Who are the best boys lax teams in Rhode Island? Check out our rankings after Week 3

If you’re not a coach or player and are here for the rankings, you can skip this part of the column and slide right on down to see what you came for.

But if you’re a coach, it’s important that you read this.

While I don’t understand the rules or strategies, I enjoy lacrosse. I’m a lacrosse dad now and half the fun is having my 11-year old explain what she did at practice, then answer every question I have.

There isn’t anyone in media pushing the sport more than me. I’m appalled kids who don’t have a spring sport don’t play lacrosse. Football players should be out there. Every girls basketball player in the state should be playing. Soccer players should realize club coaches are selling lies and they can, in fact, play another sport – and their skillset is perfect for lacrosse.

For better or worse, lacrosse is a niche sport and there aren’t a lot of people who just decide to play. It needs better exposure and that starts at the community level.

The sport needs visibility and part of that is getting people excited about the local program. So far this year, that hasn’t happened.

If you’re looking for accurate standings or a schedule for teams, good luck. I understand there are multiple kinks with the RIIL’s new website provider, but the fact that scores aren’t being inputted and rescheduled games aren’t being adjusted to avoid confusion is embarrassing for everyone – the league, administrators and the coaches.

Coaches should care about this as much as they care about the actual games. If I’m coaching a team, I want my community to know how I’m doing in the standings. I want everyone to know when we’re playing. That only helps gain the attention of some random kid in the community who could end up being the next superstar.

If I’m a coach, I also want my players to gain as much attention as possible. There are various community papers that pop in now and then and same with television. The Journal gets to as many games as possible, but our goal is to have thorough writeups on every game, every day.

Problem is lacrosse coaches aren't the best when it comes to sending in results.

For the third straight year, we had to ditch plans on running a Providence Journal Lacrosse Player of the Week poll. If you check our daily roundups, you’ll see a ton of baseball, softball and volleyball, but very little from lacrosse.

The why is obvious. Despite constant pleading and begging, the large majority of the state’s lacrosse coaches don't send in results.

Reporting information from a game is very easy. Send an email to [email protected]. In the subject line, you tell us the teams and the final score. In the body copy, you give us the goals quarter-by-quarter and the total (i.e. Barrington 3-4-1-3-11) and give us the names (first and last) of the top three scorers on the winning team and the top two scorers on the losing team. If a goalie had a big day, give us their save numbers. If another player had a big moment or scored a big goal, mention it.

We want this information so we can write about it. For the most part, it’s for our daily roundups. But these briefs are also how we discover which teams are playing well and which players are becoming stars. These are the teams and players I want to write about and when it comes time to pick which games I’m going to, I’m leaning on covering the teams that seem like they care about getting their programs as much exposure as possible.

I hope when I sit down next Sunday to write my rankings for next week, this message will have been heard loud and clear.

Now let’s get on to the rankings.

RIIL Boys Lacrosse Division I Power Rankings

1. La Salle (6-0)

With the RPI scheduling the Rams and rival Moses Brown only play once this season. I don’t know which side is responsible for this, but this can’t happen again. Play at the end of April. Play at the end of May. Play in the state title game. No excuses. La Salle has wins coming up this week at home against Pilgrim Monday, Hendricken Wednesday and then one they have to try in against Notre Dame Catholic, but let’s be honest – we’d rather see the Rams play the University of Notre Dame.

2. Moses Brown (3-1)

It’s absolutely terrifying watching the Quakers play like they did last week against Barrington and realize that there’s another team a few steps ahead of them. Moses Brown is painfully good and the only game that matters the rest of the way is the state championship. The Quakers host North Kingstown Monday, play at Catholic Memorial Tuesday, then hos Fordham Preparatory on Friday.

3. Barrington (2-1)

I pitched this to football teams a few years back and I’ll make the same pitch to lax – have a public school state championship game. You can schedule it after the semifinals on the Friday before the state championship. Play it anywhere. Get a trophy. The RIIL doesn’t need to be involved. I’ll cover it (provided there’s nothing else going on). Barrington will throw its weight around this week at Cumberland Monday and then host Portsmouth on Saturday.

4. North Kingstown (3-2)

If we’re being completely honest with D-I boys lacrosse, the Skippers might have played in the most competitive game of the season when they beat Hendricken and that rematch might end up being No. 2. NK has to find a way to beat Barrington and avoid getting seeded fourth in the playoffs. This week the Skippers have two games, at Moses Brown Monday and hosting Pilgrim on Wednesday.

ON THE BUBBLE: Hendricken (0-3)

 RIIL Boys Lacrosse Division II Power Rankings

1. East Greenwich (4-0)

It’s really a 1 and 1-A situation with the D-II ranks, but we’ll give the Avengers credit with two wins last week over Division I.5 teams – Cumberland and South Kingstown – and put them No. 1. East Greenwich will keep plugging forward hosting Chariho on Tuesday and what should be a tough game Friday against Middletown. Portsmouth awaits the Avengers next week, but they have to focus on what’s in front of them first.

