Looking at the top stories from the first day of play in the Boys’ Division of High School National Invite.
June 13, 2025 by Filip Icev and Zach Roberts in Recap
After day one of High School National Invite, it feels like we are left with as many questions as we have answers. Top seeds disappointed, new favorites emerged, and the field feels wide open going into Saturday’s bracket play. Continue reading for all the stories from pool play in the Boys’ Division.
Favorites Disappoint
The biggest story coming out of Day One of the High School National Invite has to be the performance of the top seeds. Of the four pool one-seeds, plus Green Canyon (UT), who came in no.5 overall, reigning champions and undefeated on the season, only one won their pool – the Arlington (MA) Pumahs.
Jackson-Reed (DC) was done after two games, but beat Edina to salvage some pride at the end of the day. They started the day slow, going down 4-1 early and 8-3 at half against no.13 seed Strath Haven. The game was not the prettiest on either side, but Strath Haven gritted through long points and relied on their competitive fire and depth to maintain that lead in the second half. Jackson-Reed seemed to lack the ability to challenge teams deep and did not have the true top end talent to take over on those long points.
In their game against Roosevelt these issues were compounded as Jackson-Reed continued to run the classic D.C. dominator set. Roosevelt captain Lucas Terzic commented at halftime that their base defensive look was to have a cutter defender immediately come in and clog the handler space, two cutter defenders sit on unders and one play over the top. While this season is over, Jackson-Reed will remain one of the deepest rosters in the division, and with standout juniors Dre Jackson and Ben Holland returning, expect this team to be back next year.
Green Canyon and Masterman, while falling short of bracket play, didn’t face the same overarching struggles as the D.C. squad. Green Canyon (UT), in fact, lost their three games by a combined total of just four points—twice on universe. Sophomore Blake Holt looked like the best thrower at the complex, consistently hitting tight inside windows and launching full-field hucks with ease. They also got key contributions from Cody Edelmayer, Miles Phillips, and Silas Bell. If a few points had swung the other way, we could be talking about the Utah State Champions as legitimate title contenders. Still, seeing their season end on Friday feels like a clear step below what Green Canyon was capable of.
Masterman, the Pennsylvania state champions, were the unlucky odd ones out in a tightly contested three-way tie in Pool B. From taking title favorites Open World Learning to universe point, to beating Tennessee champions Rivers Edge Christian Academy, their day was anything but uneventful. While they found defensive success through what standout Ezra Beidler-Shenk called “unrelenting pressure,” Masterman simply lacked the depth to claw their way out of pool play.
Title Contenders Emerge
At this point, it feels like any path to a championship runs straight through the boys in green. Edina, last year’s HSNI Runner-up’s and this year’s Minnesota State Champion, looked a step above the competition. The historic program was simply more athletic and had better throwers across the board. As senior captain and on-field leader Walter Hipps put it, their “mental composure and relentless grind” set them apart. Don’t be surprised if this Edina squad is hoisting the trophy under the lights on Saturday night.
To get there, Edina might have to go through their fellow Minnesota powerhouse, Open World Learning. OWL opened the day by throttling RECA 15-3 and closed it out with wins over Masterman and Albany to finish undefeated. With standouts like Danny Hobday, Joseph Lodahl, Arthur Madsen and Luke Hobday, don’t expect OWL to be an easy out come Saturday.
Despite entering as the no. 16 seed, Wissahickon (PA) put on a masterclass Friday to take control of Pool D. From a commanding 10-6 win over Lakeside to a universe-point thriller against reigning champs GC, Wissahickon looks primed to make a serious title push. Veterans Ryan Dowdy, Tanner Norpel, William Fath, and Jonah Grossberg played with the poise of seasoned club players. Their patience and ability to attack inside lanes were unmatched all day. Grossberg, a captain, indicated the team is fired up and ready to make even more noise in bracket play.
Arlington (MA) rode a combination of talent, unmatched height and depth to a 3-0 day in Pool C. The Pumahs benefitted from a number of unforced errors in their first game against Washburn, but they flawlessly converted every short field turnover they were given. In their second game against East Chapel Hill, they relied on their person defense and their ability to work the disc through the legs. With a full line of players 6’2” and above, Arlington has the look of a team that may want to shoot deep the first chance they get, but they pride themselves on the ability to grind the disc for the full 70 yards. Cam Levine also deserves a shout-out as a pillar of reliability. He filled any hole on the field for Arlington – of which there were very few. The winner of Lakeside and Roosevelt will have their hands very full tomorrow morning.
Garfield (WA) is the only non-pool winner in this group of contenders. They showed they belonged early with comfortable wins over East Chapel Hill and Washburn. Garfield is talented and experienced. Their seniors have been playing together for nearly eight years now, and pride themselves on their connectivity. Captain Bison McCotter-Hulett said after their first game that they really pride themselves on their ability to execute the basics under pressure – hit their resets, swing the disc and make the right read each time.
Notes on the Rest of the Field
- Strath Haven’s (PA) depth was a highlight of their first day. Multiple offensive points in the game against Jackson-Reed saw all seven players on the field touch the disc. Captain Andrew Mennig credited the energy the team brought from the first point enabling them to take an early lead, and the team’s depth allowing them to maintain it.
- Roosevelt’s (WA) top players showed out for them in a universe point win over Jackson-Reed. Beyond the aforementioned Lucas Terzic, Manny Berson, and Calvin Schnee moved the disc with their legs and with creative throws. Marcus Kwan was strong in the deep space, clap-catching multiple deep shots with multiple steps of separation. Terzic credited Roosevelt’s confidence in trusting their teammates in their improvement from game one to game two. They aimed to not force the disc and just hit the open man.
- Spaghetti Westerns champions Albany (CA) made an early statement, knocking off Masterman 12-9 and doing just enough to punch their ticket to bracket play. Their success came from a balanced and dynamic core: Hugo Tsai, Nicolas Rusa, Muhammad Awais, and Jonah Brochard. This California squad looks poised to make noise on Saturday.
- RECA (TN) shook off a tough opening loss to OWL and responded with a clutch win over Albany, locking up a spot in the bracket. Veteran poise from Knox Plewniak and Fisher Allison anchored this RECA team, providing steady leadership when it mattered most.
- East Chapel Hill (NC) ran consistently through a number of top players, including Harrison Berg, Linwood Ding, Andy Chin and James Wang. Their struggles were two-fold: East struggled to get big contributions from beyond their top players, and at times they wanted to rely on their throws to get them out of tough spots. In the first game of the day, Garfield crowded the disc and handler space with their wall zone, forcing East to work the disc back and forth until they made a mistake.
- Washburn’s (MN) fight showed on the first day of HSNI. It would have been easy to give up after going down 3-0 against East Chapel Hill in the last game of the day, but they fought back to tie it at 8-8. Alex Manson specifically showed out, running the offense and being a consistent release valve in the deep space.
- After shaking off an opening-round loss to Wissahickon, Lakeside (GA) found their footing, winning their remaining two games. Sam Shapiro and Pearce Becker formed a deadly duo, connecting for multiple scores and driving the offense. With a deep roster of high-level throwers and athletes, this Lakeside team is built to compete deep into the bracket.
- Independence, the senior-heavy squad out of Tennessee, put together a successful first day. Isaac Taylor and Dane Gore led a balanced yet aggressive attack, highlighted by a crucial 11-10 win over Green Canyon. While their path through bracket play won’t be easy, don’t count the Independence boys out just yet.
