Shealer’s Notebook: Georgia team makes fall ranking debut
OK, so how is it that a team from a state with no fall season ends up in the fall regional rankings this week? Basically, it’s one of those high school anomalies. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is located in Georgia but competes…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOK, so how is it that a team from a state with no fall season ends up in the fall regional rankings this week?
Basically, it’s one of those high school anomalies.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is located in Georgia but competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, and as such offers fall high school soccer. The rest of Georgia plays in the spring. When it comes to schools competing in other state associations, Rabun Gap isn’t alone. The Truckee and Lake Tahoe, Calif., schools compete in Nevada, and there is a trio of Vermont schools that are part of the New Hampshire high school sports association, just to name a few. For the Truckee and Lake Tahoe schools, similar to Rabun Gap, it also means playing fall soccer while the rest of its state plays in the winter.
These unique association situations, often driven by geographical reasons, largely go unnoticed by the broader high school-viewing public as the schools involved often are small and almost never factor on the state level.
That appears to be changing in the NCISAA.
Rabun Gap has been luring international boarding students to its scenic and sprawling 1,400-acre campus in the Appalachian Mountains and is building a bit of a soccer power. In fact, on Saturday, Rabun Gap might have delivered its most significant result in program history, netting four second-half goals to rally for a 4-2 victory over Carmel Christian (N.C.), which was ranked as the overall No. 1 team in North Carolina. Rabun Gap, led by junior forward Emilio Roman ends regular season play at 17-1-1, and Carmel Christian finishes 13-1-1. Carmel Christian won the previous meeting between the teams and these programs are seeded No. 1 and 2 in the NCISAA Class 4A state playoffs, which start this week.
Rabun Gap debuts at No. 16 in this week’s Mid-Atlantic region rankings, one spot ahead of Carmel Christian. This marks the first time in the 22-year history of the FAB 50 soccer rankings that a school from Georgia has appeared in the fall rankings.
KEYSTONE PROPS: Freshman Sienna Manns scored the goal that put Cumberland Valley (Pa.) ahead for good at 3-2 and then assisted the goal that made it 4-2 as the Cumberland Valley stunned McDonogh (Md.) in girls action last week. Interestingly, both teams are nicknamed Eagles. In this case, the home-standing Eagles from Cumberland Valley not only won the match but made quite a statement for Pennsylvania soccer. McDonogh is ranked No. 2 in Maryland had been in the Top 25 until this week. Cumberland Valley, meanwhile, was not even in the state Top 20 until this week. The Cumberland Valley win helped reshape the Mid-Atlantic regional rankings this week with Maryland power Good Counsel at No. 1 followed by nine Pennsylvania teams.
TOP BILLING: It appears the No. 1 boys ranking in South Dakota will go to Sioux Falls Christian, which recently wrapped up a 14-0 season with the Class A state title. Generally, the larger Class AA schools are stronger, but this is the rare year where an A school has earned the right to be overall No. 1. Sioux Falls Christian defeated O’Gorman 4-1 late in the regular season. O’Gorman ended up as the Class AA state runner-up, losing to Yankton 1-0.
RECORDS: Goalkeeper Joe Lapan of Hudson Falls (N.Y.) generally finds himself on the wrong end of lopsided results. But from those poundings have come with a consolation — three state records for saves in a match, a season, and a career. Earlier, Lapan tied the state mark with a 31-save performance in a match. Last week, in the team’s 10-0 loss to South Glens Falls, his 18-save performance gave him 227 for the season and 594 for his career, both New York state records.