There’s only one poll left in the TopDrawerSoccer.com fall FAB 50 rankings, but we can already made a few determinations on ostensible national champs. And while the boys champ will be no stranger, the girls’ champ flew in from the outfield late in the season.

The St. Benedict’s boys program has few national equals. In terms of talent production, it doesn’t get much better than being the soil from which men like Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna sprung. So while the Gray Bees’ form in 2014 wasn’t perfect, it was largely in line with what we’ve seen in the past. St. Benedict’s managed a 19-1-0 season and closed with a 1-0 win over Peddie to win its staggering 26th consecutive New Jersey state title. In a sport that’s been heavily regionalized, that’s as good as it gets in America.

But that wasn’t such a surprise, considering St. Benedict’s had either been No. 1 or near the top for the entire season. The girls champ, though, was packaged with some intrigue.

New Jersey power Northern Highlands moved to No. 1 in the FAB 50 poll on Sept. 23, and the Highlanders stayed there until a shock loss to No. 2 Immaculate Heart Academy dropped them to No. 5 for the Nov. 11 poll. That loss was the team’s first in an incredible (and girls national best) 88 matches, the Highlanders’ first setback since Nov. 12, 2010. Needless to say, that shook up the top five and cracked the door for Maryland juggernaut McDonogh.

McDonogh finished its season a perfect 15-0-0, polished by a shootout victory over Notre Dame Prep to capture its fourth IAAM title in the last five years. With the final fall poll releasing on Nov. 25, though, that raises a pertinent question. Will it be McDonogh or Immaculate Heart with the national year-end No. 1 ranking? No. 2 Immaculate Heart finished the year 22-0-0 with a NJ state title, and a late-season victory over the aforementioned Highlanders is a bigger resume-builder than anything on McDonogh’s. That said, McDonogh is the current No. 1, and it may be difficult for Immaculate Heart to generate enough momentum to charge into that spot in one week.

Either way, next week’s unveil should be fun.

Winter rankings kick off with Montverde fever

The conclusion of the fall season means the FAB 50 rankings are ticking over to the sparse winter season, and that means eyeing the nation’s most robust undefeated streak at any competitive level. No. 1 Montverde hasn’t lost in a whopping 96 matches, which stretches back to the 2010 season before current coach Mike Potempa arrived from Clemson. Since then, Montverde’s produced 58 college players and 32 DI products.

As it has for each of the past three preseasons, the question is whether the streak continues. The prospects are certainly good, and it seems like the season is typically a virtual placeholder until Montverde gets to the season-ending MAST tournament every January. No. 6 Coppell and No. 7 Cathedral highlight the field, which has yet to stop Montverde from capturing the title in its first three years.

And then there’s the matter of national history. Since Montverde doesn’t compete in FHSAA or fall under the NFHS umbrella it’s unlikely any of its records will be recorded by that body. But the national boys record of 133 games without losing, set by Gilford in 1997, still looms large. At 96, Montverde is probably two seasons removed from snapping that total, meaning it probably wouldn’t fall until 2016. Even if it isn’t recorded for posterity, that’d still be a note for some wild trivia night.

Winning one for a legend

Needham coach Don Brock is an unquestioned colossus in high school soccer. Brock is in his 48th year at Needham in Massachusetts (there may be no coach tenured longer at any national soccer level), and his team is as strong as ever. The Rockets went into their South sectional final game against St. John’s Prep earlier this week with a 17-0-4 mark. But Brock, who’s closing in on 700 career wins, fell ill after their Sectional semifinal game and left that game in an ambulance. He wasn’t able to coach against St. John’s.

It didn’t matter. In fact, it might’ve served as unwitting inspiration. Needham won anyway, a Paul Kondratyev tally guiding the Rockets to a 1-0 victory and into the state championship game. The Rockets are now in search of their first state title since 2012, and no doubt Brock is itching to get back to his customary spot on the Needham sideline.