SWFL Squads Dominate FHSAA Lacrosse Regionals

Community School, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Community School girls favored to advance to state Final Four

Apr. 17, 2026 at 6:52pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the chaotic action of a high school lacrosse game, with players and equipment fragmented into overlapping angular shapes and planes in a vibrant color palette.The FHSAA lacrosse tournament presents an opportunity for Southwest Florida teams to break through the regional dominance of South Florida and Orlando programs.Naples Today

The FHSAA state lacrosse tournament is here, with teams from Southwest Florida and South Florida set to battle it out in the regional rounds. Community School, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Community School girls team are all heavily favored to win their respective regions and advance to the state Final Four in Naples.

Why it matters

Lacrosse has become a rapidly growing sport in Florida, with South Florida and the Orlando area traditionally dominating the state tournament. This year, several Southwest Florida squads have a chance to break through and make deep runs, showcasing the growth of the sport in the region.

The details

The regional matchups feature several rematches of regular season games, with Community School, Canterbury, and Aubrey Rogers expected to handle their local opponents with relative ease. On the girls side, Community School is the clear favorite after beating Naples 15-5 in the district final. Gulf Coast and Naples will also make the trek north, but are underdogs against Calvary Christian and Cardinal Mooney respectively. The boys region featuring St. Thomas Aquinas, Jupiter, and Gulf Coast should provide the most drama, with the Raiders and Warriors meeting in a potential regional final showdown.

  • The FHSAA state lacrosse tournament runs from May 7-9 at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples.
  • Community School beat Canterbury 11-10 in overtime during the regular season.

The players

Brent Queener

Head coach of the Community School boys lacrosse team, which is favored to win its regional.

Community School

The Seahawks boys lacrosse team has been a mainstay in the Final Four in recent years and is the top seed in its regional.

Canterbury

The Cougars boys lacrosse team poses the biggest threat to Community School in the regional, having taken the Seahawks to overtime earlier this season.

St. Thomas Aquinas

The Raiders boys lacrosse team is the No. 2 seed in its regional and the only team to have beaten top seed Jupiter this season.

Gulf Coast

The Sharks boys lacrosse team won the Class 2A-District 13 title and will face a familiar foe in St. Thomas Aquinas in the regional quarterfinals.

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What they’re saying

“Don't expect any upsets, as CSN, Canterbury, and Aubrey Rogers have beaten Barron Collier, Bishop Verot, and Cypress Lake in those six games by a combined score of 101-15.”

— Alex Martin, Sports Reporter

“Expect it to be Seahawks vs. Cougars for the regional title, where anything could happen.”

— Alex Martin, Sports Reporter

What’s next

The regional finals will be played on May 6, with the winners advancing to the state Final Four in Naples from May 7-9.

The takeaway

Southwest Florida lacrosse has arrived, with several local teams poised to make deep runs in the FHSAA state tournament. The growth of the sport in the region is on full display, setting the stage for an exciting Final Four in Naples.