- April 16, 2026
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A series of black letters are printed on the back of white undershirts. Those letters are arranged into two words, stacked on top of each other.
They read "unfinished business."
For Lakewood Ranch High boys lacrosse, that refers to last season's loss to Bradenton Manatee in the FHSAA Class 2A-District 12 semifinals, a 15-1 walloping.
"We got destroyed that game," said senior Braden Johansen. "Ever since then, we've just been working towards our goal."
So they embraced "unfinished business" as their mantra. And it's guided them right back to the postseason.
The Mustangs won seven of their last eight games of the regular season, and passed their first test of the 2A-12 district tournament by handling Sarasota High, 13-4, on April 9 in the quarterfinals.
As of April 12, the team sits at 10-4 in 2026. It's ranked No. 22 in the state and No. 9 in 2A, according to the FHSAA rankings.
Johansen and Co. have sought redemption from past shortcomings — chief among them: their failure to defend the 2024 district title.
Returning players from last year's district semifinal defeat and regional quarterfinal exit haven't forgotten their frustrations. Neither has their third-year coach.
"We just ended poorly last year. I knew that this was going to be our year,” said Joe Nelson. “This team has the potential to make it to state, and they’re showing glimpses of that as we start our playoff run.”
The coach knew he'd welcome back a heap of talent for 2026, including a group of seniors who he saw blossom over their past two years with the program.
Upperclassmen leadership isn't just part of the Mustangs' identity. It IS their identity.
Four of the team's top-five scorers are seniors, while their top-four leaders in assists are all seniors. Overall, 73.4% of Lakewood Ranch's points, as of March 31, can be traced back to the Class of 2026.
Mickey Cohen, Johansen, Joseph Droge, Liam Fernandez and Peyton Hens are among them — all having contributed.
It's those seniors, Nelson said, who have been responsible for turning last year's 8-11 finish into 10 wins and counting this year.
“They changed the culture around from what it was last year," Nelson said. "They rise to the standard and they don’t let anyone not rise to that same standard.”
Only three Mustangs in program history have scored 100 or more career goals. Lucas Anthony, who played from 2022-24, was the first.
Cohen and Johansen are the other two, and reached the mark exactly one year apart — the former on April 9, 2025, and the latter on April 9, 2026.
Although they accounted for 100 of the team's 215 points through its first 12 games this season, Cohen said a two-man show is not Lakewood Ranch's formula for success.
"It's just getting everybody involved," Cohen said. "After everybody touches the ball and moves around, shots fly. If you miss, pick your head up and keep shooting."
Cohen is committed to the University of Montevallo. But before journeying to the Division II school in Alabama, the attacker/midfielder has assembled the most productive season of his high school career.
As of March 31, he's racked up a team-high 52 goals along with 13 assists, powering the Mustangs with 65 points in all. His 54.2% shot percentage is the best among players with 10 or more shot attempts.
Having coached him for three seasons running, Nelson said Cohen was always skilled, and gradually learned how to work within offensive principles.
“He’s fast, he’s elusive (and) he’s got great ball-handling skills,” Nelson said. “He understands how to work in open space, and he’s not afraid to go to the areas that a lot of players won’t.”
Even with Cohen — and a potent senior class — in tow, Lakewood Ranch got off to a rocky start this season.
Losses to Community School of Naples, Canterbury and Manatee resulted in a 2-3 stretch from Feb. 10-24. Those teams are now ranked No. 6, No. 11 and No. 12 in the state, respectively, per the FHSAA.
The Mustangs surrendered 9.8 goals per game in that five-game span, but tightened up a bit defensively, allowing an average of 8.5 across their next seven.
All seven were victories — an undefeated March. Such success, says Johansen, comes from the top down.
“A big part of it is Coach Joe. He implements off-season practices, culture," Johansen said. "Our culture is a huge thing here, and we’ve really built a good chemistry between the team.”
One of the four losses on Lakewood Ranch's resume is a loss to Manatee. That was via a 9-5 result Feb. 24 on the road.
If the team wants to deliver on its mantra, it'll have to do so in the district championship. The Hurricanes — 15-2 this season — are the No. 1 seed for the tournament while the Mustangs are the No. 2 seed.
No matter the round, no matter the opponent, they'll don those same undershirts.
"Unfinished business" has always been their focus.
