Top 5 teams might look familiar when Aug. 21 rankings are posted
Chaparral had a stellar 2011 season and expects to be just as good, if not better.
Photo by Ray Chen
The first MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll comes out this week, but don't be surprised if Papillion LaVista-South tops the list. The Titans were, after all, named by MaxPreps as mythical national champions the last two years.
It's hard to argue against Papillion LaVista South as the preseason pick at No. 1. The Titans are riding an 82-game winning streak and coming off back-to-back 41-0 seasons. In their 41 matches a year ago, they were 99-4.
But Nos. 2 through 10 will start out very debatable. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) went 50-0 last year, but lost eight players to D-1 colleges.
Assumption (Louisville/Ky.) was 43-1, earned another state title and won two major tournaments last year (ASICS/Chicago and Durango/Vegas). The Rockets, winners of 28 straight and 15 of the last 17 Kentucky state titles, are led by juniors
London Ackermann (Georgia Tech) and
Kaelin Grimes (Western Kentucky).
Many think a trio of California teams are the best in the United States.
Palo Alto (Calif.),
Presentation (San Jose, Calif.) and Torrey Pines (San Diego) are teams to watch closely.
Barnstable (Hyannis, Mass.) has won 13 of the last 15 state titles in its classification and is coming off an unbeaten season (23-0) and some think with 10 unbeaten seasons in the last 20 years, more recognition is due the northeast school.
Also expected to earn early recognition are other teams that finished in the 2011 Top 10. The final Xcellent 25 Poll included No. 3 Chaparral (Parker, Colo.), No. 5
St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), No. 6
Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.), No. 7
Pope (Marietta, Ga.), No. 8
Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), No. 9
East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) and No. 10.
Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas).
But don't be surprised if one - or more - from the following list start the season in the Top 10:
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.),
Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.),
Yorktown (Ind.),
Coppell (Texas),
Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.),
St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio),
Avon (Ind.),
Boyd (McKinney, Texas) or
Marymount (Los Angeles).
And
Chattahoochee (Alpharetta, Ga.), the last team to beat Assumption (Sept. 10, 2011), has reloaded.
Stay tuned as the first rankings are to be released Aug. 21.
