COVID took away Balloon Fiesta, yet Strongsville (Ohio) girls soccer was flying high last Friday.

The Mustangs capped a perfect season with a 3-1 state final win over Olentangy. The victory secured Strongsville's place among the top five teams in the final FAB 50, with a really compelling case to be No. 1.

In anticipation of a banner season, coach Todd Church created a schedule to challenge the star-studded lineup. The team's original 2020 schedule included a trip to New Mexico to face the state's top teams with a side venture to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. New Mexico was one of the first states to push its fall season into the spring of 2021, ending that possible trip. Instead, Strongsville stated in-state this fall and ran through a 20- match season, outscoring opponents 97-8. The Mustangs were 6-0 against teams ranked in the final state Top 20, which included pinning the season-ending defeat on three of the state's Top 15 programs. 

Strongsville's talented senior class included Peyton Felton (Memphis), Shelby Sallee (Xavier), Madison Snyder (Cleveland State) and Sarah Robertson (Miami (OH)). Ohio State commit Nicole Sidloski and Xavier commit Libby Majka, both juniors, factored in the state final win with a combined goal and three assists. Sophomore standout Taylor Demmerle scored a goal while underclass players Libby Zacharyasz and Kylie Jicha helped on defense. Strongsville figures to remain a factor for years to come as keeper Abby Kudla, and defenders Macy Felton and Julia Rocky are freshmen, along with midfielder Brynn Severance. 

One day after Strongsville's title victory, nearby St. Ignatius (Ohio) boys put the finishing touches on a perfect season with a 4-1 state final win over New Albany. The second straight state title for the Wildcats keeps that program in the running for another FAB 50 national title, as well. Last year, St. Ignatius shared the FAB 50 No. 1 ranking with St. Benedict's Prep after the two teams tied during the regular season and went on to undefeated state title-winning seasons. 

FAB 50 GIRLS TEAMS

NOTE: Instead of assigning a ranking number this season, teams will be grouped based on their results and talent pool. Once the season comes to an end and some reasonable assessments are possible, TDS will publish a final FAB 50.

Here are our TOP 5 teams in alphabetical order (with records as of Sunday, Nov. 15): 

Eastern (N.J.), 12-0-0

Mars (Pa.) 17-0-0

Montclair (N.J.), 10-0-1

Noblesville (Ind.), 17-0-1*

Strongsville (Ohio), 20-0-0*

THE NEXT FIVE (in alphabetical order):

Bishop Feehan (Mass.), 11-0-0

Glastonbury (Conn.), 13-0-0*

Ocean City (N.J.), 8-0-1

Pennington School (N.J.), 4-0-0*

Cumberland Valley (Pa.), 15-1-0

Davis (Utah), 19-1-0*

East Syracuse Minoa (N.Y.), 11-0-0

Father Ryan (Tenn.), 12-1-0*

Franklin (Tenn.), 12-3-1*

Girls Preparatory School (Tenn.), 15-1-0*

Houston (Tenn.), 13-1-0*

Parkland (Pa.), 14-0-0

Pennridge (Pa.), 14-1-0

Ravenwood (Tenn.), 13-2-2*

Rocky Mountain (Idaho), 15-1-0*

Shenendehowa (N.Y.), 10-0-1

Southington (Conn.), 14-0-0*

Stillwater (Minn.), 13-0-1*

Winchester (Mass.), 9-0-0

OTHERS HIGH CONSIDERATION (in alphabetical order):

Bearden (Tenn.) 20-2-0*

Boise (Idaho) 12-1-0*

Exeter (N.H.) 13-0-0*

[Madison Mansfield oh-w] (Ohio) 21-0-3*

Olentangy (Ohio) 18-3-2*

Toms River North (N.J.) 13-0-1

Whitman-Hanson (Mass.) 9-0-2 

OTHERS (in alphabetical order):

