HS: Fall SIMA FAB 50, Oct. 11

by Sheldon Shealer

October 11, 2016

Thirty seconds into a lengthy preseason interview by OhioSportsNet, Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) girls coach Dino McIntyre made a bold prediction.

"There's no question about it, we will lose -- the schedule we play, there's too many good teams, and after four years it's really easy to get motivated to play Walsh," he said.

Well, it took 14 matches this season, but McIntyre was right. Walsh Jesuit's undefeated run ended after 104 matches (97-0-7) at the hands of Lake Catholic (Ohio) on Oct. 5 in a 1-0 contest. For the four-time defending state champs, Walsh Jesuit sustained its first loss since the 2011 state semifinals. The Warriors' run of 104 matches was the third-longest in girls high school history, trailing only the 158-match streak by St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), 1994-2000, and 115-match streak by Ursuline Academy (Dallas, Texas), 1997-2001.

Although Walsh drops from the SIMA FAB 50 Top 5, it remains the highest-ranked team with a loss in this week's national rankings.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.). In a big week for Baltimore area private schools, Mount St. Joseph joins McDonogh as a big mover. The Gales moved from No. 49 to No. 34, the largest jump among ranked boys teams. Recent results in the MIAA have left Mount St. Joseph and Calvert Hall battling in out for the regular season title. ... GIRLS: McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.). They're back! McDonogh, the SIMA FAB 50 fall national champion in 2014 and 2015, vaulted from No. 42 to No. 24 this week powered by a 3-1 victory over Archbishop Spalding (Md.), thus avenging its only defeat, and a 3-0 win over previous Top 25-ranked Cumberland Valley (Pa.). Although No. 1 is out of reach in 2016, the Eagles are poised to make another run at national dominance soon. The squad's youthful lineup includes five freshmen starters -- all elite club players -- and a sohpomore who is committed to North Carolina. There are only five seniors on the roster, and four have committed to college programs.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 36 Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.), No. 37 Canton (Canton, Mich.), No. 38 [St Francis de Sales oh-m] (Columbus, Ohio), No. 44 Utica Ford (Sterling Heights, Mich.), No. 45 Seneca Valley (Harmony, Pa.), No. 46 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), No. 47 Half Hollow Hills East (Dix Hills, N.Y.), No. 48 Hempfield (Landisville, Pa.), No. 49 Middletown (Md.) and No. 50 Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.). ... GIRLS: No. 42 Monroe-Woodbury (Central Valley, N.Y.), No. 43 Hunterdon Central (Flemington, N.J.), No. 45 Wall Township (Wall, N.J.), No. 47 Urbana (Ijamsville, Md.) and No. 50 Oak Knoll School (Summit, N.J.).