Jeff Brzoska Wins NILCA National Award, Super 7s Concludes, Utah Box Lacrosse Series Info
Also, information about Alta Head Coach Brandon Horoba accident over the weekend.
Good morning lacrosse fans! We hope you’ve been having a great fall and are gearing up for a new season.
Brzoska Wins NILCA Man of the Year
Last week, Judge Head Coach Jeff Brzoska was presented with the Man of the Year award from the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA). The award is given to “an individual that has made an outstanding contribution (perhaps over a lifetime) to their high school lacrosse program, local or state coaches association and/or youth programs.” If any of you know Jeff, he has had a huge influence on all of the above in the state.
From left to right: Adam Ghitelman, Dennis Bonn (Cold Springs Harbor, Ghitelman’s high school coach) who was inducted in to the NICLA Hall of Fame this year, Paul McDermott (Hall of Fame 2024, who coached Brian Bilzi and Chase Caruso, who have both spent time in the Utah lacrosse scene), Jeff Brzoska
“Jeff’s dedication to the development of the sport is matched by his enthusiasm and willingness to mentor coaches and student-athletes at all levels. His comprehensive support of lacrosse at every level made Jeff an easy choice by the committee to select him as the Many of the Year,” remarked Joe Baccarella, who is the Vice President of the NILCA.
The NILCA is dedicated to the support and education of Secondary School Lacrosse Coaches. Dating back to 1968, the NILCA has supported educational clinics, conventions and coaching media.
Brzoska is a nationally recognized lacrosse coach whose impact on the sport in Utah spans over 15 years. Currently in his fourth season as Head Coach at Judge Memorial High School, Brzoska has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back 4A State Championships (2024, 2025), revitalizing one of Utah’s longest-running lacrosse programs after its 2022 hiatus.
Prior to Judge, Brzoska spent a decade coaching in the Park City youth and high school programs, contributing to three state titles and a runner-up finish. He later joined Corner Canyon High School, where his JV teams posted a 35-1-2 record and Varsity squads went 51-1, winning state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Brzoska’s leadership has produced:
2 USA Lacrosse All-Americans
3 USA Lacrosse All-Academics
3 UHSAA Academic All-States
16 First Team 4A All-State honorees
2 4A Players of the Year
2 4A Playoff MVPs
He has earned multiple coaching honors, including Region Coach of the Year (twice), 2024 USA Lacrosse Coach of the Year, and now the 2025 NILCA Man of the Year.
Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Brzoska grew up in the heart of a lacrosse hotbed and learned the game under Hall of Fame coach Randy McCue at Norwalk High School. He continued his playing career at Western Connecticut State and the University of South Florida, where he helped build a club team that eventually evolved into D-II Tampa and USF in the MCLA. After a stint in California, he moved to Utah in 2008 and quickly became a driving force in the state’s lacrosse development.
Beyond the sidelines, Brzoska has co-founded several club programs—including Utah Blackhawks, Utah Elite, Utah Prime LC, Utah LC, and Utah Summit—and coached football at the youth and high school levels. He has served in leadership roles with Park City Lacrosse, SkiTown Shootout, and the ULA/IMLax Youth. He currently represents Utah to US Lacrosse and serves as the Coaches Representative to the UHSAA.
Known for his infectious enthusiasm and deep commitment to youth development, Brzoska continues to shape the future of lacrosse in Utah and beyond. Among his proudest contributions are organizing efforts to keep lacrosse active during the 2020 COVID season—making Utah one of the few states to play—and mentoring athletes to compete at the next level, including his godson, Bubba Fairman (Brighton, Maryland, Cannons).
“Seriously, to share a stage with these coaches was truly incredible,” said Brzoska. “The list of their achievements is almost as great as who they are as people and what they mean to the lacrosse world. Absolutely a who’s who of high school lacrosse.”
Park City Black Takes Top Super 7s Title
Another fantastic season of Super Sevens lacrosse is in the books, with the Black team for Park City coming out on top with the Diamond Champion award. Other winners included Davis Gold (Ruby), Wolves (Emerald), Grizznuts (Sapphire), Ptown BDogs (Amethyst), and Triple C (Topaz).
The tournament, sponsored by Tribal West Lacrosse, started out with a pool of 50 teams from across the Wasatch Front, giving us a preview of what’s to come in this spring’s high school season.
Unlike traditional leagues, Super Sevens is player-organized, encouraging athletes to take initiative and manage their own teams. This structure helps players build confidence and leadership skills—learning to communicate, problem-solve, and make decisions on their own. High school coaches are asked to cheer from the sidelines, giving players space to learn the game independently and strengthen their lacrosse IQ.
Games are played on a smaller field, which means more touches, faster decisions, and non-stop action. With teams capped at 14 players and two goalies, every athlete is guaranteed meaningful playing time.
The league is designed for high school–based teams, aligned with girls’ high school lacrosse programs. Schools that can’t field a full roster can combine with others or welcome free agents. Teams may organize multiple squads by skill level—often separating into varsity and JV—or use creative methods like a player draft.
Scheduling flexibility helps accommodate school commitments, though game changes require coordination among captains and advance notice. While practices aren’t arranged by the league, players and programs are free to organize their own sessions.
And while Super Sevens is built for competition, its core focus remains clear: creating space for players to play for the love of the game—developing skills, sportsmanship, and character along the way.
Utah Box Lacrosse Series (UBLS)
The UBLS (Utah Box Lacrosse Series) is Utah’s first high school, collegiate, and post-collegiate winter box league.
“Our goal is to provide a fun, safe, and competitive environment for all players to compete at a high level,” said league founder Austin Braerman. “This league is to help ingrain box lacrosse into the collegiate and high school programs and grow box lacrosse in Utah one small step at a time!”
The UBLS is dedicated to increasing awareness and engagement of box lacrosse, and support player advancement to senior and professional levels through recognition and exposure. For high school juniors/seniors and collegiate players, the league is offering a great opportunity to get national exposure. The best players from the league will be put on a Utah-specific collegiate box team to compete in the National Collegiate Box Showcase (NCBS) Cup in August 2026, presented by USBOXLA. The team will be made up of roughly 80% college players and 20% high school seniors and juniors.
League Format:
6 in-house teams, players will be split up evenly across all teams.
8 total weeks (7 regular season weeks + 1 playoff week)
Select Wednesdays from 7:15 pm - 9:45 pm at Sport City Draper (11/19, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17, 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28)
League website: UBLS LEAGUE WEBSITE
Player registration link: 2025 UBLS PLAYER REGISTRATION
Player fee: $125
For more info, please reach out to utahboxlacrosseseries@gmail.com OR DM us on Instagram (@the_ubls).
Coach Horoba Emergency Surgery Following Accident in Denver
Alta Head Coach Brandon Horoba was in Denver this weekend coaching with Utah Summit and was struck by a stray lacrosse ball in the eye. Horoba underwent emergency surgery in Denver. Please visit the Support Coach Horoba in his Healing Journey campaign on GoFundMe to learn more and donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-brandon-horobas-healing-journey
To learn more about Coach Horoba, listen to our past podcast with him.