TOP OF THE CROP

Boys soccer 1:

4: 5: 6: (6) North 8-6 7: (1) University 10-2-3 (2) Harvey 13-1-1 (3) Chagrin Falls 14-2 (4) Kenston 11-3-1 (7) Kirtland 10-3-1 8: (9) Hawken 6-2-2

9: (8) Lake Catholic 5-5-3

10: (10) Benedictine 11-4-1

Watch list: Gilmour (105-1), Andrews Osborne (9-2), Beachwood (6-5-2) Crop comments: In full disclosure, the top-half order for the final 2020 boys Crop, which remains unchanged from a week ago, is a stunner. ... Harvey finishing at No. 2 in the Crop was admittedly not on the radar coming into the fall. But timing and a massive head-to-head result at Chagrin Falls made it happen. ... As far as year-over-year turnaround, though, Kenston is probably this area’s surprise side. Trip Roney has done a masterful job on the Bombers’ touchline, and that side deserves a ton of credit for its uptick in form. ... Chagrin is not dropping for a competitive 2-1 loss to Bay, and neither is Mentor for losing, 6-0, to St. Ignatius. There is zero shame in those results. The Cardinals bringing the Wildcats to Lake County is gutsy scheduling. The reality is, in the last 15 years, there have maybe been a halfdozen chances, if that, for a News-Herald coverage area side to defeat St. Ignatius. Such is the national-power caliber of Coach Mike McLaughlin’s program. ... Lake Catholic is on a 1-3-1 blip after a 3-1 loss at Kirtland. So Hawken, on better form, bumps to No. 8 to close the year in the Crop. Note: Matches considered through the end of the regular season Oct. 17.