HS: Spring FAB 50 rankings, May 8

by Sheldon Shealer

May 8, 2018

Wando (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) sits on the doorstep of history.

This is the 19th year for the FAB 50 rankings, and only once before has a spring boys team finished No. 1 in back-to-back seasons. Now, Wando, with a win streak at 52 matches, is two wins away from accomplishing the feat. It will not be an easy task, though, as Wando's state semifinal opponent is fellow state power River Bluff (Lexington, S.C.), coached by the state's all-time winningest coach -- both in terms of wins and state titles.

Wando, No. 2 Tulsa Union (Tulsa, Okla.) and No. 4 Westminster Schools (Atlanta, Ga.) all could secure Top 5 finishes as their state championships conclude this weekend, the first in a series of title weekends that will last for the next month.

If Wando falters, Tulsa Union could finish out a storybook ending themselves. Under a first-year coach who came to town mostly to coach a pro women's soccer team, Union's boys team is now two wins away from a perfect season.

The last time a spring boys program went back-to-back as FAB No. 1 was Thomas Dale (Chester, Va.) in 2005 and 2006, during the pre-Development Academy era when the top high school teams were loaded with talent.

On the girls side, Notre Dame de Sion (Kansas City, Mo.) and St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.) remain a solid 1-2.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: South Lakes (Reston, Va.). The top-ranked team in The Washington Post vaulted up nine spots to land in the Top 10 this week after defeating former FAB 50 Top 5 [Washington-Lee va-m] (Arlington, Va.) to win the Liberty District title and a No. 1 postseason bid. ... GIRLS: Burlington Central (Burlington, Ill.). Burlington Central was a preseason FAB 50 team that dropped out and recently returned to the rankings. The team is up 19 spots to No. 31 this week.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 33 South Forsyth (Cumming, Ga.), No. 36 Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, Ga.), No. 39 Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), No. 40 Fort Payne (Ala.), No. 49 Decatur (Ga.) and No. 50 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.). ... GIRLS: No. 45 Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.), No. 46 Glenbrook North (Northbrook, Ill.), No. 48 Hoggard (Wilmington, N.C.), No. 49 Lake Zurich (Ill.) and No. 50 W.T. Woodson (Fairfax, Va.).