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The comparisons really have no definitive answer. And it's not really fair to the people involved.

But sports wouldn't be the same without a little debate. So here goes:

Where does Waubonsie Valley rank on the list of the state's all-time best girls soccer teams?

After winning a second consecutive Class AA state title Saturday night, the Warriors became only the fourth repeat champions, and first since New Trier from 2003 to 2004. They completed their second straight season without a loss and have the third-longest unbeaten streak in state history at 58 games (56-0-2).

Only St. Charles, which later became St. Charles East, and New Trier have longer ones. The Saints went 88 games without a loss from 1996 until 2000. New Trier is also credited with an 88-game unbeaten streak, but the Trevians lost to a team from Missouri during that stretch. Still, they had been unbeaten in the previous 60 games, and won 29 straight after.

Comparing the Warriors to the Saints seems premature. St. Charles won five straight titles. Even though Waubonsie returns nearly its entire squad for 2009, that's a big jump from two in a row. Also, the teams played two completely different styles, with the Saints being more direct and the Warriors favoring a ball-control possession game.

But current Saints coach Pat Feulner, whose daughter Patrice was a standout forward at St. Charles from 1997-2000, sees at least one thing in common between the teams.

"As far as the dominance of play and how they dominate their opponents, it's real familiar," said Feulner, who teaches at Waubonsie. "(The Warriors) are every bit as good a team that has ever played. The scary thing is they're not done yet."

New Trier won its three crowns in four years, a mark the Warriors could tie next season. And if Waubonsie plays a 30-game schedule and doesn't lose, it will also tie the unbeaten mark of St. Charles. So is it any easier to compare the Trevians to the Warriors?

Not for Joe Moreau, the current Neuqua Valley coach who guided St. Charles from 1995-2002. He was a Neuqua assistant in 2005 when the Wildcats rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat New Trier 6-3 in the state final.

"It's so hard to compare eras," Moreau said. "Waubonsie is a different style team than we were at St. Charles or than New Trier was. You really can't compare the groups. I think it would be unfair to all of them. It would be unfair to compare this year's Waubonsie team to last year's Waubonsie team."

Well, since he brought it up ... just how would a hypothetical game fare between the 2007 Warriors and the 2008 Warriors? Both teams would have goalie Claire Hanold, whose 64 career shutouts are only six shy of the state record.

Both teams would have the all-state tandem of Vanessa DiBernardo, the goal scorer, and Bri Rodriguez, the playmaker. And both would have Rachel Bostick, who was having no part of the debate on Saturday night as the Warriors celebrated on the Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium field at North Central College.

"I can't," she said, laughing. "Both teams are great in different ways. It would be a draw."

Kylee Rodriguez, who graduated last year after helping the Warriors capture the first state title in a team sport at Waubonsie, also didn't want to take a definitive stand.

"It would be close, Rodriguez said in the plaza outside the stadium as this year's team celebrated with the fans.“It's certainly different styles. They probably do more possession than we ever did. It would be a good game, though. It would be a sold-out game."

In the end it's just a debate of hypotheticals. And what would sports be without that?