757 Top 15 Rankings - Hampton Roads High Schools Boys

The 757 state title chase is heating up now that we've gotten past Spring Break for all of our public schools. Here's where things stand as we see it when it comes to the best high school teams in Hampton Roads.   1. Great Bridge Wildcats (5-0-0, Best Result: 1-0 Win vs Jamestown) - The Wildcats have breezed through their March schedule, claiming their first Keepers Cup title in the opening week of the season which was highlighted by a 1-0 win over 4A powerhouse Jamestown. Great Bridge also have yet to concede a goal this season, and while that's sure to change, don't expect it to be many by the time these rankings come around again in a couple weeks. Jack Ottley, Carson Danner and the rest of these 'Cats are surely on their way to a great season.   2. Menchville Monarchs (6-0-0, Best Result: 3-2 Win @ Jamestown) - The Peninsula District royalty have blasted their way through their competition so far, including a 2nd half comeback against Jamestown right before Spring Break led by Christian and Zach Robinson. It would be fitting to see them roll through to the Region Playoffs without a blemish on their resume, but plenty of matches to get through before we start crowning them Kings of 5B, including a date with First Colonial later this month.   3. Jamestown Eagles (4-2-0, Best Result: 1-0 Win @ Kempsville) - A matter of two goals is what keeps this high flying squad from sitting perched atop the rankings. Falling to Great Bridge wasn't such a disaster, with the former 4A rivals clashing heavily in their early season matchup. However, they can ill afford another letdown the likes of which they saw vs Menchville, failing to protect a 2 goal lead on "home turf" in the second half. Look for the Eagles and [player_tooltip player_id='161502' first='Max' last='Cooper'] to put away many of their coming opponents early and their Bay Rivers dominance to continue.   4. Ocean Lakes Dolphins (4-1-0, Best Result: 2-1 Win vs Kellam) - With a loss to the Wildcats already on the board, it was hard to anticipate the Dolphins being the team to disrupt Kellam's state-best 24 game win streak. Despite the odds, the Dolphins got the job done and catapulted themselves back into the Top 5 mix, ultimately landing at number four. With strong outings throughout the start of their season, this squad solidified itself as one to keep an eye on through April and May.   5. Cox Falcons (4-0-0, Best Result: 2-1 Win @ Warhill) - Taking on what on paper appeared to be a gauntlet of an opening schedule, the Falcons have relatively breezed through March. Their competitive matches are against fellow Top 6 competitor Warhill and a Grassfield side that has yet to find a win on the pitch, albeit whilst playing the hardest schedule in the state. Their other two matches proved lackluster as both Kecoughtan and Grafton are on the down end of things. No matter, this Cox side is still a force for anyone to deal with.   6. Warhill Lions (2-2-1, Best Result: 0-0 Draw vs Princess Anne) - This Bay Rivers side is pushing to prove their mettle early on in 2024 with a highly competitive schedule. A draw with Princess Anne kicked off their campaign, and strong results against Great Bridge and Cox firmly plant this group in the mix of the best teams in Hampton Roads. Now the questions become more dire as their Bay Rivers schedule kicks into high gear, with matchups against Lafayette, Smithfield, and Jamestown within the next two weeks.   7. Landstown Eagles (3-0-0, Best result: 5-3 Win @ Grassfield) - The perennial state contenders usher in a Top 10 ranking early on due to taking care of business from the word go. Three straight Region victories see them plant a strong flag amongst the 757 6A schools, but they will be wary of their play moving forward after a 5-3 win over Grassfield. It's not often you see a top team forced to come from behind twice, but that's exactly what Jason-David Nofsker and the Eagles had to do to not go into the break with a loss.   8. First Colonial Patriots (3-0-1, Best Result: 0-0 Draw vs Kellam) - A come from behind win against a 6A powerhouse and two victories over major players in the Southeastern district power the Ben Curulla and the Patriots record so far. Where this team lacks showed in a home matchup with Kellam, where First Colonial did not display the firepower they were silently promising. This is worrying considering the number of strong Beach teams they'll need to fire past in order to reclaim their past dominance in Region 5A.   9. Kellam Knights (3-1-1, Best Result: 0-0 Draw @ First Colonial) - This team from the jump has seemed a step behind where they should be, even in the preseason, and now the results aren't necessarily playing out as as strongly as would be expected for a team defending a state title. Respectively, this is a new classification and a new path to lifting the trophy, with a new cast and crew tasked with taking on the challenge. We will know soon enough whether they are up for it.   10. Smithfield Packers (4-0-0, Best Result: 2-0 Win vs Gloucester) - This 4A powerhouse is back with another group set on finding 4A glory. This year, however, looks a little different than in year's past. A little more brute force and some questions at the back accompany this side to every match. It will be interesting to see if they can stand pat against their Bay Rivers competition.   11. Princess Anne Cavaliers (2-0-1, Best Result: 0-0 Draw vs Warhill) - While the results at keepers cup were favorable for the Cavs, that also happens to be the last time they played a competitive match. It will be nearly a month since this squad has stepped on the field together, and with eight games in April, five of them against Top 12 opposition, this team is going to have to get back on their horse and fast in order to not fall into a run of negative results.   12. Kempsville Chiefs (2-2-0, Best result: 3-0 Win vs Hickory) - This team is the equivalent of beating who you should beat and playing well against good competition. Losses to Jamestown and Ocean Lakes don't do much to blemish this side's image, but Cameron Lambert and the Chiefs must take care of a tough April schedule to maintain that view moving forward.   13. Gloucester Dukes (2-1-0, Best result: 8-0 Win vs Denbigh) - These boys have hammered their lesser competition but fell a bit short in their cross-river clash with Smithfield. If they are going to challenge Menchville for the Peninsula crown, they are going to have to tap in to the firepower they are finding against their weaker opponents instead of disappearing in the heat of battle.   14. Granby Comets (5-1-0, Best result: 1-0 Win vs Western Branch) - Looking to return to states, the Comets seem to be answering the call relatively well from their opponents so far. The one bit that sticks out to the rest of the 757 is their loss to 1A powerhouse Northampton, a 3-2 defeat at home that has some folks scratching their heads. With a softer Eastern District schedule ahead, the Comets and Didi Martinez will get plenty of practice for some Class 5 clashes later in the month.   15. Salem Sundevils (5-0-0, Best Result: 2-1 Win vs Bayside) - Of the three undefeated teams remaining that could occupy this spot, Salem pips the other two with their quality of victories as well as their quantity, partially through the efforts of Goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='169889' first='Graem' last='Sines']. These next couple of weeks will do a lot to determine whether any of them deserve a spot on this list moving forward, so look for a new name at the end of this list on the 22nd.

The 757 state title chase is heating up now that we've gotten past Spring Break for all of our public schools. Here's where things stand as we see it when it comes to the best high school teams in Hampton Roads.