Across the PrepNation: Weekend Warmup 10-2-2008

Those of us lucky enough to have access to FOX Sports Net Southwest on our cable or satellite service can eye ball preseason No. 1 Euless Trinity Thursday evening.

The Trojans, who dropped to No. 3 in this week's National Prep Poll, play Fossil Ridge at 7:00 PM CDT.

Trinity has been very solid if not spectacular in going 4-0 to start the season. Its four opponents -- including Louisiana power John Curtis Christian -- have a combined 13-3 record.

But there have been some warning signs that Trinity could be in for an upset somewhere down the road if it does find some more explosive plays on offense. The Trojans have only scored more 30 points once and were held to 17 in last week's win against Keller.

The weekend TV slate:

There are a number of interesting matchups for our viewing pleasure. On Thursday night, ESPN2 has the annual grudgematch between D.C.-area Catholic league powers Good Counsel and DeMatha. Good Counsel enters the game at 4-0 and ranked No. 5 in this week's East Coast regional rankings. DeMatha is currently 3-1 with its only loss coming to Baltimore private school power Gilman in Week 2. Kickoff is at 6:30 PM EDT.

Defending Pennsylvania 4A champ Pittsburgh Central Catholic is on FOX Sports Net Pittsburgh Thursday evening, taking on Penn Hills at 7:00 PM EDT. The Vikings have won four in a row since being blown out, 35-0, by No. 17 Lakeland (Fla.) in their opener.

Regionally ranked defending Colorado 5A titlist Grandview is at Overland Thursday evening at 7:00 PM MDT with FOX Sports Net Rocky Mountain providing coverage. The Wolves (5-0) will be looking for their fourth shutout already this season.

If you are going out to watch a game in your area on Friday night, be sure to set those DVRs. Not one but two Top 5 teams will share a national cable spotlight with No. 2 Byrnes hosting defending Florida 2B champ Pahokee and No. 4 Lowndes taking on regionally ranked Warner Robins Northside.

This is a chance for Byrnes to get its third out-of-state win over a quality opponent, which never hurts a team's claim for moving up in the national polls. Pahokee will play the game with extremely heavy hearts following the loss of senior linebacker Norman Griffith, who was shot and killed last weekend outside a dance in nearby Belle Glade, Fla.

ESPNU has the game at 8:00 PM EDT.

Lowndes will be in for a dogfight as it defends the Georgia 5A title it won last season for the fourth time since 1999. A 5A field of contenders that already included No. 16 Camden County got even tougher with the arrival of Northside, which has won 35 straight games and back-to-back 4A crowns.

CBS College Sports will handle the coverage for this one, beginning at 8:00 PM EDT.

Comcast Cable customers throughout the Southeast will have a chance to catch a huge matchup in Mississippi. No. 5 South Panola puts its nation's best 80-game winning streak on the line when it travels to the south Memphis metro to face Olive Branch. The Conquistadors are 4-1, including a 48-47 win against Pahokee (Fla.). Kickoff is set for 7:00 CDT.

Two-time defending Minnesota 5A titlist Eden Prairie has its own winning streak at stake when it travels to Minnetonka Friday night, a game to be televised by FOX Sports Net North at 7:15 PM CDT. The Eagles, ranked No. 5 in this week's Midlands regional rankings, have won 33 consecutive games. Minnetonka is no pushover. The Skippers' only loss this season came at the hands of regionally ranked Wayzata.

It's Valley vs. Valley pride on the line Friday night in So Cal when San Fernando Valley power Sherman Oaks Notre Dame hosts Santa Clarita Valley stalwart Saugus at 7:30 PM PDT on FOX Sports Net Prime Ticket. Notre Dame, 3-0 and always one of the top teams in the CIF-SS, is led by rivals.com three-star linebacker Jordan Barrett. Saugus (2-1) features all-state running back Ryan Zirbel, who ran for over 2,000 yards as a junior.

In between your Saturday afternoon college football viewing, try to squeeze in Cypress Bay (Fla.) at Katy (Texas), which will be shown by ESPNU at 2:30 PM CDT. Cypress Bay (3-0) is an up-and-coming power in Broward County while Katy has one of the deepest and richest traditions ever in Texas schoolboy football.

