By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
Football: Castle Leads Loaded Dreadnaughts
It's never too early to start talking high school football, especially when the topic is Bill Castle's Lakeland Dreadnaughts, a strong candidate for the national preseason No. 1 ranking.
Castle, entering his 31st campaign at the Lakeland, Fla., school, may have his most talented squad, which is a heady statement considering his resume features 13 10-win seasons, five 5A state titles, and a record of 122-11 over the past 10 years. The Dreadnaughts are currently riding a 30-game winning streak and were crowned national champions by USA Today in 2005.
The program's win streak will be tested immediately, as Lakeland faces Hillsborough in the season-opener Aug. 18. The Tampa school went 10-1 in 2005, and knocked off state power Armwood in an early-season contest.
Week four will provide another stiff test, as Lakeland makes its longest road trip during Castle's tenure, traveling 780 miles to the North for a showdown with St. Xavier, Ohio in Cincinnati as part of the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge. St. Xavier was unbeaten in 2005 and finished No. 2 in the MaxPreps national rankings.
But Lakeland has plenty of firepower to combat the stiff schedule. The 2006 Dreadnaught roster features eight seniors who are already being pursued by Division I schools all over the country; running backs Chris Rainey (5-10, 170) and Jamar Taylor (5-10, 210), tight end/defensive end Jordan Hammond (6-5, 221), wide receiver Paul Wilson (6-1, 172), defensive back Ahmad Black (5-10, 160), twin linemen Maurkice (6-4, 262) and Michael Pouncey (6-4, 276), and defensive tackle John Brown (6-2, 294).
Brown is drawing the most recruiting attention at this point, already sporting offers from perennial powers like Alabama, Florida State, Miami, and Nebraska.
This year's crop of talent comes on the heels of a 2005 senior class that produced 14 college signees, including three who will play at the Division I level next fall; Scott Bryant (Florida International), Troy Johnson (Iowa), and Billy Lowe (Northern Illinois).
Castle's most famous former player is former XFL standout and current Carolina Panther Rod "He Hate Me" Smart.
Dreadnaught Dynasty Under Castle
1976 5-5
1977 5-5
1978 6-4
1979 11-2 State Semifinalist
1980 9-2
1981 5-5
1982 10-3
1983 9-3
1984 10-3 State Semifinalist
1985 7-4
1986 13-1 Class 5A State Champions
1987 8-2
1988 8-3
1989 7-3
1990 6-4
1991 8-2
1992 7-3
1993 10-1
1994 9-2
1995 9-4
1996 15-0 Class 5A State Champions/No. 16 National Ranking
1997 12-1
1998 13-1 State Semifinalist
1999 15-0 Class 5A State Champions/No. 6 National Ranking
2000 11-1 No. 8 National Ranking
2001 9-2
2002 11-2
2003 6-4
2004 15-0 Class 5A State Champions/No. 18 National Ranking
2005 15-0 Class 5A State Champions/National Champions
Totals 284-72
5 Class 5A State Titles
Golf: Oregon's Kim Shoots For History
The unfortunate side of Michelle Wie's success at such a young age is that she has become the standard by which all young golfers are measured. But putting those unfair expectations aside, Tigard High School senior Rebecca Kim is leaving a legacy in Oregon that will be difficult to match.
Kim captured state titles as a sophomore and junior at McNary High School in Keizer, Ore., and is looking for an unprecedented three-peat today at the Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon City.
Kim doesn't just win, she wins big. As a junior, she captured the state title by a 10-stroke margin. Last week at the Pac-9 District Tournament, she prepped for the state playoff by recording an 18-stroke victory.
Her schedule last summer included wins at the Oregon State Junior Match Play Championship, the Peter Jacobsen Junior Challenge, and the Portland City Junior Championship. She also advanced to the round of 32 at the United States Girls Junior Amateur.
Needless to say, it has been a hectic 12 months for Kim, who transferred from McNary to Tigard prior to her senior year, and signed with Duke, one of the nation's top golf programs, in December.
It may be unfair, and certainly Kim has a long way to go in terms of national visibility, but the comparisons to a certain teenage phenom from Hawaii are almost unavoidable.
"The qualities people would say about Rebecca would be that she stands 6-0, has a huge, beautiful arch on her swing, has a little bit of a Michelle Wie look to her swing, and just hits the ball very hard," Duke head coach Dan Brooks said. "We have some things to hone with her and she is busy working on those things right now."
Basketball: The Heart of the Game Set to Hit Theaters
One of the by-products of the summer season, particularly for movie buffs, is the flood of high-budget, blockbuster films hitting theaters on a weekly basis.
While it probably doesn't fit into the "blockbuster" category, producers of The Heart of the Game are hoping their film becomes one of the surprise hits of the summer.
The documentary, which will be released in theaters June 7, revolves around the journey of Roosevelt High School (Wash.) basketball player Darnellia Russell, and an unorthodox basketball coach named Bill Resler. Russell managed motherhood and an eligibility battle to lead Roosevelt to the 2004 Washington 4A title.
Russell played the 2005-2006 season with North Seattle Community College, averaging 23.2 points per game.
The Heart of the Game has already received some critical success after debuting at the Toronto Film Festival in September. After viewing the film at the event, Roger Ebert labeled it, "...a documentary that could flower into a sleeper hit."
Hip-hop artist Ludacris serves as the narrator.
Before We Go: Irving (Texas) long jumper Adron Tennell captured the state 5A title over the weekend by uncorking a leap of 25-7 _. That mark was over a foot longer than the nation's previous best this season, and would have given the future Oklahoma football player a 5A record had the wind cooperated, according to The Dallas Morning News.Pat Bostick of Manheim Township, arguably the best senior-to-be quarterback in the state of Pennsylvania, made a verbal commitment to play for the University of Pittsburgh late last week. Bostick tossed for 2,810 yards and 34 touchdowns as a junior, earning second team All-State AAAA from the Pennsylvania Football News.
Jason Hickman: jason@maxpreps.com
Interested in becoming a MaxPreps contributor? We are looking for writers to help expand our coverage of high school sports nationwide. Contact Jason Hickman at jason@maxpreps.com.
Questions? Comments? Be heard! Use the MaxPreps Response Feature, located below.