The accolades for two local state champions keep rolling in. Albemarle and Western Albemarle’s girls soccer programs earned rankings in the final rankings of the Spring 2017 USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Associations Poll.
The Patriots earned the No. 3 spot in the nation after going 23-0 and winning the school’s first Group 5A girls soccer state title 10 days ago, finishing behind Barrington High of Barrington, Illinois and St. Pius X of Atlanta, Ga. In the last rankings before their title, the Patriots were ranked 11th. The Patriots’ Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper was the Group 5A girls soccer player of the year.
Western Albemarle, previously unraked, was tabbed as the No. 18 program in the country, finishing behind schools from Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado and North Carolina among others. Western went 22-2 while winning the VHSL Group 3A state title with the school’s lone two losses coming at the hands of the Patriots. Western Albemarle’s Jane Romness was the VHSL Group 3A Player of the Year.
The Warriors are one of the smaller public schools in the Top 25 with under 1,000 students. Barrington, by comparison, has more than 3,000 students. That’s more than 1,000 more students than Albemarle as well.
Neither Albemarle nor Western was ranked in the national preseason rankings.
In the USA Today/NSCAA Region I rankings, Albemarle was ranked No. 1 overall. Western Albemarle was ranked No. 4. Charlotte Latin out of North Carolina was No. 2, Carrboro, N.C. was No. 3. There are five regions nationally.
