Familiar names top the charts in the fall preseason FAB 50 boys and girls high school soccer rankings, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

A loaded St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) team starts the year at No. 1 in the boys soccer FAB 50, while two-time defending champion Maria Carrillo (Santa Rosa, Calif.) is No. 1 in the girls soccer FAB 50.

St. Benedict’s, a private school on the East Coast with five previous FAB 50 No. 1 final rankings, is further distancing itself from most fall programs that are losing players to year-round club teams. The Gray Bees’ arrangement with Development Academy PDA allows a number of elite players to still represent the high school team. In addition, St. Benedict’s leans on international relationships to help strengthen an already talented squad, as evidence of adding players to the lineup from the Haiti and India Under-17 national teams. Throw in the fact a former U.S. Soccer Residency player has opted to return to New Jersey and enroll at St. Benedict’s, it’s a case of the rich getting richer.

By contrast, Maria Carrillo, a public school on the West Coast, is a home-grown product. The highly successful Santa Rosa club teams have sent a bevy of talent to Maria Carrillo and archrival Montgomery, another highly ranked fall soccer program. Maria Carrillo became the first program to win back-to-back fall FAB 50 girls soccer titles with last year’s undefeated record. Maria Carrillo is simply riding a wave of great talent roaming the halls of this public school. No team -- regardless of gender or season -- has won three straight FAB 50 titles, so the Pumas will certainly be the target for all opponents this year.

So what’s it take to start the season No. 1?

Or, even in the preseason FAB 50?

Before talking those questions are answered, it’s important to note that the preseason FAB 50 serves as a starting point to the high school soccer -- not a prediction of where teams will finish. In many cases, teams ranked close together with similar talent and expectations will face each other, meaning the result will settle the issue on the field. 

As for preseason No. 1?

That was a two-team debate in the boys, but more complicated with the girls.

The ideal preseason No. 1 team is loaded with NCAA Division I-bound talent, coupled with high praise and lofty expectations by area coaches and cemented with challenging regional or national schedules.

On the boys side, St. Benedict’s, which could produce a dozen Division I-bound players among this year’s roster, faces teams from seven states, making it an easily choice for No. 1. If the Gary Bees post an undefeated season, it will be hard to argue against them as the nation’s top high school team in the fall.

However, one slip up by St. Benedict’s could open the door for last year’s No. 1 McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), which returns seven starters, including two with U.S. Soccer Youth National Team experience. 

McDonogh, like St. Benedict’s, benefits from a unique club arrangement. Many of Baltimore’s top youth players compete with Baltimore Celtic, which allows its players the option to play high school soccer, as opposed to the Baltimore Bays in the Development Academy. Since the creation of Baltimore Celtic by a the former Baltimore Bays and McDonogh head coach, the Bays Academy team has failed to produce a winning season on the Under-16 and Under-18 levels. Meanwhile, Celtic captured the US Youth Soccer Under-16 national title last month. Seven Celtic players will suit up for McDonogh, and Celtic’s head coach is now guiding McDonogh’s program.

St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio), with four Division I commits, St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.), and Avon (Ind.) round out the top five. 

On the girls side, four teams made compelling cases for preseason No. 1 -- Maria Carrillo, Avon (Ind.), Northern Highlands (Allendale, N.J.) and Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio).

Maria Carrillo, which plays ranked teams from four states, and Avon, facing ranked teams from three states, have the strongest schedules among the group. Northern Highlands might have the most talent, but there’s no guarantee those players will be on the field at the same time this year. Walsh Jesuit, meanwhile, won’t see its most difficult opponents until starting defense of its Ohio Division I state title. It’s actually possible, although unlikely, that Northern Highlands and Walsh Jesuit could go through the season without facing a FAB 50-ranked opponent. 

On the off chance all four go undefeated, Maria Carrillo’s strength of schedule coupled with its high-end Division I talent will make it a worthy No. 1. If the Pumas fall, there will be plenty of worthy contenders for the top spot.

What’s it take to be in the preseason FAB 50?

Every team ranked in the preseason FAB 50 tends to have the following attributes: several starters or key players returning from highly successful 2013 campaigns; NCAA Division I-caliber talent on the field; a formidable schedule that includes matches -- or potential matches -- against other nationally ranked programs.

We do not expect all of the teams to live up to preseason hype, and each week it’s routine that six to eight squads will fall from the rankings, only to be replaced by teams that have earned a shot at a ranking due to its on-field success. Historically speaking, about 25-30 of the preseason teams finish among the FAB 50 each year. 

These preseason teams serve as the benchmark for the upcoming season, and teams that defeat preseason FAB 50 opponents may very well deserve a look for following week’s rankings.

View the Preseason FAB 50 Rankings: Boys | Girls