Wrap up the weekend with one of two Sunday showings of Mahwah at Wayne Hills (N.J.) on MSG+. Wayne Hills enters the game with the longest win streak in the Northeast region at 43 games. Air times are 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM EDT.

This weekend's Top 3 list:

The current Top 3 leagues (or equivalent) for high school football in the entire country.
1) Trinity League (Southern California)
2) Greater Catholic League (Cincinnati)
3) Region 5A - 1 (Georgia)

Discuss amongst yourselves.

This weekend's UPSET ALERT:

No. 2 Byrnes vs. Pahokee (Fla.): Pahokee has the speed to cover any receiver and could put a damper on the Rebels' passing game. The Blue Devils also have a huge offensive line that should make moving the football against Byrnes' front seven a real possibility. The real question is if Pahokee can contain -- or even slow down slightly -- Byrnes junior RB Marcus Lattimore.

No. 4 Lowndes vs. SE No. 9 Northside: The Vikings aren't real fancy on offense and Warner Robins Northside is pretty close to dominant on defense. A 10-7 win by either team isn't out of the question.

No. 5 South Panola at Olive Branch: OB already has beaten Pahokee (Fla.), so the Conquistadors aren't lacking in confidence -- or talent. The Tigers, who have won 80 straight, have beaten Olive Branch seven times in the last four seasons.

No. 10 Poly at Lakewood: Perhaps more than any other team, the Lancers have the talent -- and the motivation -- to end Poly's 73-game winning streak in the Moore League. The Jackrabbits edged Lakewood last season, 13-6.

No. 11 North Shore at Lufkin: The Mustangs are likely to show some rust after a three-week Hurricane Ike-induced layoff. I can think of a lot easier places to try to restart your engines than Abe Martin Stadium, home of the Panthers. If North Shore can get the win, it will set a new state record with 73 consecutive regular season wins.

No. 13 Louisville Trinity vs. St. Xavier: This is one of a handful of rivalries across the country that can draw a crowd numbering over 38,000 for a regular season game, which happened in 2005. A similiar turnout is possible Friday night at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium as both teams enter the game with undefeated records. Both squads have offenses led by Division I-bound running backs and stout and speedy defensive units. A St. X win here would barely even qualify for as an upset.

No. 17 Lakeland vs. Miami Killian: The is the second of back-to-back home games against salty South Florida teams for the Dreadnaughts. Last week, Lakeland came from behind to beat Boyd Anderson, 27-22, on homecoming. This Friday's task could be even tougher because it involves trying to contain the Cougars' four-star running back Lamar Miller.

No. 25 Carmel at Warren Central: Although new coach John Hart has scrapped the triple option in favor of the spread, the results look similiar for Warren Central. The Warriors are steamrolling opponents, just like the old days when the Warriors became the first Indiana team to win four consecutive state championships from 2003-06. Carmel already survived its first tough league test of the season against Center Grove. Test #2 will not be any easier.

Why team rankings shift after the season begins

We begin working on our preseason football rankings during the spring.

In the months of April and May, we distribute hundreds of questionnaires by mail, email and online.

During the summer, we make follow-up phone calls to coaches at the top high school football teams across the country.

We also review hours of game film of the teams from the prior season. We compare and contrast personnel, playing style, and level of competition of each team being considered for a preseason ranking spot.

That is the process -- as imperfect as it might sound -- for evaluating teams when compiling our preseason rankings.

Once the regular season begins, however, a new evaluation process gets underway.

Most of the teams in the National Prep Poll are now at least three or four games deep into their regular season schedules. Some look as good as advertised, others not as strong, and some look better than anyone imagined they would.

A lot of games are left to be played, but every week a new evaluation is made for each team in the rankings.

We do not think that our preseason determination of the No. 1 team in the country is any more precious than the new opinions that are formed once the season is underway.

And, after all, without a national high school playoff system, that's what this is really about -- opinions.

That rather lengthy preface is actually a response to a note written by Lee Williams in Wednesday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The headline asserts that "In high school football polls, 'V' is for 'verb,' not 'victory'."

