Before we leap headlong into the new school year and boys fall soccer season, let's take a moment to look back to see what were the best soccer schools in Illinois in 2022-23.
It's certain that everybody has an opinion and that many will be different. The method to Chicagoland Soccer's madness is to go back over its Final 50 polls for the girls and boys to see which schools made an appearance in each.
Below is a list of the schools that accomplished that feat.
The ranking is based on a simple points system: 50 for the top-ranked team in either poll; 49 for the second; etc.
In the first year the poll was published (after shortened spring schedules in 2020-21 due to COVID-19), 25 teams qualified. Last school year, 22 schools made the chart.
For the 2022-23 school year, 18 schools made the cut.
Is there growing parity in Illinois prep soccer? We'll save that discussion for another time. For now, check out the most recent top soccer schools in Illinois below.
Key: R-'22-'23 ranking; '21-22 ranking; '20-'21 ranking (abbreviated spring seasons due to COVID-19); GR-girls ranking in Final 50 for '22-'23 school year; BR-boys ranking in Final 50 for '22-'23 school year; W-L-T-combined team record; Points-combined points.
Editor's note: All-boys schools Mount Carmel (14-4-5/no. 39) and St. Patrick (12-8-2/no. 47) were ranked in the Final 50.
Rank | '21-22 rank | '20-'21 rank | Team | GR | BR | W | L | T | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 3 | Naperville North | 6 | 6 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 90 |
2 | 10 | 23 | New Trier | 9 | 7 | 42 | 6 | 5 | 86 |
2 | 1 | Lyons | 5 | 11 | 36 | 8 | 4 | 86 | |
4 | 21 | NR | Plainfield North | 3 | 18 | 41 | 7 | 4 | 83 |
5 | 17 | 17 | Glenwood | 7 | 15 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 80 |
6 | 8 | 2 | Benet | 15 | 14 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 73 |
7 | 6 | 10 | Naperville Central | 29 | 1 | 35 | 9 | 2 | 72 |
8 | NR | NR | Hinsdale Central | 23 | 9 | 32 | 13 | 3 | 70 |
10 | 4 | St. Charles East | 11 | 21 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 70 | |
10 | NR | NR | York | 32 | 4 | 35 | 6 | 5 | 66 |
11 | 20 | 14 | Stevenson | 34 | 3 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 65 |
12 | NR | 24 | Lane | 14 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 65 |
13 | 7 | 19 | Fremd | 12 | 26 | 32 | 10 | 3 | 64 |
14 | NR | NR | Notre Dame (Peoria) | 28 | 13 | 40 | 7 | 3 | 61 |
15 | NR | 20 | Edwardsville | 17 | 29 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 56 |
16 | NR | NR | Morton (Ill.) | 35 | 37 | 31 | 8 | 7 | 30 |
17 | NR | 5 | Warren | 37 | 42 | 25 | 11 | 5 | 23 |
18 | NR | NR | Lemont | 50 | 48 | 31 | 10 | 8 | 4 |