HS: Fall SIMA FAB 50, Sept. 13

by Sheldon Shealer

September 13, 2016

Despite a stellar record against unranked teams last week, the SIMA FAB 50 Top 25 boys got quite a shakeup, especially in the 13-25 range.

Some of the jockeying was tied to a string of events, such as Walt Whitman (Huntington Station, N.Y.) moving down despite a pair of wins. Whitman tied Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.) a week earlier, but Chaminade's loss to top-ranked St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) forced Chaminade lower in the rankings, and with them went Whitman. Conversely, Green Hope (Raleigh, N.C.) made a significant jump to the fringe of the Top 10 after Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) played St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) to a draw last week. Green Hope defeated Gibbons earlier in the season.

Expect similar moves for boys and girls as the next three weeks remain filled with important tournaments and out-of-state play. This week, Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.) travels to Colorado to take on the state's No. 1- and 3-ranked teams, and Quincy (Ill.) visits Evansville, Ind., to take on Indiana No. 1 Evansville Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) and Kentucky No. 3 St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) in boys soccer. Meanwhile, McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.) will play host to Massapequa (N.Y.) in a girls Top 10 clash. Massapequa is coming off a victory over perennial New Jersey state power Immaculate Heart Academy (Township of Washington, N.J.). Those are just a sampli of the key matches ahead. Follow the result starting Tuesday night with the SIMA FAB 50 Top 25 scoreboard, which is updated every night as matches are compled.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.). The Cardinals, which long dominated the old MSA and early MIAA days, is returning to top form, led by a trio of NCAA Division I commits. Calvert Hall moved from No. 29 to No. 13 this week and has a clash with No. 6 Archbishop Curley (Baltimore, Md.) this week. Curley is coming off a 7-1 win over last year's Maryland Class 4A public school state champion. ... GIRLS: Cleveland (Rio Rancho, N.M.). Cleveland, at 9-0, jumps from No. 40 to No. 23 in this week's SIMA FAB 50, in part powered by the showing of fellow New Mexico power St. Pius X (Albuquerque, N.M.) in California. St. Pius fared well in close losses to Maria Carrillo (Calif.) and Strongsville (Ohio), which justified moving Cleveland, No. 1 team in New Mexico, up in the rankings.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 22 Lower Dauphin (Hummelstown, Pa.), No. 25 Utica Ford (Sterling Heights, Mich.), No. 41 Quincy (Ill.), No. 44 Vianney (St. Louis, Mo.), No. 46 Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.), No. 47 Seneca Valley (Harmony, Pa.), No. 48 Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.), No. 49 Glastonbury (Conn.). ... GIRLS: No. 35 Dublin Jerome (Ohio), No. 45 Canon-McMillan (Canonsburg, Pa.), No. 46 Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.), No. 47 Wayzata (Minneapolis, Minn.), No. 48 Spring-Ford (Royersford, Pa.) and No. 49 Portland Jesuit (Portland, Ore.).