No. 2 Central (Miami) - Team preview / Preseason photo gallery
Strengths: Central is among the most talented teams in the nation, with multiple key contributors back from a Class 6A title-winning squad. After losing two of its first three games (to Grayson and then-No. 1 Manatee), the Rockets rattled off 11 straight wins, with an average margin of victory of 27 points. Star running backs
Joseph Yearby and
Dalvin Cook return behind an offensive line that boasts Miami commit
Trevor Darling and USF commit
Michael Smith. The defense returns six starters and, like the offense, will have abounding speed. Defensive back
Deatrick Nichols leads the secondary.
Twan Adams and
Keon Burgess give Central two returning interior linemen on defense.
Rasheed Blatch and
Jonathan Harris will once again line up at linebacker.
Question marks: Head coach Telly Lockette, the driving force behind the program's success, left in the offseason to take an assistant coach job at USF. However, his replacement, Roland Smith, is a good fit. In his last coaching stint, at Miami Northwestern, Smith led the team to an undefeated season. He knows the landscape of Miami high school football and has proven that he can win on the big stage. However, it's still a transition, for the coaching staff in addition to the players. While the team has not lost to a Dade County opponent since 2008, it lost to a Georgia team and a Manatee County team last year. This fall, it hits the road to take on Don Bosco Prep. While Central will be favored, traveling 1,200 miles and winning a high school football game in a different climate is never easy. There are very few personnel questions for Central, but replacing kicker/punter Emilio Nadelman is one of them.
Outlook: In all likelihood, the only team that can stop Miami Central is Miami Central. Certainly, games against the likes of Booker T. Washington, University and Don Bosco Prep will be challenging, but this Central team is equipped to run the table. If Smith can pick up where Lockette left off without any hiccups, it will be tough to deny the Rockets a national No. 1 ranking in December.
