Coming up with rankings is an unenviable task. Believe me.

That said coming up with preseason (though some teams have played already) rankings for girls soccer this year might be especially difficult. Countless teams across the state graduated a strong senior class. One coach I talked to called the Class of '08 one of the best for girls soccer talent Washington has ever seen.

Many of the girls we saw last season are on college rosters across the country. But the rankings must go on. I'll try to take you through a bit of my reasoning.

-- KingCo 4A is a scary league. Take the defending Class 4A champs (Eastlake), the third-place team (Woodinville) and a quarterfinalist (Redmond). Now add the Class 3A champs (Issaquah) and a 15-4 Skyline team. Yikes. And I think only three can make state.

-- That said, Eastlake is on top to start the year. The Wolves have a undefeated streak that dates back to 2006 with a decent amount of returning talent. Early injuries are a concern, but the No. 1 spot is theirs until decided otherwise on the field.

-- Issaquah's early-season loss to Lakeside drops the Eagles from a higher spot. Beamer's Holland Crook is the returning 4A player of the year. Stadium might have the most returning talent in the state. Traditional powers like Bellarmine Prep, Mead and Snohomish also start off in the top 10.

-- On to the 3A rankings, where finding a favorite was a bit of a task. I landed on Everett based on the comments from all the WesCo coaches. Class 4A and 3A coaches from up north have mentioned the Seagulls stars, especially Sele Vance and Annie Sittauer. Everett has state experience and five seniors, which is something not a lot of 3A teams can boast.

-- Camas always fields a strong side on both the guys and girls side. Lakeside graduated a handful of seniors, but starting the season strong with a 1-0 win over Issaquah. Ferndale, I hear, is loaded with speed. And yes, the Golden Eagles have a Locker, Jake's cousin Haley on the team. Perennial powers like Kennedy, Seattle Prep and West Valley of Yakima also make the top 10.

-- Finally, I know the rankings are likely far from perfect. I did hours of research and talked to a number of coaches around the area, but in the end, it's likely going to be a very fluid process. Don't hesitate to shoot me and email and help me out if I missed something. I'd love to be the top soccer expert in the area -- and you can me that if you like -- but I could use some help to get these things as accurate as possible.

CLASS 4A
1. Eastlake 1-0
2. Beamer 0-0
3. Bellarmine Prep 2-0
4. Issaquah 0-1
5. Woodinville 0-0
6. Stadium 1-0
7. Snohomish 0-0
8. Auburn Riverside 0-0
9. Mead 1-0
10. Lake Stevens 0-0
On the bubble (listed alphabetically): Gig Harbor, Gonzaga Prep, Marysville-Pilchuck, Pasco, Redmond, Skyline.

CLASS 3A
1. Everett 0-0
2. Camas 1-0
3. Lakeside 1-0
4. Mount Spokane 1-0
5. Kennedy 0-0
6. Bellevue 0-0
7. Lindbergh 0-0
8. Ferndale 0-0
9. Seattle Prep 1-0
10. West Valley Yakima 1-0
On the bubble (listed alphabetically): Hanford, Holy Names, Mount Rainier, Shadle Park, Shorecrest.