As football kickoff inches closer around the country, MaxPreps forecasts the top five teams in the state of Georgia for the 2009 season.
Georgia - 2009 State Football Preview
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The Vikings were nationally ranked and undefeted in 2008 untill a stunning upset to Grayson in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals ruined their season. Greg Reid, a two-way playmaker who was perhaps the school's best player in history, is gone to Florida State, but this Lowndes team has more major college prospects than any coached by Randy McPherson, who won state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Lineman Ed Christian (Florida State commit) and linebacker Telvin Smith are the most notable.
2. Grayson
The Rams' victory over Lowndes earned notoriety and brought high expectations. They 5-foot-4 running back Ean Pemberton, who rushed for 1,949 yards out of Grayson's Wing-T offense. The defense should be top-notch with four Division I-A prospects in safety Kori Gaines, defensive linemen Joe Champaign and Shawn Green and linebacker Terry Williams. Grayson plays defending AAAAA champion Camden on Aug. 22 at the Georgia Dome.
3. Southwest DeKalb
Coach Buck Godfrey, a 240-game winner in his 27th season, believes he might have more than 20 college signees on a team that was 9-4 in 2008, finishing third in a region behind Class AAAA finalists Tucker and Marist. Running back Ken Malcome has committed to Georgia. Defensive T.J. Stripling has offers from virtually every school in the SEC and ACC.
Photo by Cecil Copeland
Aundre Johnson and Camden County will be back in the AAAAA
title hunt.
4. Camden County
Camden returns only three starters on each side of the ball from its 2008 Class AAAAA championship team. But this is deep program that has reached the semifinals or better in Georgia's highest class in five of the past seven seasons. The front seven - led by noseguard Jeremiah Booth - will be one of Georgia's best.
5. Carver (Columbus)
Carver has averaged 13 victories the past three seasons and won Class AAA in 2007 under coach Dell McGee, a former NFL player who has turned around what had been a chronically mediocre program. Carver is full of major Division I-A recruits. The best pair of defensive ends in Georgia is probably Corey Crawford and Brandon Smith. The best pair of juniors might be running back Isaiah Crowell and defensive tackle Gabe Wright. Quarterback Devin Burns and guard David Beasley also are rated among the top 75 prospects in Georgia.