HS: Spring SIMA FAB 50, May 5

by Sheldon Shealer

May 5, 2015

TOP STORY: Two tournaments last week resulted in big wins for Illinois programs.

First, the Naperville Invitational -- comprised exclusively of Illinois teams -- featured the state's top eight teams, meaning there was going to be an Illinois winner there. But the state's No. 9 team, St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.), traveled to the adidas Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Iowa, and posted three one-goal wins -- two over teams from rival states -- en route to a bracket title. It's no surprise that St. Charles North won its bracket considering the team's history at the event and the fact it came in as the highest-ranking team in the SIMA FAB 50 at No. 42, then beat the No. 50 squad in the bracket final.

Back in Illinois, Naperville North emerged from a loaded Naperville North tournament with a victory over Barrington (Barrington, Ill.) in the final.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Hickory (Chesapeake, Va.), the only non-D.C. or non-Richmond-area Virginia team in the SIMA FAB 50, moves up eight spots this week to No. 32. Hickory is one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the state's larger school brackets. GIRLS: Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.) moves from No. 17 to No. 5 after knocking off previous No. 2 New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) and No. 9 Barrington (Barrington, Ill.) to win the Naperville Invitational.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 33 Langley (Langley, Va.), No. 38 Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.), No. 45 Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.), No. 46 Albemarle (Charlottesville, Va.), No. 47 Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.), No. 48 Lincoln Southwest (Lincoln, Neb.) and No. 49 Capital (Olympia, Wash.). GIRLS: No. 38 Centreville (Clifton, Va.), No. 40 Waukesha West (Waukesha, Wis.), No. 41 Franklin (Elk Grove, Calif.), No. 42 St. Francis (Sacramento, Calif.), No. 43 St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), No. 47 Iowa City West (Iowa City, Iowa), No. 48 Webster Groves (Webster Groves, Mo.), No. 49 Walled Lake Northern (Commerce Township, Mich.), and No. 50 Visitation Academy (St. Louis, Mo.).