HS: Winter, Spring FAB 50 rankings, March 6

by Sheldon Shealer

March 6, 2018

Entering the spring boys high school season, there were two teams with strong arguments to start the season ranked No. 1 in the FAB 50 - perennial Georgia power McIntosh (Peachtree Ridge, Ga.) and Tennessee defending champ Station Camp (Gallatin, Tenn.).

McIntosh received the preseason nod as the top team, but now Station Camp gets its turn at the top.

In the time between the early February preseason release and the first of the weekly spring rankings, McIntosh lost to rival Dalton (Ga.), allowing Station Camp a chance play for the No. 1 position. Station Camp will twice face No. 3 McCallie School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) in upcoming weeks, which might lead to future changes at No. 1.

St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.) returns a slew of all-state honorees from last year's FAB 50 Top 10 team and starts the girls spring rankings at No. 1.

This week, the winter season wraps up in California with the annual SoCal Regional Championships and the newly formed NorCal Regional Championships. These two events are paving the way for the first official state tournament for California high school soccer, which could be as early as next year as sections are considering a one-week earlier start to make space for such an event. Until recently, the various California sections played at different times of the year thus making a state tournament impossible. Now just about every section has moved high school soccer to the winter.

After this weekend, only Texas teams will remain in action for the winter season.

However, things will start to heat up in the spring as the Smoky Mountain Cup and Southern Coast Cup will be contested in the next few weekends, events that bring together several state title challengers from different spring-playing states.

* * * * *

SPRING SEASON

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Westminster Schools (Atlanta, Ga.). A perfect start to the season, with two marquee wins, helps Westminster vault from No. 38 to No. 6 this week. ... GIRLS: Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). In a week where teams simply moved up in order, Marian had the biggest jump, going from No. 50 to No. 45.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 8 Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.), No. 19 Tulsa Union (Tulsa, Okla.), No. 23 Walton (Marietta, Ga.), No. 37 Enterprise (Ala.), No. 43 Cardinal Newman (Columbia, S.C.), No. 44 Allatoona (Acworth, Ga.), No. 45 Mustang (Okla.), No. 48 Bishop England (Charleston, S.C.), No. 49 Pope (Marietta, Ga.) and No. 50 Homewood (Ala.). ... GIRLS: No. 30 Clover (S.C.), No. 36 Deer Creek (Okla.), No. 47 Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.), No. 48 Owasso (Okla.), No. 49 Yorktown (Arlington, Va.) and No. 50 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.).

CLICK BELOW FOR THE COMPLETE SPRING HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS

SPRING FAB 50 RANKINGS: BOYS (March 6) | GIRLS (March 6)

SPRING REGION RANKINGS: BOYS (March 5) | GIRLS (March 5)

SPRING STATE RANKINGS: BOYS (March 5) | GIRLS (March 5)

* * * * *

WINTER SEASON

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.). El Camino Real rallied from a two-goal deficit to win the LA Section Division I title and earn the No. 3 seed in this week's CIF SoCal Regional Championships. The tournament title helped the team jump from No. 22 to No. 16 this week. ... GIRLS: Houston Memorial (Hedwig Village, Texas). Houston Memorial, led by a pair of Division I signees, moved from No. 18 to No. 11 this week powered by Grace Yochum's four goals in a pair of wins.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 25 Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas), No. 30 Marin Academy (San Rafael, Calif.), No. 48 Clark (San Antonio, Texas), No. 49 McNeil (Austin, Texas) and No. 50 Sunnyside (Fresno, Calif.). ... GIRLS: No. 31 Paloma Valley (Menifee, Calif.), No. 44 Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), No. 45 San Ramon Valley (Danville, Calif.), No. 46 Flintridge Prep (La Canada, Calif.) and No. 50 Temecula Valley (Temecula, Calif.)