Tuesday, July 15, 2008

PrepNation 101 Preseason FB Countdown: 51 teams that just missed the cut (Part II: K-Z)

Before we begin counting down the PrepNation 101 Preseason High School Football Rankings, let’s start by recognizing 50 other top teams that just missed the cut. Here is the final 26 of those 51, in alphabetical order:

Katy (Texas), 16-0 last season: Only six starters return from the No. 3 team in last season’s final National Prep Poll, but the Tigers will still field an experienced team in ’08. Seniors are expected to earn starting spots at all but four positions. The group is led by all-district DE Micah Marks (6-2, 250).


Lake Hamilton (Pearcy, Ark.), 12-1 last season: Last year the Wolves were averaging 40 points per game before getting shut out by Texarkana, 13-0, in the 6A championship game. Fourteen starters, including the nucleus of the offense, are back. Tulsa-bound QB Phillip Butterfield (6-2, 205) threw for nearly 3,000 yards.


Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 15-1 last season: Former Stephenville head coach Chad Morris brings a 135-25 career record to Lake Travis, the defending Class 4A/II state champion. Eleven starters are back led by a pair of Texas verbals in QB Garrett Gilbert (6-3, 190) and OT Paden Kelley (6-5, 275).


Lakewood (Calif.), 7-4 last season: Arizona-bound LB Trevor Erno (6-2, 226) is one of 11 returning starters for the Lancers, a darkhorse contender in the CIF Southern Section’s brutally tough Pac-5 division.


Male (Louisville, Ky.), 10-3 last season: Veteran coach Bob Redman (who is two wins shy of 300) welcomes back seven starters on each side of the ball. The group of led by state 100-meters champion Justin Green (6-0, 185, RB/DB), an Ohio State verbal.


Mentor (Ohio), 11-3 last season: The Cardinals are coming off back-to-back losses in the Division I state championship game. The ’08 squad returns only two offensive starters but might be even better on defense with a group led by DE Ben Pike (6-3, 225), DB Nick Krantz (6-1, 190) and DB Tim Moore (6-0, 185).


Millard South (Omaha, Neb.), 7-4 last season: The Patriots return 15 total starters and will be explosive on offense. All-state WR Ty Kildow (5-9, 175) caught 44 passes for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Big-time talent Vondrae Tostenson (6-4, 205) is hoping for a breakthrough senior season after missing most of last year with a knee injury.


Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), 13-0 last season: Four starters on each side of the ball are back for the Big Red, who will take on traditional Ohio power Moeller at the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge August 31 in Cincinnati. OT Wesley Johnson (6-5, 250) holds offers from multiple SEC programs.


Norcross (Ga.), 10-2 last season: The Blue Devils return 12 starters but graduated three players who signed with big-time Division I programs. The offense will depend on senior RB D.J. Adams (5-10, 210), who ran for 1,462 yards and 13 TDs last year, and highly touted WR/DE Prince Kent (6-3, 195).


North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), 13-2 last season: The Bulldogs were decimated by graduation on defense but have some key components back on offense around which to build. Senior QB Mikey Tamburo (6-2, 190) was first team all-state last season, completing 68 percent of his passes for 2,311 yards and 19 touchdowns.


Northwestern (Miami), 15-0 last season: Perhaps no team in the country was hurt as much by graduation than the Bulls, who finished last year ranked No. 2 in the National Prep Poll. Ten Northwestern players signed with Division I colleges in February, including eight with the Miami Hurricanes. West Virginia verbal RB Daquan Hargett (5-9, 170) is the top returning weapon on offense and big-hitting S Tevin McCaskill (6-1, 190) will lead the defense.


Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.), 12-2 last season: The Trojans reached the 4A/I state semifinals in ’07 before losing, 14-0, to eventual champion Byrnes. Several key members of that team return including leading tackler LB Jerell Miller (5-10, 210).


Pace (Fla.), 13-1 last season: The Patriots should contend for the Class 4A state championship this season. Six offensive starters return including senior QB Aaron Munoz (6-0, 190), a Louisiana-Monroe verbal who passed for more than 1,900 yards and 19 TDs in ’07.


Parkersburg (W.Va.), 13-1 last season: The Big Reds have won 27 of their last 28 games with back-to-back Class AAA state championships but face a big rebuilding task this season. Twenty-two seniors graduated leaving only six players with starting experience on the roster.


