The Oak Mountain High School Eagles have the nation’s top soccer team, according to a national poll released this week.
The USA Today and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America released a ranking of the top 20 boy’s soccer programs in the country, and Oak Mountain earned the top spot. The Eagles recently won their second straight Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 7A state championship.
The Eagles ended their season with 28 wins, zero losses, and two ties, including tough victory against McGill-Toolen on Saturday for the championship. Going into the game, the team was ranked No. 2 in the country by the MaxPreps computer and No. 3 by Top Drawer Soccer. The Eagles had previously been ranked No. 12 on the USA Today/NSCAA list. Oak Mountain is the only Alabama high school boys’ team included on the national ranking.
“These guys have been composed all year, so I’m not surprised with how they played and how we possessed the ball today,” Oak Mountain coach Daniel DeMasters said after the big win. “We knew we would have to possess it a bit more because of the heat and try to tire [McGill-Toolen] out. Kudos to McGill-Toolen. They were in shape and gave us a heck of a game and played down to the last second.”
The victory was the Eagles’ second championship in a row, giving the team a total of six state championships – the third-most in AHSAA boys’ soccer history. John Carroll Catholic High School holds the state record with 10 state championships.
The Vestavia Hills High School girls’ soccer team was also ranked by the USA Today/NSCAA poll. The Rebels, who won the girls’ 7A state championship, came in at No. 18 out of 20 on the national list.
Although Oak Mountain’s girls’ team only made it to the second round of the state tournament, they still found success this season. Team midfielder Julia Pack was recently named the 2015-16 Gatorade Alabama Girls Soccer Player of the Year, becoming the third Oak Mountain player win this award.
