Being highly regarded in boys soccer has become a tradition at Northwestern High School, which has won two of the last three South Carolina Class AAAA state championships.
With a wealth of talented players back from last year's 23-2 team, the Trojans are ranked No. 1 in the state by the South Carolina Soccer Coaches Association in its preseason poll.
The bar just got a little higher. ESPNrise.com released the top 10 teams in its 2009 Fab 50 national boys soccer poll. The Trojans are ranked No. 1. The other 40 teams will be announced next week.
Being ranked at the top in the nation is a major accomplishment. In getting there, Northwestern is the second Rock Hill team to reach the top this school year.
South Pointe's football team, which went 15-0 and won the Class AAAA Division II state championship, was ranked No. 1 nationally for several weeks during the fall sports season.
The Trojans are 74-8 -- a 90.2 winning percentage -- in three seasons under coach Dom Wren, a former Winthrop soccer player. The Trojans beat Spring Valley 1-0 in the 2006 championship game, lost 3-2 to the Vikings in 2007 and avenged that loss 2-0 in their third straight title match last spring.
Northwestern is led by senior forward Enzo Martinez, who signed a scholarship with North Carolina. Martinez set the state record for career goals with 143. He had 50 last season.
Also back this year are standout seniors Robbie Benson, Zack Clark and Shawn Ferguson. Martinez's brother, Alex, is ranked among the country's top juniors on most national lists.
| ESPNRISE.COM'S TOP 10 |
|---|
1. Northwestern 2. Robinson (Fairfax, Va.) 3. Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.) 4. Walton (Marietta, Ga.) 5. Jenks (Okla.) 6. Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.) 7. Lakeside-Dekalb (Atlanta, Ga.) 8. Herndon (Va.) 9. Pasco (Wash.) 10. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) |
