With Oakwood/Salt Fork dropping its first two games of the season on back-to-back nights and the five teams behind it going a combined 15-0-1 over the last seven days, there’s been some shuffling. Preps coordinator Zach Piatt takes us through it:
1. Urbana
Record: 7-2-1
Previous ranking: No. 2
The Tigers haven’t lost a game since the first round of the Urbana Invitational two weeks ago. They did record a scoreless tie with Bloomington last Tuesday, another example of how stout their defense has been. In the eight games that haven’t resulted in a loss, Miki Kowalski’s team has allowed just eight goals. And five different players have scored in each of Urbana’s last two wins.
2. Fisher/Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
Record: 9-1-1
Previous ranking: No. 3
Another team fighting for that top spot, the Bunnies won all four of their games in the last week, with their only loss coming at the hands of Urbana in the season opener. The defense has been as tight as ever, allowing just five goals all season, and Parker Baillie has tallied eight shutouts in net. The offense has been just as good, averaging 5.4 goals per game with numerous goal-scorers.
3. Uni High
Record: 9-2
Previous ranking: No. 4
Joe Krehbiel’s program is the hottest team in the area right now. After falling 1-0 to Fisher/Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley and 4-3 to Urbana a couple weeks ago, the Illineks have won five games in a row, including a victory over Oakwood/Salt Fork in penalty kicks on their way to a Cornjerker Classic title. In that span, they’ve outscored opponents 25-1 and are showing no signs of slowing down.
4. Oakwood/Salt Fork
Record: 11-2
Previous ranking: No. 1
Going 4-2 in a week’s span usually doesn’t drop you three spots, especially when you’re a team as talented as Oakwood/Salt Fork. But when nobody behind you loses, that’s when it gets tough. The highlight of the last week was Macen Phillips breaking the program’s career assist record. O/SF is still one of the best teams in the area, even after suffering its first two losses of the season.
5. St. Joseph-Ogden
Record: 10-2-1
Previous ranking: No. 5
Like Urbana and Uni High, the Spartans have been on a roll, going 9-0-1 after starting 1-2. A pair of 9-0 wins over Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin and Blue Ridge have SJ-O holding its ground, with Zach Harper scoring four goals against the Blue Devils and Logan Mills netting a hat trick against the Knights. Plus, the defense was so good that goalkeeper Jaxson Colvin had a pair of shutouts without a save.
6. Watseka/Milford
Record: 7-2
Previous ranking: No. 6
Talk about a model of consistency. Narciso Solorzano has scored at least two goals in seven consecutive games, all wins, dating back to Sept. 5. And it’s not just him. Owen Avelar, Santiago Solorzano and others have been more than capable complements to the 2023 News-Gazette All-Area First-Team selection. The Warriors will go as far as Narciso Solorzano can take them.
7. St. Thomas More
Record: 4-2-1
Previous ranking: No. 7
Only a 1-0 win over Chillicothe IVC and a 5-0 loss to Uni High in the last week for the Sabers, but it’s been good enough for them to hold steady on this list. The top-six teams appear to be separating themselves from the rest, with the next four spots up for grabs. STM has already matched its win total from the 2023 season, but Zach Megginson’s team wants more.
8. Mahomet-Seymour
Record: 4-4-1
Previous ranking: No. 9
The Bulldogs have bounced back after a rough showing at the Urbana Invitational, defeating Charleston 8-1 and Mattoon 6-1. Travis Hoffman recorded a hat trick in both contests and added a combined three assists. He’s emerging as the go-to guy offensively for a Mahomet-Seymour team looking to prove they still belong after losing multiple All-State players from last year.
9. Centennial
Record: 4-5-2
Previous ranking: Unranked
Following a season in which Centennial made a Class 2A regional championship for the first time in any of the rostered players’ high school careers is no easy task, but the Chargers have done a good job of hanging around that .500 mark. Their recent wins over Monticello, Peoria and Danville have thrown them into the Top 10, with Nemo McKissick, Lucas Pianfetti and Tyler Luchinski leading the way.
10. Rantoul/ Paxton-Buckley-Loda
Record: 4-6-1
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Eagles didn’t look too good in Tuesday’s 1-0 home loss to Monticello, but handing Oakwood/Salt Fork its first loss of the season last Thursday has to count for something. Despite the up-and-down season third-year coach Bryant Anderson’s team has had to this point, it’s playing much better than its five-win campaigns in each of the last two years.