Williams tells readers that Euless Trinity, a team in his coverage area, dropped from the No. 1 spot it held since preseason to No. 3 this week because it won last week's game in a less impressive manner than the two teams now ranked ahead of the Trojans.

On its face, that assertion is based in fact. Overall, Trinity has not looked as impressive so far this season as No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 2 Byrnes.

That is our opinion.

But, contrary to the theme of Williams' piece, it's not a matter of Trinity not delivering as many blowouts as the other teams.

In the first place, we don't expect Trinity's ball-control style of offense to produce a lot of 30 or 40-point wins, especially when playing against a tough Texas 5A schedule and especially with a class-act like head coach Steve Lineweaver calling the shots.

It's more a matter of St. Thomas Aquinas and Byrnes just looking like better teams to this point.

Isn't it fair to reasses and reaffirm rankings that were originally put together several months before the season began?

More Division I-caliber athletes, more explosive offenses, equal or better level of competition.

These are the reasons for Aquinas and Byrnes moving ahead of Trinity in our poll through one month of the season.

There is plenty of season left. Let's sit back and see how it plays out.

Across the PrepNation: Weekend Rewind 9-29-2008

Some regional news, notes and rankings that just missed the cut when compiling this week's National Prep Football Poll.

Week 6 National Prep Football Poll Reax

1. Euless Trinity 17, Keller 10: Trojans' four opponents are a combined 13-3
2. St. Thomas Aquinas 38, South Plantation 10: Raiders' move to No. 1 makes Oct. 17 Deerfield Beach showdown even bigger
3. Byrnes 42, Gaffney 14: Rebels get first win in four tries at "The Reservation"
4. Lowndes 28, Tift County 14: Next up regionally ranked WR Northside
5. South Panola 34, Horn Lake 7: 80 straight wins for the Tigers
6. Gateway 49, Norwin 7: Gators rolling, but no foe has had a winning record
7. Armwood 42, Newsome 0: Hawks' defense a stingy as advertised
8. De La Salle 21, NE No. 2 Don Bosco Prep 23: DLS without a superior rushing attack is like Thanksgiving without a turkey
9. Corona Centennial 42, Clovis West 7: Huskies make quick work of Central Section stalwart
10. Oscar Smith 37, Grassfield 0: Average win margin is 38
11. North Shore vs. SW No. 5 Carroll canceled: Mustangs slated to return Oct. 3 at Lufkin
12. Long Beach Poly 14, Carson 0: Poly blanks team that scored 43 against Mater Dei
13. Bastrop 22, East St. John 18: Rams survive tough road test
14. Louisville Trinity 49, Eastern 0: Titantic battle vs. rival St. Xavier on Friday
15. Glenville 37, Adams 6: First points allowed to a league foe
16. Skyline 49, Newport 0: Spartans are special on defense, too
17. Lakeland 27, Boyd Anderson 22: Dreadnaughts survive a scare
18. Camden County 69, Windsor Forest 7: Wildcats continue to dominate Region 3
19. Colerain 48, Mason 27: Elder breathing down Cardinals' necks for Cincy's top ranking
20. St. Ignatius 49, Massillon 7: Wildcats' offense starting to click on all cylinders
21. Stone Bridge 51, McLean 13: Possible rematch with Phoebus in playoffs would be epic
22. Quince Orchard 35, Magruder 14: Cougars rolling toward repeat 4A crown
23. Maryville 38, William Blount 2: Win streak hits 66 straight
24. Carmel 42, North Central 7: Can 'Hounds survive Friday's trip to Warren Central?
25. Maine South 56, Evanston 8: Hawks' offense looks hard to stop

REGIONAL RUNDOWNS

NORTHEAST
Bergen Catholic (N.J.) moved into the regional Top 10 after beat Baltimore power Gilman, 29-14. The Greyhounds entered the game ranked No. 7 in the Maryland state poll and had previously beaten Washington D.C. power DeMatha . . . The region's longest current win streak remained intact with Wayne Hills (N.J.) knocking off Ramampo, 31-21. The Patriots have now won 43 consecutive games . . . Floyd (N.Y.) kept its Long Island-record win streak alive, beating Sachem East, 33-7. The Colonials have won 36 straight.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Harrisburg McDevitt (Pa.), Ansonia (Conn.), Dartmouth (Mass.), McKeesport (Pa.), West Lawn Wilson (Pa.)

EAST COAST
Coach Doug DuVall of Wilde Lake (Md.) picked up the 300th victory of his career in a 7-6 squeaker against Marriotts Ridge. It was win No. 284 at Wilde Lake with the other 16 coming in all-star games, at the junior varsity level, and with a semi-pro team . . . Many of last week's prep football games in the Charlotte, N.C., area -- including regionally ranked Independence vs. Myers Park -- were postponed until this Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. The move to Wednesday rather than Monday was a necessity to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hoshana, which begins at sundown Monday and lasts until sundown Wednesday . . . Rock Hill, S.C., will be rocking this week leading up to Friday's showdown between crosstown rivals South Pointe and Northwestern. Both teams are in the regional Top 10 this week.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Millbrook (N.C.), River Hill (Md.), Oakton (Va.), Westfield (Va.), Woodbridge (Va.)

SOUTHEAST
Defending Florida 5A champ St. Thomas Aquinas is ranked No. 1 in this week's National Prep Poll for a number of reasons. Aside from their three consecutive dominant wins to open the year, and aside from the obvious amount Division I-caliber talent on the team's roster, and aside from the Raiders' rich tradition (state finalist 11 of last 17 years), and even aside from an excellent coaching staff led by 300-win coach George Smith, the real key might be STA's schedule. The Raiders already have beaten a strong contender for Ohio's Division I state title, Elder, in that team's home city. On October 17, STA will likely have a chance to play and beat Deerfield Beach, the team currently ranked No. 1 in the state's Associated Press 6A poll. On top of that, if both STA and Lakeland continue to win, the Raiders might be eyeing their third state championship game showdown in four years against the Dreadnaughts, who are ranked No. 17 nationally this week . . . Two-time defending Alabama 6A champ Prattville had little trouble with Brentwood Academy (Tenn.), winning 26-0 in a game televised by ESPNU last Friday. It was the fifth consecutive shutout for the Lions since opening the season with a 15-10 loss against defending Prep Poll champ Cincinnati St. Xavier . . . Two days before N.Y. Jets QB Brett Favre threw six touchdown passes in an NFL game, the future Hall of Famer's nephew equaled the feat at the high school level. Dylan Favre, a 5-foot-10 junior at St. Stanislaus High in Bay St. Louis, Miss., had six TD bosses in a 56-20 blowout of Long Beach. He has thrown for 22 touchdowns in five games -- all wins -- this season.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Deerfield Beach (Fla.), Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.), Memphis University School (Tenn.), Wayne County (Miss.), Chamberlain (Fla.)

MIDWEST
Defending Michigan Division 3 champion East Grand Rapids is No. 1 in this week's overall state rankings compiled by Mick McCabe of the Detroit Free Press. The Pioneers are now 5-0 after defeating Creston, 42-6, in a game that was postponed one day after the tragic death of a 16-year-old Creston student in a Friday afternoon drive-by shooting . . . Highly touted junior running back Brian Crook ran for 215 yards on only 17 carries as regionally ranked Arrowhead (Wis.) whipped Kettle Moraine, 45-6 . . . Sacred Heart-Griffin earned its 46th consecutive league win with a 24-3 win against rival Glenwood on Saturday. John Lantz, a 6-2 senior stud, returned an interception 103 yards for touchdown when the Titans were threatening to close the gap to 17-10.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: St. Xavier (Ky.), East Grand Rapids (Mich.), Warren Central (Ind.), Wheaton-Warrenville South (Ill.), Pickerington Central (Ohio)

