St. Benedict’s returns to No. 1 in boys rankings

It's difficult to overstate the dominance of the St. Benedict's (N.J.) and St. Ignatius (Ohio) boys soccer programs. Between them, they have claimed every fall FAB 50 national title since 2010 with the exception of one. Heading into their Showdown for No. 1 this past weekend, both teams had 77-match undefeated streaks - St. Benedict's at 76-0-1 and St. Ignatius at 75-0-2. Interestingly, those tallies include a 2-2 tie between them in 2019. St. Benedict's has not lost a contest since the 2016 Prep A state final. St. Ignatius hadn't lost since the 2018 state semifinals. It's pedigrees like those that led more than 1,500 fans to brave the cold and rain at Montclair State University this past Saturday to watch the third-ever meeting of these soccer giants, and the home fans were delighted when St. Benedict's again emerged victorious, this time 2-0. The victory for St. Benedict's, which holds a 2-0-1 advantage in the all-time series, moves the Gray Bees to No. 1 this week as it seeks an 11th FAB 50 national title since 2001 and eighth since 2011. St. Ignatius slips to No. 3, but only to set up this week's clash with undefeated and second-ranked Calvert Hall (Md.). A Calvert Hall victory could give the Maryland squad a case to be in the conversation for No. 1. A St. Ignatius win would move the team into the No. 2 spot where it is likely to finish, barring a major upset later this fall. In girls soccer, Bearden (Tenn.) remains a solid No. 1 with Mars (Pa.) checking in at No. 2. VIEW THE COMPLETE FAB 50s -- FALL BOYS | FALL GIRLS