Sheldon (Eugene, Ore.), 13-1 last season: The Irish captured their second state title since 2002 and extended their conference winning streak to 56 games last season. Four starters on each side of the ball return including state finals MVP Jordan Johnson (6-0, 170, Jr.) at QB. Another junior who made play after play for the Irish last season is WR/DE Curtis White (6-5, 230). He has already made a verbal commitment to play at Oregon.


Skyline (Dallas), 12-2 last season: The Raiders have plenty of talent and experience returning for the ’08 season. Ten regulars earned all-district recognition a year ago, including Oklahoma-bound DB Steve Williams (5-10, 170) and highly touted RB James White (5-9, 180).


St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 4-5 last season: Second-year coach Scott Niedzwiecki is confident in his task of bringing the Eagles back to the top tier of high school football in the state of Ohio. Seven starters on each side of the ball are returning including three-year starting RB Dominique Goodwin (5-10, 205) and two-way starting end Brad Weisenseel (6-4, 215).


St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale, N.J.), 9-2 last season: The Green Knights will make a strong challenge for their fourth Non-Public state championship in the last six seasons. Maryland-bound LB Ryan Donohue (6-1, 220) leads an experienced and athletic defense.


St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.), 10-3 last season: The Eaglets should challenge again for the Division 3 state championship after falling in a five-overtime heartbreaker to East Grand Rapids in last year’s final. Eleven starters are back led by highly recruited WR/DE Dion Sims (6-6, 235) and FB/LB Justin Semmes (6-2, 226).


Sycamore (Cincinnati), 9-2 last season: Sycamore hopes to emerge from a pack of powerful contenders in Ohio’s ultra competitive Division I Region 4. The Aviators have plenty of offensive firepower including 1,000-yard rusher Bud Golden (6-0, 190) and Illinois-bound WR Steve Hull (6-1, 170).


Tucker (Ga.), 13-1 last season: With Warner Robins Northside moving up to Class 5A this fall, the team to beat in 4A is probably Tucker. The Tigers pushed Northside to its limits before losing 31-28 in last year’s state final. Six offensive starters are back from that team including LSU-bound RB Drayton Calhoun (6-0, 172).


Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 7-3-1 last season: The Warriors should have their best squad since winning four consecutive Central Coast Section CIF titles from 2002-05. Senior RB Cameron Marshall (5-10, 200) has legitimate 4.4 speed while QB Cory Gambello (6-2, 190) is poised for a breakout senior season.


Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa), 11-1 last season: The Tigers are always a state championship contender under coach Gary Swenson, who is 126-26 with three titles in 13 years at the school. A talented senior class is headlined by Iowa-bound OT David Barrent (6-7, 280) and all-state RB Zach Cutkomp (5-11, 180).


Warren Central (Indianapolis), 8-4 last season: Although their string of four consecutive 5A state titles came to an end last season, it’s way too early to start piling dirt on the Warriors’ grave. John Hart takes over the head coaching post one year after leading Evansville Reitz to the 4A title and a 15-0 record. Moving back into the defensive coordinator position is Steve Tutsie, who went 23-4 in two seasons as the Warriors’ head coach. Fifteen starters return to the lineup and four are Division I prospects including gigantic TE Ed Hazelett (6-9, 270).


Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio), 8-2 last season: The Warriors should have something to prove this year after somehow missing the playoffs despite going 8-2 a year ago. Super sophomore QB Braxton Miller (6-2, 180), who started nine games as a freshman, is one of 11 returning starters.


William Floyd (Mastic Beach, N.Y.), 11-0 last season: The Colonials have become the dominant force in Long Island football with 33 consecutive wins and three straight L.I. Division I championships. A total of nine veteran starters return including Tom Lindley (6-3, 300), a three-year regular at OG.


Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and been involved with prep recruiting and evaluation for more than 15 years. He has compiled the National Prep Poll for World Features Syndicate and the Associated Press since 1999 and previously compiled high school rankings for Sporting News and RISE Magazine. DeMoney is a 1994 graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism, and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association.


4 comments:

Unknown said...

Mark this down NORTHWESTERN WILL BE THE BEST TEAM IN THE STTE OF sc this yr

SCfootball said...

what you smoking

Anonymous said...

Impressive that William Floyd on Long Island was considered. They have been a dominating force on LI for 3 straight years!

Congrats!

Anonymous said...

Didn't see Saint Anthony's from Long Island - who physically beat up Floyd pretty good this past weekend - and are off to play Philly powerhouse St. Joseph's - who beat Allentown's Parkland last weekend.

Search PrepNation.com