For years, the headlines and postseason glory have belonged to the Smithsburg boys lacrosse team.
And while the Leopards have enjoyed the spotlight — making six consecutive state semifinal appearances before going down in the region semis last spring — another Washington County squad has been quietly building up from obscurity.
That team, South Hagerstown, is just starting to realize its full potential. Under the direction of coach Tim Rockwood, the Rebels have not only clinched their first winning season in school history, but also own a program-record 10 wins.
South would love to make it 11 victories on Friday before postseason play begins, but to do so they’ll need to get past a talented Smithsburg squad that knows how to play under the bright lights. We’ve selected this backyard brawl as our Game of the Week.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming contests we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at big_andy76@yahoo.com.
Smithsburg at South Hagerstown
Start time: Friday, 5:30 p.m., at South Hagerstown
Records: The Leopards come in at 6-5, while the Rebels check in with a 10-3 record.
Last game: Smithsburg fell 11-10 to Francis Scott Key, while South Hagerstown is coming off a 16-8 victory over Brunswick.
Last meeting: The Leopards toppled the Rebels by a 13-5 score in 2025.
Meet the Leopards: With the postseason set to kick off next week, Smithsburg would love nothing more than to snap out of a three-game losing streak … Coach Cullan Ganley’s Leopards started the season 5-1, but have fallen into a funk since with just one win over their last five games … Smithsburg, a squad that’s outscoring opponents 99-84, checks in as the No. 3 squad in the the Class 1A West II Region standings … Junior Zack Linn leads the Leopards in goals (22) and assists (13), while also scooping up 20 ground balls … Kaden Dietrich, who’s totaled 19 goals, six assists, and 24 ground balls, provides another key stick for the offense … Nicolas Roncone (14 goals, 4 assists) has been a solid third scoring option, while Kyle Krestsinger (6, 5), Jake Nussear (6, 1), Maquis Weakfall (6, 5), Andrew Ritter (4, 0), and Byron Trevey (2, 1) have also found the back of the net this spring … Starting junior goalkeeper Dante Rucci (76) saves is backed by a group that includes Noah Hegbe (29 ground balls), Weakfall (27), Riley Carr (17), Brady Snyder (16), and Ben Foster (7) … A win over South Hagerstown would give a much-needed shot of confidence to the Leopards, who are hoping to make a run at states for the seventh time in eight years.
Meet the Rebels: No matter what happens from here on out, the 2026 edition of South Hagerstown has already established itself as the best squad in program history with a school-record 10 wins … Coach Tim Rockwood, in in his fifth season as head coach for the Rebels, has his team sitting in the No. 2 spot in the Class 3A West I Region standings … South Hagerstown, a winner of two games in a row, got a record performance from junior Wyatt Roberts in its 16-8 win over Brunswick on Wednesday … In that game Roberts poured in 10 goals to tie a Washington County boys lacrosse record … With the performance Roberts, a captain, crossed the 50-point barrier, becoming just the second player under Rockwood to hit the milestone … Jack Burns, a senior attacker, is a key component to the South offense, while Nygil Jefferies knows how to score goals and disrupt opposing offenses … Logan Harold is a talented midfielder, while fellow senior Trevor Rhodes has given the Rebels a nice boost in his first season of playing lacrosse … Braylon Walker, Vincent Minardi, and Terrence Reeves all have goal-scoring experience, while junior defender Carter McChesney takes pride in handling the dirty work in the back … South’s defense is anchored by goalkeeper Israel Guardado.
Sandrik’s pick: Rebels by 3.
The post Game of the Week: South Hagerstown boys lacrosse, ready for its turn in the spotlight, set to take on Smithsburg appeared first on LocalNews1.org.
