Two of the most dangerous strikers in Eastern Massachusetts were not supposed to be leading their respective high schools to state championships this fall.

Needham High senior Mac Steeves and Nate Pomeroy, a senior at Groton-Dunstable Regional, both play for the FC Greater Boston Bolts, an academy team that falls under a new rule by US Soccer that has its athletes play a 10-month season, starting in September, which blocks them from also competing at the high school level.