Two Lakota programs landed in the top five of The Report Ohio's area soccer rankings released Tuesday, Sept. 29, ahead of key Greater Miami Conference matchups this week.

Lakota East boys soccer (7-2-3, 4-1-1 GMC) sits at No. 3. Lakota West girls soccer (7-3-1) ranks No. 5.

Polacheck, Masin power East's boys

Junior Miles Polacheck leads the Thunderhawks with seven goals. Senior goalkeeper Nick Masin has posted four shutouts.

East picked up wins over Hamilton (3-2) and Fairmont (2-1) in the past week, according to the rankings compiled by Eric Hickey, a five-time City Coach of the Year. The Thunderhawks host Loveland on Tuesday, Sept. 29, then welcome No. 2 Mason (7-5, 5-1 GMC) on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Thursday is the big one. Hickey's rankings describe it as a "winner-stays-in-the-GMC-race game," with Mason trailing unbeaten Sycamore by one game in the conference standings.

Coach Jeremy Hilen, in his eighth year leading the program, has turned around a squad that went 5-10-3 in 2025, according to an Aug. 28 rankings preview.

Wambugu paces West's girls

Senior Anne Marie Wambugu leads the Firebirds with nine goals. Elizabeth Hull and Remi Schmidt each have four assists.

West dropped a 4-2 decision to Mason last week, and the rankings call Tuesday's home game against Lakota East a "must-win game to keep its slim GMC title hopes alive."

"This year we had a large, talented freshman class join the program to reinforce our well-balanced mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors … This year should be exciting as we've already achieved some positive results against quality teams but still have so much growth to go," coach Brigit Reder Wilder said in the Aug. 28 preseason rankings.

Wilder, who has won a state title at West, now steers a team fighting to stay in the GMC race. The Firebirds opened the season 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in the Aug. 28 edition before dropping to No. 5.

East girls on the bubble

Lakota East's girls squad landed on the bubble of the rankings. The Thunderhawks travel to Mason on Thursday, Oct. 1, and host Centerville on Saturday, Oct. 3.

This week's schedule

  • Tuesday, Sept. 29: Loveland at Lakota East (boys); Lakota East at Lakota West (girls)
  • Thursday, Oct. 1: Mason at Lakota East (boys); Lakota East girls at Mason
  • Saturday, Oct. 3: Centerville at Lakota East (girls)