came up short and was on the wrong side of a 15-14 thriller. It was the second year in a row that Manasquan’s title hopes were dashed in the conference championship game. This team has to leave that loss behind it now. Manasquan is the heavy favorite in this section and the overall favorite to win its first-ever Group 2 championship. Kunz leads a skilled offense that also features Bentley commit Ryan Aldi, Monmouth commit Matt Schneider and Cornell commit Jack O’Reilly. Junior Lucas Longo has come up clutch in big spots. Villanova commit Parker Harms leads a defense that also needs to step up if Manasquan is going to make history in June.
Sean McCaffery, Allentown, Sr., M
The Quinnipiac commit has guided the Redbirds (11-4) to nine wins in the last 11 games with his well-balanced offensive game. McCaffery is an astute scorer and passer, and he also was Allentown’s top faceoff man last season. His junior brother Brian handles the majority of the draws this season, though big brother is still available. McCaffery has compiled 240 career points.
Corey Smith, Lacey, Sr., A
Smith has put up insane numbers the last three years, averaging 95 points a season. He had his best year last spring, finishing with 63 goals and 40 assists. He’s taken a small step back as a scorer this year, but has moved the ball around well and has a career-high 45 assists. Lacey will hit the road in the first round and will rely on its offense to make a push for an upset. Junior Braedyn Gialanella has been unreal as well on attack and will be a player to watch.
Luke Tortorici, Barnegat, Sr., M
Tortorici missed most of last season with a case of pancreatitis that hospitalized him. Doctors inserted metal stents to drain fluid from a softball-size pseudocyst. Tortorici is back now and having the best season of his career. He leads Barnegat with 66 goals and 42 assists. Tortorici has set program records for points, goals, assists and ground balls this spring. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound York College commit is the headliner of the best team in school history.
Carson Wiley, Sterling, So., M
Wiley is a young star for a program that is hoping to grow. The sophomore leads his team with 48 goals and 41 assists. Wiley came in as a rookie last year and wowed everyone with 42 goals and 52 assists. That type of offensive play is something that Sterling can count on.
Jack Scherbin, Ocean City, Jr., M/A
Scherbin scored a huge goal earlier this season that gave Ocean City a 4-3 double-overtime win over Mainland. The comeback win earned Ocean City the No. 1 seed in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament and home-field advantage in that bracket. Ocean City made the best of that and beat Mainland, 9-7, in the final to secure another CAL Tournament championship. Scherbin scored twice in the final. He’s part of an offense that has matured throughout the year.
Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeKinneyHS.
Brandon Gould can be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrandonGouldHS.
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