HS: State, region rankings, Dec. 12

by Sheldon Shealer

December 12, 2016

The next five weeks will be filled with high school tournaments, ranging from local to national events.

This past weekend, results from the first key boys national competition -- the Lotto Sport Western Showcase -- helped reshape the California rankings as two pre-event favorites found themselves in the consolation bracket and one of those teams went home winless. Overall, Corona del Sol (Ariz.), which already held the No. 1 ranking in the West, improved its national standing by winning the event. Servite (Calif.) also benefitted from a runner-up finish. All eight teams at the competition are in the regional rankings this week as a third-place finish by Auburndale (Fla.) moved this team up in the Florida-North region.

On the girls side, Montverde Academy (Fla.) won the Women's Invitational Soccer Tournament in Florida on points after no team competing at the event went 3-0. Still, Newsome (Fla.), which went 1-0-2, and Navarre (Fla.), 2-1, benefitted from strong showings.

In California, the Butch Lee Memorial Tournament had a surprise champ as West Hills (Calif.), despite a group loss, won the competition that feaured former Top 25-ranked Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) and Mater Dei (Calif.). Los Alamitos (Calif.) moved to No. 2 in California with a strong showing at the Aliso Cup, which wraps up Monday, Dec. 12, when Los Al faces [Edison ca-w] (Calif.) in a meeting of undefeated teams in the championship match.

The current state No. 1s for boys are Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), Godinez (Anaheim, Calif.), Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), St. Paul's (Covington, La.), Northwest Rankin (Flowood, Miss.) and Coppell (Texas). On the girls side, the state No. 1s are Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.), St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.), Mililani (Hawaii), St. Scholastica (Covington, La.), Brandon (Miss.) and Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas).