It should come as no surprise that Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central cracked the ESPN RISE state-to-state rankings for Illinois boys soccer this week.
Neuqua (2-0) grabbed the top spot followed by New Trier (3-0), Lyons (2-0), Central (3-0) and down-state Edwardsville (1-0). Neuqua finished second in large-school state competition last year and defeated Naperville Central along the way.
Both teams will compete in the Best of the West Soccer Tournament, starting tonight in Naperville. It's not an unpopular thought to think that both teams will meet in the final again this year. Whoever wins should maintain their ranking, if not see a boost state-wide and nationally.
The updated national poll was not yet available at the time of this post. Whoever suffers a knock in the tournament should see a dip in popularity. That's the good and bad of playing in an elite tournament this early in the season.
In the past, many programs have used the tournament to accomplish basic things like figuring out a starting lineup. Other programs hit the ground running this week and see the tournament as a springboard to more confidence during conference play. Visit The Sun all week for my tournament reports.
Right now, though, it's time for predictions. I see Neuqua and Central clashing again for all the marbles. You?
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