ESPN Ranks Lassiter Boys Soccer No. 1

is the best boys soccer team in the nation, according to ESPN’s first Fab 50 rankings of the season.

The Northeast Cobb school also has the top ranking in the PrepCountry.com/Georgia Athletic Coaches Association AAAAA poll, which includes fellow Region 5-AAAAA schools at No. 9 and at No. 10.

Lassiter returns six starters from last year’s team, which didn’t lose a game until , in the state AAAAA semifinals. East Cobb rival Walton then .

The Trojans are off to a 5-0 start, including a 3-2 win over on Saturday, according to the team’s website. Collins Hill is 44th in the ESPN Fab 50.

ESPN lists senior midfielder Brandon Barbero, senior forward Bennett Eldredge and junior midfielder Shaban Abousaud as Lassiter’s top players.

Three of the top four teams in the ESPN rankings are from Georgia: Lassiter at No. 1, at No. 2 and at No. 4.

Because most states haven’t started the spring season, ESPN is basing its season-opening rankings on reputations and returning players and expects lots of changes as actual performances replace predictions. For example, in Mount Pleasant, SC, was set to be the preseason No. 1 until it lost a game in a season-opening tournament.

Lassiter’s next chance to justify the hype comes at home Thursday when the Trojans take on , ranked No. 7 in the state and No. 22 in the nation, at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Fillmann Stadium.