HS: Winter state, region rankings, Feb. 6

by Sheldon Shealer

February 6, 2017

State champions and state records were at the center of this week's national high school news.

The boys team at Pleasant Valley (Chico, Calif.) won two matches last week to push its undefeated streak to 81, clipping a 27-year-old state record.

Elsewhere, state champions were crowned in Hawaii (girls only) and Mississippi over the weekend. Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii) girls capped an undefeated season with a state final win over league rival Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) in the Hawaii Division I final. The victory assures Iolani a ranking of no lower than No. 2 in the West region. The team is likely to work its way into the SIMA FAB 50 in upcoming weeks as current ranked teams lose their way out. In Mississippi, Northwest Rankin (Flowood, Miss.) boys capped a near perfect season with a 2-0 victory over Ocean Springs (Miss.) in the Class 6A final. The victory secures the No. 1 ranking in the Southeast region and a SIMA FAB 50 ranking, as well. Oxford (Miss.) and West Lauderdale (Collinsville, Miss.) completed perfect seasons in girls soccer with state titles to wrap up regional rankings. Meanwhile, Northwest Rankin completed the boys-girls sweep with the 6A girls crown.

The current state No. 1s for boys are Campo Verde (Gilbert, Ariz.), Godinez (Anaheim, Calif.), Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Kapolei (Hawaii), St. Paul's (Covington, La.), Northwest Rankin (Flowood, Miss.) and Alief Elsik (Houston, Texas). On the girls side, the state No. 1s are Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.), [Liberty ca-m] (Brentwood, Calif.), St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.), Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii), St. Scholastica (Covington, La.), Oxford (Miss.) and Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas).