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Super 25
football rankings
Preseason poll: Aug. 25, 2005
By
Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY
The South
rises: Eleven teams from the
South are among the Super 25.
California and Pennsylvania have
four apiece.
1.
Lakeland, Fla. (15-0)
Returning starters: 13. Opens: Friday vs. Venice.
2. Hoover,
Ala. (15-0)
Returning starters: 8. Opens: Saturday vs. Nease (St.
Augustine, Fla.).
3. Poly,
Long Beach, Calif. (13-1)
Returning starters: 15. Why
they're good: Nine defenders are
back, including LBs Jurray Casey
(130 tackles) and Alfred Rowe (71
tackles). Opens: Sept. 9 vs.
Centennial (Corona).
4. Mission
Viejo, Calif. (14-0)
Returning starters: 12. Why they're good: An offense that
totaled 6,201 yards and averaged
nearly 45 points returns RB Chane
Moline (39 TDs) and WR Sean
Fitzgerald (36 receptions, 737
yards). Opens: Sept. 5 at
Issaquah (Wash.) at Seattle's Qwest
Field.
5.
Southlake (Texas) Carroll
(16-0)
Returning starters:
11. Why they're good: USA
TODAY's No. 1 team in 2004 still has
WR Clint Renfro (72 catches, 1,472
yards, 23 TDs). Opens:
Saturday vs. Midland Lee.
6.
Lowndes, Valdosta, Ga. (15-0)
Returning starters: 14. Why they're good: RBs Lynn Williams
(1,385 yards rushing and Darriet
Perry combined for 24 TDs. Beat
Tri-Cities (East Point) 42-0 on Aug.
19. Next: Friday vs. Luella
(Locust Grove).
7. Joliet
(Ill.) Catholic (14-0)
Returning starters: 9.
Why they're good: FB Joe
Benson (1,313 yards, 19 TDs) and HB
Bill McKeon (1,101 yards, 17 TDs)
each averaged nearly nine yards per
carry. Opens: Friday at
Marist (Chicago).
8.
Independence, Charlotte (15-0)
Returning starters: 6. Why they're good: Led by QB Darryl
McFadden (6-2, 210) and WRs RaDon
Ingram (10 TDs) and Hakeem Nicks.
Next: Friday at West Mecklenburg
(Charlotte).
9.
Neshaminy, Langhorne, Pa. (13-2)
Returning starters: 15.
Why they're good: DL of Tom
McEowen, Chris Daino, Josh Auerbach
and Nick Schiavo totaled 213 tackles
and 12 sacks. Opens: Sept. 2
vs. No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep
(Philadelphia).
10.
Westfield, Spring, Texas (13-2)
Returning starters: 12. Why they're good: The Class 5A,
Division I finalist features QB
Pierre Beasley (6-4, 205) throwing
to WR DeMarcus Conner (643 receiving
yards, 6 TDs.) SS Danny McCray (6-2,
205), who recorded 91 tackles and
two INTs, and junior DB Luther Eta
lead the secondary. Opens:
Sept. 1 at Cy-Falls (Houston).
11. Warren
Central, Indianapolis (14-1)
Returning starters: 16. Why they're good: An offense that
averaged nearly 40 points returns 10
regulars led by junior RB Darren
Evans (2,380 yards, 28 TDs). Beat
Franklin Central (Indianapolis)
63-13 on Aug. 19. Next:
Saturday vs. East St. Louis (Ill.).
12. Bishop
McDevitt, Harrisburg, Pa. (10-3)
Returning starters: 16.
Why they're good: Offense
features RB LeSean McCoy (2,828
yards, 36 TDs) and QB Jeremy Ricker
(1,900 yards passing, 17 TDs).
Opens: Sept. 2 at State College.
13.
Colerain, Cincinnati (15-0)
Returning starters: 10.
Why they're good: Terrence
Sherrer (954 yards, 15 TDs) and Kyle
Lumpkin (565 yards) run and Connor
Smith (6-6, 304) and Eric Ornella
(6-5, 289) block. Opens:
Saturday vs. St. Xavier (Cincinnati)
in Skyline Chili Showdown.
14. St.
Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. (12-2)
Returning starters: 11. Why
they're good: OL has three-year
starters T Sam Young (6-8, 295), T
Marcus Gilbert (6-5, 275) and C Dan
Wenger (6-4, 285). Opens:
Friday vs. Cypress Bay (Weston).
15. Union,
Tulsa (13-1)
Returning starters: 11.
Why they're good: OL that
averages over 250 pounds includes
two-year starters Casey Thurber
(6-0, 260), Seth Cowan (6-3, 230)
and junior Matt Romine (6-6, 270).
Opens: Sept. 2 vs. Broken
Arrow.
16.
Springdale, Ark. (12-1)
Returning starters: 15.
Why they're good: Mitch Mustain
threw for 2,164 yards and 20 TDs and
rushed for 14 scores, and is 32-1 as
a starter. Opens: Sept. 3 at
No. 18 Evangel Christian Academy
(Shreveport, La.).
17. Clovis
West, Fresno, Calif. (12-2)
Returning starters: 11.
Why they're good: Kevin Duffy is
a 2,500-yard rusher. Opens:
Sept. 10 vs. No. 22 De La Salle
(Concord).
18.
Evangel Christian Academy,
Shreveport, La. (11-3)
Returning starters: 15.
Why they're good: S Dan Kramer,
a four-year starter and school's
leader with 26 career interceptions,
is among nine defenders who return.
Opens: Sept. 3 vs. No. 16
Springdale (Ark.).
19.
Bellevue, Wash. (13-0)
Returning starters: 11. Why they're good: Keith Rosenberg (17
TDs) follows tackles Steve Schilling
(6-5, 290) and Trevor Carpine (6-2,
250). Opens: Sept. 2 vs.
Mount Rainier (Des Moines).
20. St.
Joseph's Prep, Philadelphia
(10-3)
Returning starters: 17. Why they're good: Ten defensive
starters return. Opens: Sept.
2 at No. 9 Neshaminy (Langhorne).
21. South
Panola, Batesville, Miss. (15-0)
Returning starters: 9. Why they're good: 44-1 last three
years, with two 5A titles and 30
consecutive wins. Opens:
Today vs. Clarksdale.
22. De La
Salle, Concord, Calif. (8-3-2)
Returning starters: 10. Why they're good: Schedule includes
No. 17 Clovis West and No. 4 Mission
Viejo, which should prepare for run
at 14th consecutive sectional title.
Opens: Sept. 10 at Clovis
West.
23.
Byrnes, Duncan, S.C. (13-1)
Returning starters: 14. Why they're good: Junior QB Will Korn
had almost 3,000 yards last season
and threw for 289 yards and four TDs
in a 62-14 victory over Montgomery
Bell Academy (Nashville) on Aug. 20.
Next: Friday vs. Eastside (Taylors).
24.
Hamilton, Chandler, Ariz. (13-1)
Returning starters: 11.
Why they're good: RB Cody
Englebracht ran for 1,301 yards and
18 TDs. Opens: Sept. 1 vs.
Red Mountain (Mesa).
25. North
Penn, Lansdale, Pa. (10-3)
Returning starters: 12. Why they're good: LBs Alex Johnson
(6-2, 230), Ian Carpenter (6-0, 215)
and Josh Neubert (6-4, 240) have
size and speed (all run 4.6 40s).
Opens: Sept. 2 at Glen Mills.
About
the rankings: USA TODAY's
Super 25 football rankings are
compiled by Lawlor, who consults
with a national network of high
school sportswriters, analysts and
coaches. Among the criteria
considered are a school's strength
of schedule, the quality of
competition in its state or league
and the quality of its players.
The
rankings appear on Tuesdays
throughout the fall. The
first regular season rankings will
be Sept. 13.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/poll/2005-super25.htm
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