HS: Fall FAB 50 rankings, Sept. 25

by Sheldon Shealer

September 25, 2018

The moment of truth has arrived.

In the current week, we'll see the following:

-- Go 4 the Goal Fall Classic: Six of the top 16 FAB 50 boys soccer teams will participate in the eight-team top flight bracket, starting Thursday. The lineup has No. 2 Naperville North (Ill.), No. 3 Salesianum (Del.), No. 6 Blue Valley Southwest (Kan.), No. 13 Peoria Notre Dame (Ill.), No. 14 Milwaukee Marquette (Wis.), No. 16 Morton (Ill.), regionally ranked Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.) and Cherry Creek (Colo.). Other brackets include No. 25 Washburn Rural (Kan.), No. 47 New Trier (Ill.) and regionally ranked Washburn (Minn.). The winner of the top flight could be in position for a run at the FAB 50 national No. 1 ranking.

-- Speaking of No. 1, St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) clashes with No. 5 St. Ignatius (Ohio) in a first-ever meeting of these boys powerhouse programs. Together they have claimed seven of the last eight FAB 50 fall national titles. A St. Benedict's win reinforces its top ranking. A St. Ignatius victory opens the door to No. 1 for either St. Ignatius, the Go 4 the Goal top flight champion or one of the two Kentucky powers.

-- Speaking of Kentucky, No. 4 St. Xavier (Ky.) plays host to No. 11 Louisville Trinity (Ky.) in another key boys clash, which is likely the first of two meetings this year. Trinity could play itself into the national title chase wih a win coupled with a St. Ignatius victory over St. Benedict's. Of course, No. 1 is in reach for St. Xavier, as well.

-- And if that's not enough, No. 10 McDonogh School (Md.) and No. 12 Loyola (Md.) will try to make up a league contest that already has been twice postponed. As a sidenote, McDonogh is the only program other than St. Benedict's or St. Ignatius to claim a FAB 50 national title in the last eight years.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Boulder (Colo.). Boulder has defeated three of the state's top programs already this season, and the strong showing helped the team jump from No. 29 to No. 18 this week. ... GIRLS: Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.). Ravenwood rallied for a 2-1 win over previously undefeated Franklin (Tenn.) to lift this team from No. 30 to No. 19 this week.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 36 Medina (Ohio), No. 37 Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), No. 39 Forest Hills Northern (Grand Rapids, Mich.), No. 40 Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.), No. 42 Xavier (Middletown, Conn.), No. 43 Centerville (Ohio), No. 44 Marlboro (Mass.), No. 45 River Hill (Clarksville, Md.), No. 46 Hauppauge (N.Y.), No. 47 New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) and No. 48 DeSmet (St. Louis, Mo.). ... GIRLS: No. 29 Owen J. Roberts (Pottstown, Pa.), No. 34 Penn Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.), No. 39 Pennington School (Pennington, N.J.), No. 43 Maryville (Tenn.), No. 46 Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.).