The 2026 Deseret News boys lacrosse Players of the Year made their mark in more ways than just the stat sheet. Their talent was undeniable, but just as important was the way they inspired those around them and helped raise the level of their entire teams.
Noah Schuyler, Gabe Carrera and Pierson DeGracie each emerged as difference-makers in their respective classifications.
Here’s a look at the 2026 Deseret News boys lacrosse Players of the Year.
6A Player of the Year
Pierson DeGracie, Corner Canyon, Attack, Jr.
Corner Canyon went 17-3 during the regular season, and was unbeatable in region play, going a perfect 4-0 on its way to the 6A state championship title.
Much of the team’s success can be attributed to Corner Canyon attacker Pierson DeGracie.
“Pierson works tirelessly at his game. He also gives back by working with youth teams in our area. As a player, he has size and speed that is hard to stop for defenders,” said Corner Canyon coach Jeff King.
On the season, DeGracie was a constant offensive threat with 71 goals and 38 assists to go along with 42 ground balls.
Regardless of what the team asked of him, King knew that he could rely on DeGracie game in and game out to lift his teammates up and push the team over the finish line. He did it while consistently providing leadership, energy and unwavering determination when the team needed it most.
“When we needed a goal or an assist, we could count on Pierson to spearhead the attack on the defense. This year, he added better rides to his game and that converted to a lot of transition and goals,” added King.
5A Player of the Year
Gabe Carrera, Brighton, Attack, Sr.
While Brighton may have come up just shy of the 5A state title, losing to Park City in the championship game, there were certainly a number of positives that Brighton was able to take away from the season.
One of those bright spots, no doubt, was the play of senior attacker Gabe Carrera.
The Stony Brook commit did it all for Brighton. For the season, Carrera had 40 goals, 35 assists and 35 ground balls.
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The unselfishness that Carrera displayed and his willingness to always get his teammates involved is what stood out to coach Christopher O’Donnell.
“Gabe has the ability to score from anywhere on the field, but he never forced the issue. Instead, he used that threat to become a true playmaker. While every defender’s eyes were on him, Gabe’s eyes were always finding the open man. He celebrated his teammates’ success just as much as his own,” said O’Donnell.
Beyond his skill set, Carrera proved to be a needed voice for his team and could be relied upon to get the job done whenever the situation called for it.
“When we needed someone to take over a game, Gabe had the ability to elevate not just his own play, but the performance of the entire team,” added O’Donnell. “Beyond his physical skills, Gabe grew into a vital vocal leader; when he spoke, both players and coaches listened.”
4A Player of the Year
Noah Schuyler, Juan Diego, Attack, Sr.
Juan Diego’s Noah Schuyler proved to be the backbone, heart and soul of the Juan Diego boys lacrosse team over the course of this last season.
Schuyler’s season stats spoke for themselves. Throughout the course of the year, Schuyler racked up 47 goals and 50 assists to go along with 39 ground balls.
Nobody has a bigger heart nor more love for the game than Schuyler, according to his head coach.
“Noah is the heart and soul of our JD team. He has always been small but always played huge, whether it was taking hits and popping back up, scoring gritty goals or picking up ground balls with his heart,” said Juan Diego coach Brad Tack. “Noah led our team in assists not only on the field but also off the field by tutoring our underclassmen and always making sure everyone had a ride to 6 a.m. breakfast club sessions.”
Schuyler led his team in points per game and was second in goals scored.
“He is a lacrosse player through and through and would have played whatever position I asked him to and been pretty good at it, evidenced by also being fifth in ground balls and seventh in takeaways on the team. We often joked as coaches that we probably would still do well with 10 clones of Noah out there at every position,” said Tack.
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