(Photo Courtesy of Highland Park Lacrosse/Instagram)

Across the South, the high school lacrosse regular season is winding down and playoffs are on the horizon or underway.

The Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) gets its tournament play underway this weekend. State champions will be crowned on Sunday, May 14.

THSLL Class AA Tournament

After a regular season filled with chaos, the bracket is set in stone in the top classification in the state. Highland Park has the top seed while Westlake is the No. 2 seed and The Woodlands is the No. 3 seed. Southlake and Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) got the fourth and fifth seeds.

Highland Park is the team to beat as the Scots have gone unbeaten against Lone Star State competition this spring. The Scots also have wins over northeast powers Garden City (N.Y.) and Don Bosco (N.J.). The Scots are headlined by senior goalie Ben Able (Loyola signee). The future Loyola Greyhound has lived up to the expectations this season, asserting himself as the best goalie in the state.

Westlake’s only two losses this season came in late March against ESD and Southlake, whom they lost to consecutively. The Woodlands, led by first year head coach Anthony DeMaio, has just three losses on the year (Dallas Jesuit, Highland Park, Westlake). Southlake is amidst one of its best seasons ever with five losses on the year. Two of those came versus in-state teams (St. Mark’s, The Woodlands, Highland Park).

Arguably the top first round game will be Southlake hosting ESD. The Dragons beat the Eagles 14-6 earlier this season. Elsewhere during the opening weekend, Westlake plays a Dallas Jesuit team whom they beat 8-4 in early March while St. Mark’s plays The Woodlands. Those two did not play in the regular season.

THSLL Class AA Tournament Bracket

Five Players to Watch

Ben Abel, Goalie, Highland Park, (Sr., Loyola signee)

Henry Boykin, M, St. Mark’s (Sr., Bucknell signee)

Jarrett Bessette, M, Westlake (Sr., High Point signee)

Sean Browne, Attack, ESD, (Jr., Virginia commit)

Paxton Smith, A/M, Highland Park (So.)