High school soccer is back, but before the first whistle blows, the state coaches association unveiled its preseason rankings for the top boys and girls teams in every classification.

Lexington County made nine appearances in the preseason rankings, with teams ranked in all four 5A polls, one in each 4A poll and one in the 3A boys poll. 

Chapin’s girls are the highest-ranked team, sitting second in the 5A Division II girls poll. 

The Eagles went (20-3) last season and (9-1) in region for first place. The team went all the way to the Division II championship game but lost to Eastside.

Chapin made it to the championship game in each of the past two seasons and lost both times. The team will look to break that streak this season and finally reach the top. Right now, the only team above the Eagles is Eastside. 

While there is an entire season to go through first, a rematch and shot at redemption are real possibilities. 

Chapin’s boys team is also highly ranked, sitting fourth in the boys 5A Division II poll. The Eagles are the highest-ranked boys team in the area. 

Lexington and Dutch Fork are both featured in the 5A Division I boys rankings. The Wildcats sit sixth, while the Silver Foxes just made the cut as the projected 10th-best team in the classification. 

In the lower classifications, Gray Collegiate’s boys will look to go on a deep run playing in 4A as the preseason No. 6 team. Swansea begins the season as the seventh-ranked team in 3A. 

On the girls side, River Bluff and Lexington are the local representatives in the 5A Division I poll. The Gator girls sit sixth, and the Wildcats are in ninth. 

Gray Collegiate’s girls are the only ranked lower classification team in Lexington County, sitting sixth in the 4A girls poll. 

Check out the full standings for every local classification below.

Soccer coaches’ poll 

5A Division I boys

1. JL Mann

2. Wando

3. Ashley Ridge

4. James Island

5. Wade Hampton

6. Lexington

7. Mauldin

8. Blythewood

9. Fort Dorchester

10. Dutch Fork 

5A Division I girls 

1. JL Mann

2. Wando

3. James Island

4. West Ashley

5. River Bluff

6. Mauldin

7. Blythewood

8. Cane Bay

9. Lexington

10. Dorman 

5A Division II boys

1. Catawba Ridge

2. Riverside

3. Lucy Beckham

4. Chapin

5. St. James

6. Myrtle Beach

7. Eastside

8. Nation Ford

9. Greenville

10. Greenwood 

5A Division II girls

1. Eastside

2. Chapin

3. Riverside

4. Nation Ford

5. Lucy Beckham

6. Catawba Ridge

7. St. James

8. West Florence

9. Fort Mill

10. Greenville

4A boys 

1. Daniel

2. Bishop England

3. May River

4. AC Flora

5. Wren 

6. Gray Collegiate

7. Greer

8. Southside

9. North Augusta

10. Bluffton 

4A girls

1. Bishop England

2. AC Flora

3. May River

4. Dreher

5. Hilton Head Island

6. Gray Collegiate

7. Fountain Inn

8. Daniel

9. Wren

10. North Augusta 

3A boys

1. Oceanside Collegiate

2. Powdersville

3. St. Joseph’s

4. Hanahan

5. Christ Church

6. Waccamaw

7. Swansea

8. Palmetto

9. Newberry

10. Woodruff 

3A girls 

1. Oceanside Collegiate

2. Christ Church

3. St. Joseph’s 

4. Greer Middle College

5. Waccamaw

6. Powdersville

7. Hanahan

8. Fox Creek

9. Southside Christian

10. Chapman 

2A boys

1. Academic Magnet

2. Philip Simmons

3. Andrew Jackson

4. Brashier Middle College

5. Columbia

6. Greenville Tech

7. Atlantic Collegiate

8. Bridges Prep

9. Buford

10. Mid-Carolina 

2A/A girls 

1. Academic Magnet

2. Philip Simmons

3. Dixie

4. Buford

5. Andrew Jackson

6. Bridges Prep

7. Greenville Tech

8. Ninety-Six

9. Atlantic Collegiate

10. York Prep