Boys lacrosse remains one of the strongest high school sports in Livingston County, with the area’s three teams combining to go 42-17 last season.
Brighton and Hartland have consecutive streaks of regional championships. Howell has struggled to beat the big boys, but has been competitive against the rest of the teams on its schedule.
The rivalry games this season are April 22 when Brighton hosts Howell, May 4 when Hartland travels to Howell and May 6 when Hartland hosts Brighton.
Here is a look at the county’s boys lacrosse teams entering the 2026 season:
Brighton
► Last season: 15-5 overall, 10-0 KLAA; KLAA West, KLAA, regional champion
► Top returners: Brody Shannon, MF, Jr.; Joey Skoczylas, A, Jr.; Cass Whitaker, G, Jr.
► Outlook: Brighton has been one of the top teams in Michigan over the years, but this season will be a test of the program’s depth and ability to fill in the blanks following graduation. Brighton graduated 24 of 28 players, returning only three who played significant roles on a team that won its first KLAA championship since 2015 and a third straight regional title. The Bulldogs will rely on reinforcements from a varsity “B” team that competed against varsity teams from lesser programs. The Bulldogs return an elite scorer in Skoczylas, who had 38 goals and 19 assists in 14 games before suffering a late-season injury. Whitaker took over in goal midway through last season and backstopped Brighton’s first victory over Hartland since 2016. Sophomores Luke Blow and Maddox Marlatt couldn’t crack the veteran varsity lineup as freshmen, but would have in most seasons.
► Coach Jim Carl: “We’ll be strong. We’re young. It’s a whole different speed at the varsity level, so we’ll have some kids who have to get used to that. I like where we’re at. It’s just a matter of getting the rust off these sticks like everybody else.”
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Hartland
► Last season: 16-6 overall, 9-1 KLAA; regional champion
► Top returners: Nate Anderer, G, Jr.; Coen Chwalek, MF, Jr.; Connor Gilbert, MF, Sr.; Kellan Hull, FO, Sr.; Clayton Penzien, A-MF, Sr.
► Outlook: Hartland will look to re-establish itself as one of the top handful of teams in the state and premier team in the county after having a streak of seven straight KLAA championships and four straight final fours snapped last season. The Eagles have a strong core that includes four players who received all-state recognition last year in first-teamer Hull, second-teamers Anderer and Penzien, and third-teamer Gilbert. Penzien was Hartland’s top scorer last season with 50 goals and 43 assists. Chwalek had 42 goals and 19 assists. Anderer backstopped the Eagles to the state final as a freshman. Hull can generate extra possessions as a premier faceoff specialist who can also play the field. Offense and goaltending will be the strengths for the Eagles, who will look to shore up a defense that lost some high-caliber players to graduation.
► Coach Steven Peterson: “The chemistry so far with a lot of new pieces, new faces feels radically different than last year. I couldn’t be happier about their chemistry and unity this early in the season. That’s somewhere when you get into those semifinal and championship runs you can cut the chemistry with a knife. It just feels unstoppable.”
Howell
► Last season: 11-6 overall, 6-4 KLAA
► Top returners: Alex Byl, D, Sr.; Connor Doolan, D, Jr.; Tobias Midlam, A, Jr.; Ryan O’Dea, A, Jr.; Nathan Wilkerson, FO, Sr.; Wilson Zimlich, MF, Sr.
► Outlook: Howell lost some dangerous offensive weapons to graduation, so finding reliable scoring will be a priority this season. O’Dea, Midlam and sophomore Michael Gaulin will be counted on to put the ball in the net. The defense could be solid in front of new starting goalie Myles Flood, who played for the junior varsity last season. At least three sophomores could play key roles for the Highlanders.
► Coach Matt Swift: “We just need to get a little more experienced. We’re a little depth-deprived. I think we’ll be decent this year. We hope to push Brighton and Hartland again. It’s just a matter of depth every year. We hang tight for the first half and it seems they’re a little deeper and have more talent to throw at us later in games. We’re trying to bridge that gap this year.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Here’s the outlook for 2026 Livingston County boys lacrosse
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
