As midseason in the high school soccer season approaches, three teams remain in serious contention for the No. 1 spot, and this week New York power Hoosac School takes its turn at the top.
The reigning Prep Premier League champion is off to a perfect start but still has at least three matches remaining against teams currently ranked in the Top 5. Hoosac moves to No. 1 after Taft School was held to a tie by No. 12 Suffield Academy. Taft slips to No. 2, with Woodstock Academy holding at No. 3.
If Hoosac stumbles, Taft is in position to reclaim the top spot, backed by its lengthy unbeaten run. Should both Hoosac and Taft falter, Woodstock could be next in line to take over No. 1.
Current No. 4 Northwood appears to be on the outside looking in, having already lost to both Hoosac and Woodstock. To reenter the conversation, Northwood will likely need to avenge those defeats.
Now, on with the rankings (though October 12 matches):
1. Hoosac School [N.Y.], 8-0-0
League: Prep Premier League
Notes: Hoosac rises to No. 1 this week, powered by three easy Prep Premier League wins. Hoosac shut out St. Thomas More, Andrews Osborne Academy, and Linsly School by a combined 16-0 margin. Hoosac's first real test of its new No. 1 ranking will come Saturday when it faces No. 3 Woodstock Academy. Hoosac is the only school to beat Woodstock in four years of PPL play.
2. Taft School [Conn.], 6-0-1
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Luca Leite scored early in the second half to pull Taft School into a 1-1 tie with No. 12 Suffield Academy in Taft's only outing last week. The result cost Taft the top spot for the week, but this NEPSAC powerhouse is in position to regain the No. 1 ranking if Hoosac stumbles. Despite the tie, the result did extend Taft's undefeated run to 40 matches.
3. Woodstock Academy [Conn.], 6-0-1
League: Prep Premier League
Notes: After dispatching High Mowing School 5-1 in a non-league contest, Woodstock Academy swept PPL rivals Kiski School and Spire Academy over the weekend. Mateo Henry Lacombe scored a goal in each PPL win.
4. Northwood School [N.Y.], 5-2-2
League: Independent
Notes: Northwood handled South Kent School 5-2 and Mount St. Charles 3-0 last week. Junior Samuel Andoh netted four goals. Junior Poloko Lethola had four assists. Will German added two assists. Luca Giugno was the standout on the defensive line.
5. Masters Academy International [Mass.], 6-1-2
League: Prep Premier League
Notes: Lase Akindele has emerged as a PPL Golden Boot challenger, scoring four goals over the extended weekend as Masters tied Spire Academy and routed Western Reserve Academy.
6. Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.], 5-1-2
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Efe Iyahen scored the game-winner as Northfield Mount Hermon defeated Berkshire School, 2-1. Iyahen also drew a penalty kick in the weekend tie with Hotchkiss School.
7. Loomis Chaffee School [Conn.], 7-1-1
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Bates commit Thomas Grindle scored twice in a 6-1 midweek win over Worcester Academy. Loomis was held to a 1-1 tie by Phillips Exeter on the weekend, yet the result extended the team's undefeated streak to eight matches.
8. Milton Academy [Mass.], 6-0-3
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Ethan Fine scord the winner Monday in a make-up win over Lawrence Academy. Fine and Sam Li scored in the weekend win over St. Sebastian's. Jaoquin Brzeski scored in each match and Quinn Siblies added a pair of assists. Junior center back Casey Bestler has emerged as an NCAA Division I prospect with recent dominating performances on defense.
9. Choate Rosemary Hall [Conn.], 5-0-3
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Wisdom Humalie scored two goals and two assists in Choate's easy victory over Trinity-Pawling, and scored all three in a tie with Phillips Andover. Nicholai Banton added a goal and three assists in last week's action.
10. Brooks School [Mass.], 8-1-0
League: NEPSAC-B
Notes: Brooks perfect start was slowed in a 2-1 loss to Thayer Academy. Brooks bounced back with a 3-0 win over previously ranked Middlesex School.
11. Vermont Academy [Vt.], 8-0-0
League: NEPSAC-B
Notes: Koubol Akibou scored the game-winner late in Vermont Academy's 2-1 win over Hoosac's NEPSAC team, which is not the current Prep No. 1 squad. Sarp Arda scored the first two goals as Vermont Academy cruised to a 7-0 weekend win over Cushing Academy.
12. Suffield Academy [Conn.], 5-0-3
League: NEPSAC-B
Notes: Suffield led top-ranked Taft until early in the second half, then settled for a 1-1 tie. The result helped Suffield move up a few spots in this week's rankings.
13. Hotchkiss School [Conn.], 4-1-3
League: NEPSAC-A
Notes: Hotchkiss had a big week last week, cruising past Salisbury School before playing to ties with honorable mention Avon Old Farms and No. 6 Northfield Mount Hermon. Hotchkiss' lone loss this season is a 1-0 setback to No. 12 Suffield. Last week, sophomore standout Bless Obey provided the offensive highlight, scoring twice against Salisbury School and netting a tricky penalty kick against Northfield Mount Hermon. Hudson Dwyer also scored twice against Salisbury School.
14. Pennington School [N.J.], 5-3-1
League: Mid-Atlantic Prep League
Notes: Gus Shapiro scored Pennington's lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Prep Top 15 honorable-mention Mercersburg Academy last week.
15. Mount St. Charles [R.I.], 4-2-2
League: NEPSAC-B
Notes: Mount St. Charles took on a tall order last week, facing No. 3 Woodstock and No. 4 Northwood School. Despite two losses to elite teams, Mount St. Charles still deserves a spot in the Top 15. Woodstock won 1-0, and Northwood won 3-0.
OTHERS UNDER CONSIDERATION (in alphabetical order): Avon Old Farms [Conn.], Belmont Hill School [Mass.], Berkshire School [Mass.], Deerfield School [Mass.], Mercersburg Academy [Pa.], Middlesex School [Mass.], Phillips Andover [Mass.], St. George's School [R.I.], Western Reserve Academy [Ohio], Westminster School [Conn.], Williston Northampton [Mass.].
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