HS: Fall FAB 50, Oct. 31

by Sheldon Shealer

October 31, 2017

Even with a target on its back, Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.) delivered.

The preseason FAB 50 No. 1 team will end in the same position following a 2-0 state final victory over then Top 10-ranked Guerin Catholic. The star-studded lineup of the Penn Kingsmen finished off a second straight undefeated season to stretch its unbeaten streak to 47 matches, which includes the last two Indiana large-school state titles.

Penn becomes the third team from Indiana to claim a FAB 50 national title, joining the 2002 Carmel and 2011 Carmel teams.

Penn finished No. 2 in last year's FAB 50.

In other big ranking news, Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.) debuts at No. 49. The Mississippi independent school champ will become the first fall-playing Mississippi team to finish among the FAB 50. The team's marquee result this year was a 2-1 win over Briarcrest Christian (Memphis, Tenn.). Briarcrest was a state runner-up, losing on penalty kicks to FAB 50 No. 43 Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.).

On the boys side, the Top 15 teams held their ranking for another week. Those teams went a combined 24-0 last week.

BIG MOVERS: BOYS: Brentwood (N.Y.). Brentwood is the answer to a FAB 50-based trivia question ... Who is the last public school to finish No. 1 in the fall FAB 50 boys ranking? That was Brentwood in 2008. This week, the team's 10-spot jump from No. 48 to No. 38 marks the largest move in the rankings. ... GIRLS: Norwin (Irwin, Pa.). Norwin, which spent a little time at No. 1 before falling out of the FAB 50, is back in the Top 25 this week -- at No. 24, a 16-spot jump over last week's ranking.

NEWCOMERS: BOYS: No. 42 St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.), No. 43 Westview (Portland, Ore.), No. 44 Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.), No. 45 Lower Dauphin (Hummelstown, Pa.), No. 47 Westfield (N.J.), No. 48 Harrison (Lafayette, Ind.), No. 49 Broomfield (Colo.) and No. 50 Fort Collins (Colo.). ... GIRLS: No. 48 Perrysburg (Ohio), No. 49 Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.) and No. 50 West Jessamine (Nicholasville, Ky.).