MIDLANDS
Derby (Kan.) handed three-time defending state champion Hutchinson its first loss to an in-state foe in 38 games. The Panthers capitalized on four Salt Hawk turnovers to claim the 30-27 victory . . . Senior quarterback Tyler Jones of Cherokee Washington, who earlier this season became Iowa's all-time leading passing yardage leader, eclipsed the 8,000 yard mark in a 40-27 defeat of Clarion-Goldfield. After passing for 351 yards and five touchdowns, Jones now has 8,290 yards in his career . . . Regionally ranked Rockhurst and Jefferson City, which have combined to win 18 state championships in Missouri's largest classificiation since 1971, renewed their annual rivalry. Rockhurst built an early lead, then held on to win, 35-27. MaxPreps.com's Kansas City correspondent Jeff Cooper put together this excellent video feature.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Olathe East (Kan.), Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.), Pomona (Colo.), Cherry Creek (Colo.), Alta (Utah)

SOUTHWEST
Regionally ranked The Woodlands (Texas) was one of several Houston-area teams that returned to the playing field over the weekend two weeks after Hurricane Ike slammed the region. The Highlanders thumped Clear Lake, 31-13, with UTEP-bound QB Andy McCloud throwing three touchdowns passes. Meanwhile, No. 11 North Shore had its game canceled for the third consecutive week. On Friday, the Mustangs are expected to resume their season with a trip to Lufkin. A win gives North Shore 73 consecutive regular season victories, which would be a new state record . . . Darius Winston, a five-star rated recruit by rivals.com, caught a 56-yard touchdown pass and returned an interception 20 yards for another score as West Helena Central hammered Paragould, 62-7 . . . Reno McQueen looks like the team to beat in Nevada's Class 4A this season. The Lancers blanked Reed, 38-0, on Friday to improve to 5-0. On the season, McQueen has outscored foes by a combined 202-27, including a 24-7 win over San Mateo (Calif.) Serra -- which nearly beat then-nationally ranked De La Salle (Concord) to start the season.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Tulsa Union (Okla.), Westfield (Texas), McQueen (Nev.), Permian (Texas), Bentonville (Ark.)

WEST COAST
Reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year Matt Barkley gets most of the headlines, but there's another pretty good quarterback playing his senior year of high school football in Orange County, Calif., this year. Allan Bridgford of regionally ranked Mission Viejo threw for a school-record 442 yards in a 42-20 defeat of Vista, which was a Top 10 team in the San Diego area. Senior receiver Kevin Chandler also had a record-setting night, catching seven passes from Bridgford for a school-record 235 yards . . . Prosser (Wash.) scored six -- count 'em SIX! -- first-quarter touchdowns to turn out the lights early on East Valley in a 68-0 rout last Friday. It was the 17th time in the last 44 games that the Mustangs have scored more than 60 points . . . Undoubtedly still reeling from his team's 27-21 upset loss to Oregon St. the night before, USC coach Pete Carroll was among the sideline onlookers as Punahou beat Kamehamha, 28-3, Friday in a battle of state top 5 teams. Carroll was there to watch Punahou's all-everything LB Manti Te'o, who did not disappoint leading the Buffanblu with 13 tackles despite playing the game with a case of bronchitis.

Five teams knocking on the regional rankings door: Fresno Edison (Calif.), Servite (Calif.), Lake Oswego (Ore.), St. Louis (Hawaii), Los Alamitos (Calif.)

Week 7 National Prep Football Poll released

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Defending 5A champion St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) moved into the No. 1 spot of this week's National Prep Poll, giving the talent-rich state of Florida the top-ranked team in the Top 25 for at least one week for the third consecutive season

The Raiders, who defeated previously unbeaten South Plantation 38-10 following a two-week layoff, join Miami Northwestern -- which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 last season before finishing the year ranked No. 2 -- and Lakeland -- which took over the top spot in Week 8 of 2006 and ended the season as Prep Poll champion -- as recent Florida-based top-ranked teams.

Defending South Carolina 4A/I titlist Byrnes (Duncan) moved up one spot to No. 2 after routing rival Gaffney, 42-14. The Rebels, who already own two impressive wins against out-of-state opponents, host reigning Florida 2B champion Pahokee this Friday on ESPNU.

Previous No. 1-ranked Euless (Texas) Trinity dropped two spots to No. 3 after defeating then-unbeaten district foe Keller, 17-10. The Trojans fell in the rankings despite having defeated four opponents with a combined record of 13-3 this season.