Ten years of high school boys lacrosse in Montana are in the books! To celebrate this momentous occasion, we compiled a list of some of the top players of the past ten years and are proud to present our All-Decade Team! We chose 5 Attackmen, 5 Midfielders, 5 Defensemen, 2 Long-Stick Midfielders, 2 Face-Off Specialists, and 2 Goalies to make up the roster, and also included a number of Honorable Mention players. Players were selected for their on-field efforts during their high school careers and for their impact on their teams and programs. 

 

ATTACK:

Jacob Richman (Hellgate) - Jacob was a scoring machine for four years at Hellgate. He finished with over 200 goals and 100 assists in his prolific career. Jacob was a 4-time All-State selection and 3-time State Champion. 

Bo Kendall (Hellgate) - Bo was a dominant inside finisher who was able to get his shot off even with defenders draped all over him. He finished his career with 188 goals, 3 All-State selections, and 4 State Championships. Bo went on to play several seasons of lacrosse for Santa Clara University. 

Finn Vaughankraska (Bozeman) - Finn was a bulldog on the field, not afraid to put his shoulder down and get his way to the cage anytime. He was a 4-time All-State selection and captained Bozeman's first State Championship team during his senior season. Finn continued athletically in college, where he currently plays rugby at Montana State. 

David Rizzolo (Flathead) - David was a gritty high school player who was the emotional leader of his team. He was a 3-time All-State selection and went on to play lacrosse at Montana State. David furthered his development as a collegiate player and was a 2-time 1st Team All-Conference selection and Honorable Mention All-America selection in college. 

Justin Lane (Big Sky/Hellgate) - Justin had two of the most dominant individual seasons in state history during his freshman and sophomore years at Hellgate - amassing 119 goals and 100 assists in that span. The big lefty put up huge numbers during his career, that started as an 8th grader playing up at Big Sky and finished with 4 years at Hellgate. He was a 5-time All-State selection and 2-time state champion. 

 

MIDFIELD:

Spencer Schultz (Hellgate) - Spencer was the most dominating player of his era; playing lock-down defense, clearing, and scoring. He was a 3-time 1st Team All-State selection, 2-time State Champion, and first player from Montana to be recruited to play at the NCAA level.  

Dan LaFranier (10sticks) - Dan was one of the most intimidating players to step on a high school field in Montana. He redefined the "man-child" prototype and quite literally could not be guarded by most high schoolers. Dan did not have a long career, but earned 1st Team All-State honors in 2013 and led 10sticks to victory over Hellgate that season - which was one of only two in-state losses for the Knights in 6 seasons. 

Jameson Morrison (Hellgate) - Jameson was the most complete lacrosse player to graduate from a Montana high school. He was a 4-time All-State selection and 4-time State Champion that could get to the net at will and is a phenomenal shooter. He was also a great on ball defender and communicator on defense. Jameson moved on to play at the NCAA D3 level for Aurora University, where he was selected as an All-Conference player last season. 

Tommy Holloran (Bozeman) - Tommy was a gifted dodger and shooter during high school. He was a 3-time State Champion and somehow never selected to an All-State team. Tommy is currently a freshman lacrosse player at the University of Arizona. 

Sam Rickenbaugh (Bozeman) - Sam was a phenomenal athlete and leader on the field. He came up big in the big moments and was a great stickhandler and shooter. Sam was a 3-time All-State selection. 

 

FACE OFF SPECIALISTS:

Griffin Williams (Hellgate) - Griffin was the first true specialist at the face-off position in Montana. He excelled with great technique, first-time-groundballs, and in pushing transition. Griffin was a 3-time 1st Team All-State selection and a career 79% (200/254) with 363 ground balls. 

Jackson Pollock (West Billings) - Jackson was the top pinch-and-pop man of that era, utilizing great technique and strategy to make winning face-offs look incredibly easy. He had solid stick skills and was a good shooter as well, a threat to stay on the field and finish. Jackson was a 3-time All State selection. 

