US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM Crabs Lacrosse / Baltimore Lacrosse Club

I hear Crabs had a very successful tryout process picking up good players from all of the other Central Maryland programs (FCA, Breakers, MLC, Hawks, Looneys, etc). The strength of the NPYLL, the level of competition in the Crabs-run tournaments and inclusion in the newly formed NLF were all reasons given for kids moving to Crabs. I have to think that they remain the top program in Baltimore when you consider the other programs in their entirety.

Can you please expand how the Crabs tournament schedule this summer or fall will be different now that they belong to the NLF? I understand the point but just want to know the details of the changes. And even with the NLF will there still be other clubs not in the NLF playing in those tournaments?

NPYLL plus the existing Crabs tournaments plus the NLF tournaments (as they develop) is a very strong slate of events; unrivaled by anything else in the mid-Atlantic.

NPYLL plus the existing Crabs tournaments plus the NLF tournaments (as they develop) is a very strong slate of events; unrivaled by anything else in the mid-Atlantic.

That NPYLL point is well made. The HOCO league I've been told is horrible. That comes from a member of one of the winning teams at 2020 age group.

They also lost kids to several of those same clubs for reasons that had more to do with conflicts in philosophy. Would agree they are the top across the board more likely due to the fact that they are older at each grade level than the teams they play. Good talent but not great talent; just bigger, faster, stronger because older.

I guess you're not over your son not getting an invite from the Crabs.

The "older" thing does not happen until the kids get to 9th grade and repeat that grade. Only 3 players from last year's 2019 are on next year's 2020 team. That is a historically low number. Last year, seven 9th graders repeated.

I have heard that preliminary discussions have occurred about merging HoCo - NPYLL or at a minimum league cooperation. Perhaps lower status "b" teams play HoCo and higher status "a,aa" play NPYLL. Has anyone else heard anything relating to this or does this belong in the large round rumor bin?

[quote=Anonymous]I have heard that preliminary discussions have occurred about merging HoCo - NPYLL or at a minimum league cooperation. Perhaps lower status "b" teams play HoCo and higher status "a,aa" play NPYLL. Has anyone else heard anything relating to this or does this belong in the large round rumor bin?

Never happen. Why would NPYLL do that and water down their product? No advantage there

The "older" thing happens on their 4th grade team and up.. Many kids that were held back in the made up grade in Private schools called pre-first are on the Crabs. Crabs have the most " held back " players , but many are getting some of these playing down players.

It would be a big advantage to the "product" if all the top teams could play against each other. Would be a shame if FCA and Crabs 2020 don't play again this year.

I could see one league moving to Sat. Games to get more teams enrolled.

Crabs has stated they will never play in a Saturday league. They feel the boys practice best on Saturdays as opposed to during the week when they have school, school lax practice, etc.

FCA? I really dont think crabs cares about playing fca. They arent all that

NPYLL doesn't need the HoCo teams.

Is 91 MD in NPYLL or HOCO?

Trying to do npyll, but crabs against it.

HOCO - it's the better league.

That is absolutely not true. 91 cannot play in NPYLL until they are an established club in the area. That is per the bylaws of the league. Plus Millon stated that the travel is too much in the NPYLL. Why don't we wait to see how well 91 actually does this year before everyone deciding that Crabs is afraid to play them. Moving mediocre Breakers teams to 91 doesn't make them better teams.

LOL. Ok, FCA dad. Sorry you're still stuck in the minor league.

Yes, Just like Kooper AA 2019 team get killed all season. Wait to see if team 91 is really a contender.

For sure - Lax Factory, Snappers, Zingos, wicked competition in HOCO - watch out!! hahahahahaha

Amen! The jersey doesn't change the fact that those Breakers teams are simply average - let's let them get their feet wet before we throw them in the deep end of NPYLL to play real teams...

Hoco champ beat npyll Champ this summer

So, one HOCO league championship team at one grade level beat an NPYLL league championship team in a game this summer? You must be absolutely right then - HOCO is the bomb - that changes everything! I can't believe that we ever thought otherwise...LOL

In every division multiple times.

Right - because MD Extreme, VLC, Storm, Cannons, Triple Threat, Bethesda, Cavaliers, Next Level, etc are Elite. Keep on drinking the kool aid Crabs dad... your world is quickly crumbling around you.

Amazing how Crab daddies live vicariously through their kids...probably noting better to do in between changing brake pads or repairing roofs. Red solo cups will be out in force this fall!!!!!

OK - let's get a list

Seems like both leagues have their share of very good teams and other teams, arguing over which league is better is meaningless, let's just focus on Crab stuff - holdbacks, manipulating tournament brackets, etc.

Fca is the most improved 2020 team

So, I'll chime in - I'm not a Crabs dad, so save that for someone else. If your definition of elite is that whenever anyone asks who the best club teams are in this area for high school, recruiting, etc., then NPYLL is most certainly elite. In fact, whenever anyone mentions "elite" club teams - in this forum or on other venues - in the MD area, the same team names always come up - Hawks, Crabs, VLC, Madlax. Sometimes Cannons and Breakers. All play NPYLL. Not Next Level, but they lose every game at every age group, so oh well - they should probably move to HOCO to be honest. Cavs and the other teams you mention play A not AA, so they aren't in the mix. However, I've yet to ever see Snappers, Lax Factory, Zingos, Swarm, Roughriders EVER mentioned - all HOCO. In fact, this summer a Roughriders parent told me that their son hoped to "work his way through the C and B level club teams and make it on the Crabs next year" - not me saying it, that's from a parent.

That would imply that they got a number of kids from Crabs, Looneys, Hawks, and Breakers - is that the case?

They had some 2020 kids that had been on 2019. Let's not start with the discussion about re-class. these are kids that were either playing up in age or started school late due to summer bday. Pretty sure none are repeating 8th.

FCA is the program that invented the holdback.

Their 2020 boys take turns driving the FCA van to tourneys

Mediocre Breakers teams? The 2020 Breakers team lost by 1 in OT to the Crabs 2020 team with the 2019 holdbacks. Would not say they are mediocre unless you also call Crabs mediocre.

Coming from the Crabs 2020 dad whose team had to bring in 2019 players at Beach Lax to beat Breakers by 1 in overtime? Crabs would not be ranked # 1 in any age group if they had age appropriate kids.

2001 summer birthdays should be playing 2019, not 2020. It is the same thing as holding back in the 8th grade, only the kids were held back in kindergarden

By the way...congrats on that loss...and congrats on the loss in spring too.