BLYTHEWOOD — The Blythewood Bengals boys lacrosse team has put together a high-powered regular season, fueled by a dominant junior class and a defensive unit that has proven difficult to crack. Finishing with a 10-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in a competitive 5A District 4, the Bengals have positioned themselves as a balanced threat heading into the postseason.
The Bengals’ offense, which averaged 9.4 goals per game, has been spearheaded by junior Luciano Menchetti. The attacker led the squad in every major category, racking up 43 goals and 20 assists for 63 total points. He was joined by fellow juniors Mikah Dennis (26 goals, 17 assists) and Rashad Henderson (23 goals, 14 assists) to form one of the most productive trios in the region.
Blythewood’s success was also built on their ability to control the pace of the game. Junior faceoff specialist Colin Nguyen was a standout in the circle, winning 173 faceoffs at a 67.1% clip, consistently providing the Bengals with extra possessions.
Defensively, the team was anchored by junior goalkeeper John Auspelmyer. Auspelmyer posted an impressive .685 save percentage, totaling 231 saves on the year. His play helped the Bengals secure four shutouts this season, including dominant clean sheets against Camden Military, Aiken, Westside, and White Knoll. Supporting the defensive effort was junior Seth Hall, who was a vacuum on the turf, leading the team with 96 ground balls.
While the Bengals faced some mid-season hurdles against region leaders Chapin and River Bluff, they regained their momentum late in the schedule. Recent wins over Spring Valley (13-5) and Wade Hampton (10-4) showed a team peaking at the right time.
With a veteran-heavy lineup led by Menchetti and Auspelmyer, and senior leadership from Parker Gammons (15 goals, 14 assists) and William Perkins, the Bengals will look to carry their 0.625 win percentage into the 5A Division 1 playoffs as a battle-tested contender.
The Bengals await seeding announcements, but playoffs are set to begin next week, with the top seeds getting first round byes. The first round is set for Tuesday, April 28. Second and third rounds will be May 2 and May 5; the Division 1 title game is set for May 9.