 

LONG STICK MIDFIELD:

Will Cannon (Bozeman) - Will was a match up nightmare; rangy, fast, and aggressive. The lefty caused lots of turnovers and was great in transition. Will was selected to several All-State teams and played a huge role in Bozeman's first State Championship. 

Jed Diehl (Hellgate) - Jed was a great stick handler and had excellent footwork in high school. He was a 3-time All-State Selection and went on to play at Montana State University, where he earned RMLC All-Conference honors twice. He is currently the Head Coach at Sentinel High School in Missoula. 

 

DEFENSE: 

Kellen Szalda-Petree (Hellgate) - Kellen was a dominant one-on-one defender and great communicator. He was a 2-time 1st Team All-State selection and 4-time State Champion. 

Logan Kern (West Billings) - Logan was an imposing checker who regularly earned the top attack assignment. He had good takeaway and ground ball skills and was a 3-time All-State selection. 

Al Plant III (10sticks) - Al was one of the most versatile high school players; playing defense, LSM, and short stick midfield during his career. He was an excellent one-on-one defender and very strong in the clearing game. Al was a 3-time All State selection and went on to play lacrosse in college at UGF and the University of Montana. 

Si D'Agostino (Bozeman) - Si  was a hard-checking, big-bodied defender that had great one-on-one coverage. He was a 3-time All-State Selection and anchored the Bozeman defense to their first State Championship during his senior season. 

Dave Anderson (Big Sky) - Dave was one of the best athletes to step on a high school lacrosse field in Montana. He dominated in transition and was a great one-on-one player, earning All-State honors 3 times. Dave went on to play football at Carroll College in Helena. 

 

GOALIE: 

Ethan Zwickey (Bozeman) - EZ has the distinction of being the only active player named to the All-Decade Team. He leads the state all time in wins, goals against average, and State Championships for a starting goalie. EZ will be continuing his career at Montana State next fall. 

Colton Rasmussen (Great Falls) - Colton anchored an undermanned Great Falls team for several seasons. He faced more shots than anyone and held his own, landing him a spot on the All-State team twice. Colton had great technique, passing ability, and communication - which led him to continue playing after high school at the NCAA D2 level. He recently transferred to Montana State, where he'll be playing this spring. 

 

HONORABLE MENTION:

Mariam Branson, Defense/LSM (10sticks)

Michael Edwards, Defense (Bozeman)

Drew Engellant, Midfield (Glacier)

Nick Garcia, Defense/LSM (Helena)

Nate Hicks, Attack (Sentinel)

Matt Holloran, LSM (Bozeman)

Seth Jensen, Defense (Helena)

Trenton Johnson, LSM (Hellgate)

Dylan Leese, Defense (Glacier)

Jack Lundin, Attack (Hellgate)

Dylan Krezelak, Defense/LSM (Helena)

Dillon McVean, Attack (Bozeman)

Mason Nicholson, Face Off/Midfield (Flathead)

McCade O'Reilly, Face Off/Midfield (Bozeman)

Tanner Pace, Midfield (Big Sky)

Chris Palmer, Attack (Helena)

Sal Principe, Goalie (Billings)

Carl Quigg-Roy, Goalie (Flathead/Whitefish) 

Hayden Smith, Attack (Big Sky)

Hudson Therriault, Face Off (Hellgate)

Max Triepke, Midfield (Hellgate)

Caleb Trost, Goalie (West Billings)

Tristan VanBeek, All Positions (Helena/Butte)

Jake Vopel, Attack (West Billings)

Ryan Wilson, Midfield (Billings)

 

(Editor's Note: We also feel the need to recognize Louis Richman, Attack from Hellgate, for putting up 129 points during the 2014 season. Though he only played one season in Montana, the 6.79 ppg and single season point totals are both records that are unlikely to break. Louis also went on to a standout career at Montana State University, where he was named the 2015 MCLA D2 Rookie of the Year and was a 3-time All America selection.)