Abington (Pa.), 10-2-1*

American Fork (Utah), 18-3-0*

Anthony Wayne (Ohio), 14-4-3*

Archbishop Hoban (Ohio), 17-2-0*

Avon (Ohio), 13-4-4*

Beavercreek (Ohio), 16-3-0*

Bishop Watterson (Ohio), 17-3-1*

Brunswick (Ohio), 13-3-3*

Centennial (Minn.), 13-1-0

Centerville (Ohio), 19-2-1*

Central Dauphin (Pa.), 13-2-0*

Champlin Park (Minn.), 12-1-1

Downingtown East (Pa.), 10-1-0*

East Brunswick (N.J.), 9-1-2

Granville (Ohio), 19-1-2*

Guerin Catholic (Ind.), 16-2-2*

Holmdel (N.J.), 14-0-0

Hunterdon Central (N.J.), 11-2-0

La Salle Academy (R.I.), 5-0-1

Lakota West (Ohio), 18-4-0*

Loveland (Ohio), 14-1-3*

Lower Dauphin (Pa.), 12-1-0*

Madison (Ohio), 21-0-3*

Manheim Township (Pa.), 13-2-0*

Mason (Ohio), 16-2-2*

[Mechanicsburg pa-w] (Pa.), 15-2-0

Medina (Ohio), 14-3-2*

Mount Notre Dame (Ohio), 17-1-0*

New Albany (Ohio), 16-2-1*

North Allegheny (Pa.), 12-2-0

Oak Hills (Ohio), 10-5-3*

Olentangy (Ohio), 18-3-2*

Owen J. Roberts (Pa.), 11-2-1*

Perrysburg (Ohio), 14-2-4*

Princeton Day School (N.J.), 10-1-0

Rocky River (Ohio), 19-1-2*

Sacred Heart Academy (Ky.), 17-4-1

[Scotch Plains nj-w] (N.J.), 9-1-1

Spring-Ford (Pa.), 13-2-1*

Upper Arlington (Ohio), 13-4-2*

Villa Joseph Marie (Pa.), 14-0-0

[West Lawn Wilson pa-w] (Pa.), 13-2-0*

CURRENT FINAL STATE RANKINGS

GIRLS

ARIZONA (Fall 2A classification)
1. Northland Prep, 15-0-0.

CONNECTICUT
1. Glastonbury, 14-0-0; 2. Southington, 14-0-0; 3. Wethersfield, 11-0-1; 4. Staples, 7-0-2; 5. Ridgefield, 6-0-4.

IDAHO
1. Rocky Mountain, 15-1-0; 2. Boise, 12-1-0; 3. Highland, 16-3-0.

INDIANA
1. Noblesville, 17-0-1; 2. Guerin Catholic, 16-2-2; 3. Columbus North, 18-2-1; 4. Carmel, 15-2; 5. South Bend St. Joseph, 16-3-0.

KENTUCKY
1. Sacred Heart Academy, 17-4-1; 2. Lexington Catholic, 16-3-1; 3. Highlands, 15-2-2; 4. Greenwood, 16-3-2; 5. Dixie Heights, 15-3-1.

MINNESOTA
1. Stillwater, 13-0-1; 2. Champlin Park, 12-1-1; 3. Centennial, 13-1-0; 4. Eagan, 10-2-2; 5. Rosemount, 12-1-1; 6. Minnetonka, 9-3-2; 7. Edina, 12-2.

MONTANA
1. Glacier, 14-4-0, 2. Helena, 14-4-0.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
1. Exeter, 13-0-0; 2. Bishop Guertin, 10-1-0.

OHIO
1. Strongsville, 20-0-0; 2. Madison, 21-0-3; 3. Olentangy, 18-3-2; 4. Centerville, 19-2-1; 5. Lakota West (Ohio), 18-4-0; 6. Mount Notre Dame, 17-1-0; 7. Mason, 16-2-2; 8. Beavercreek, 16-3-0; 9. Archbishop Hoban, 17-2-0; 10. Upper Arlington, 13-4-2; 11. New Albany, 16-2-1; 12. Oak Hills, 10-5-3; 13. Loveland, 14-1-3; 14. Anthony Wayne, 14-4-3; 15. Perrysburg, 14-2-4; 16. Avon, 13-4-4; 17. Medina, 14-3-2; 18. Brunswick, 13-3-3; 19. Rocky River, 19-1-2; 20. Granville, 19-1-2.

SOUTH DAKOTA
1. Brandon Valley, 12-3-1.

UTAH
1. Davis, 19-1-0; 2. American Fork, 18-3-0; 3. Pleasant Grove, 11-7-0; 4. Layton, 14-4-0; 5. Olympus, 19-2; 6. Bonneville, 17-3-0; 7. Morgan, 17-2-0.

VERMONT
1. South Burlington, 8-3-0; 2. Champlain Valley Union, 10-1-0.

WEST VIRGINIA
1. Wheeling Park, 15-2-0; 2. Parkersburg, 19-1; 3. Bridgeport, 14-1-0.

NEXT WEEK: BOYS FAB 50