HS: Fall FAB 50 rankings, Oct. 2

by Sheldon Shealer

October 2, 2018

So what did we learn last week?

A few things we already knew. Such as ...

St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) has a staggering amount of individual talent that adds up to one amazing high school team.

The quality of play by the top teams in Illinois is the best in the nation during the fall season, rivaled only by New Jersey.

Those points were reinforced this past weekend with FAB 50 No. 1 St. Benedict's jumping on St. Ignatius (Ohio) for a 3-1 victory where the Gray Bees had a comfortable 3-0 halftime lead and was seldom threatened. Meanwhile, in Burlington, Iowa, of all places, Illinois teams won four of the five bracket titles at the Go 4 The Goal Fall Classic. FAB 50 No. 2 Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.), Mount Carmel (Ill.) and FAB 50 No. 20 Wheaton Academy (West Chicago, Ill.) won their respective bracket titles. Dunlap (Ill.) and Glenbrook North (Ill.) finished in a tie atop the standings at the G4TG North/South Showdown.

The sum total of this weekend was St. Benedict's continues to control its destiny in an attempt to repeat as FAB 50 national champions. Naperville North secured the No. 2 ranking it has held all season, and a number of Illinois and New Jersey teams moved up in the rankings. In fact, Illinois has five of the Top 20 teams while New Jersey counters with six in the Top 25.

Now on with the moves ...

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Louisville Trinity (Louisville, Ky.). A win over St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) vaults Trinity to No. 4 this week and into the FAB 50 national title contention. ... GIRLS: Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.). Long before Spalding started becoming a football power, it was the girls soccer team that made the greatest impact at the school. The Cavaliers are up to that again following a 4-1 win over former FAB 50 No. 3 St. John's (Washington, D.C.). That result moved Spalding from No. 35 to No. 13 this week.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 24 Fairview (Boulder, Colo.), No. 29 Clarence (N.Y.), No. 40 Unity Christian (Hudsonville, Mich.), No. 42 Episcopal Academy (Newton Square, Pa.), No. 43 Fairfield Prep (Fairfield, Conn.), No. 44 Walt Whitman (Bethesda, Md.), No. 45 Lee's Summit (Lee's Summit, Mo.), No. 46 Green Hope (Cary, N.C.), No. 47 West Morris Mendham (Mendham, N.J.), No. 48 Chaminade (Creve Coeur, Mo.), No. 49 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) and No. 50 Nauset (Eastham, Mass.). ... GIRLS: No. 13 Ramapo (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), No. 33 Fairfield (Ohio), No. 36 Mercer Island (Wash.), No. 42 Middletown North [Middletown, N.J.), No. 44 Ridgefield (Conn.), No. 45 Newton South (Newton, Mass.), No. 46 Notre Dame Prep (Baltimore, Md.) and No. 50 Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, Pa.).