2. Portsmouth (4-1)

The Patriots have an argument to be No. 1 but right now East Greenwich’s resume is a touch better – although a seven-goal loss to Moses Brown is more impressive than a lot of wins. Tuesday will show us how good this team is as Portsmouth hosts defending D-II champ Prout. The Patriots can’t look past Cranston West Thursday and Friday’s road game against Barrington will help make this team better.

3. Prout (4-2)

With their only two losses coming to Division I teams, its time to give the defending D-II champs their flowers. The Crusaders have come along at a perfect pace and Tuesday’s game at Portsmouth could give them a chance to flex some muscle. A loss won’t kill championship hopes, but things won’t get easier Thursday when Prout hosts South Kingstown.

4. Middletown (4-1)

Looking at the Islanders’ schedule its clear the first half is softer than the second, but you’ve still got to go out and win and that’s what they’re doing right now. Middletown travels to play East Greenwich on Friday in the big game of the week, but it would be mistaken if it thinks it can just look past Smithfield on Tuesday. Win that first, then worry about what’s next.

ON THE BUBBLE: Westerly

RIIL Boys Lacrosse D-III Power Rankings

1. Mt. Hope (5-1)

This division is an unmitigated disaster (only proving that the RIIL screwed up big time by allowing four divisions) but the Huskies have been a steady presence. Their lone loss came to a D-II team and right now, they’re in a different class than the rest of the division. Mt. Hope has a busy week to prove as much, hosting PCDSRA on Monday, traveling to Lincoln Thursday and D-II Smithfield on either Friday or Saturday, depending on whether or not you believe the schedule their athletic director has posted.

2. North Smithfield (3-2)

The Northmen’s two losses have come to Mt. Hope and D-II Chariho and with the rest of D-III in disarray, this is probably the slow they belong. North Smithfield took a week off during vacation and we’ll see how much rust has developed when it travels to play Narragansett Monday. The Northmen are going to have another challenge Wednesday against D-IV Tiverton, which would probably be a top team in D-III right now.

3. Lincoln (3-1)

After losing their first game of the season, the Lions were looking to bounce back during vacation week but their one game got whacked due to an unplayable field. Lincoln will have to find its footing fast and hosting Burrillville is a good game to let that happen. Thursday is the big test, as the Lions host Mt. Hope in a game that will tell us a lot about the title contenders in D-III.

4. Coventry (2-2)

Are the Oakers a darkhorse? Coventry grabbed a pair of wins last week coming off tough losses to Mt. Hope and Lincoln, so things are certainly trending up. This is a prove-it week for the Oakers, traveling to play Toll Gate Monday, Narragansett Wednesday and Burrillville Friday. If Coventry sweeps, we’ll be dropping the dark horse title.

ON THE BUBBLE: Toll Gate (2-2)

RIIL Boys Lacrosse Division IV Power Rankings

1. Scituate 4-0

Talking to the Spartans after their win over Cranston East/Johnston, its clear they’re working on winning a title. It’s also clear they’d prefer to be doing it in Division III and with how they’ve played this season, it’s a shame the RIIL screwed up realignment in boys lacrosse this badly. A championship won’t be handed over, but Scituate is ready to work. The Spartans host Ponaganset Tuesday and Burrillville Thursday before traveling to play Rogers Friday.

2. Rogers (4-1)

It’s been a strong start to the season and this week we’ll find out if the Vikings can truly contend for a D-IV title. Rogers last game was a loss to D-III Narragansett on April 10, but it will have to shake the rust off fast Tuesday when it travels to play Tiverton. Friday won’t get easier when it hosts Scituate. If Rogers can pull out both, there’s going to be a new No. 1 next week.

3. Tiverton (4-0)

If everyone could do more with less as good as the Tigers, the world would be a better place. There are bigger rosters everywhere, but Tiverton’s talent and chemistry is evident. They pulled out a tough win over Ponaganset last week followed by two easier dubs against Cranston East/Johnston and North Providence. This week things get tougher hosting Tiverton on Tuesday and North Smithfield Wednesday. The Tigers follow that with a road trip to East Providence and could move up a spot if things go right.

4. Ponaganset (4-2)

Last week the Chieftains followed a tough one-goal loss to  Tiverton with an 11-6 win over Burrillville and its clear this team is playing with a different type of confidence than it’s had in a while. Tuesday will be a defining game for Ponaganset’s season and Scituate will offer quite the challenge, but how it responds after will tell the story of the team. The Chieftains close the week hosting Classical on Friday.

ON THE BUBBLE: East Providence (1-3)