On paper, Wando (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) had all the makings of a preseason No. 1 team -- a defending state champion in a major spring soccer state with loads of returning talent, including multiple NCAA Division I-bound players.
But before the POWERADE PRESEASON FAB 50 could debut, Wando took an unexpected loss.
And so it is with high school soccer -- no results are guaranteed and the season is full of surprises.
Therefore, Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.), the top-ranked team by the Georgia high school coaches, debuts as No. 1 in a Georgia-heavy Top 5.
The preseason rankings merely serve as a starting point, with teams expected to cycle in and out of the FAB 50 throughout the season. The rankings are based on recent performance and reasonable expectations heading into the season. Soon, the results will replace the hype. While play has started in three spring states -- Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina -- some states have yet to start practice. Therefore, a few teams' rankings are based on which players are expected to return, and if those players bypass high school soccer it will change the expectations of those programs.
