Preseason Top 25 high school football early contenders

With spring football wrapping up and summer practice sessions on the horizon, MaxPreps takes a stab at identifying the Top 25 high school football teams heading into the fall.

No. 25 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) - Full preview
Strengths: Grayson brings back an experienced offense that showed glimpses of great potential last season. Nick Schuessler is the signal-caller, while running backs Devin Gillespie and Terrius Watson and receiver Korey Jones give the Rams a great balance of key offensive players back from last year’s team, which blew a late lead to Colquitt County in the AAAAA semifinals. Robert Nkemdiche, a sophomore last year, will be arguably one of the best defensive players in the country next year as a junior.

Question marks: As superb as Nkemdiche was last season, and for as good as he’ll be in 2011, the defense will need more players to step up, like opposite bookend Zack Barnes, a candidate for a breakout season. Nkemdiche should command extra attention on just about every play, which Grayson hopes will free up Barnes and others to make plays. The junior class is strong, but largely unproven.

Outlook: After a down year in Georgia, football in the Peach State should be very deep in 2011, featuring small-school powers like Sandy Creek and Buford as well as AAAAA heavyweights like Lowndes, Camden County and an uber-talented Stephenson team. Still, Grayson’s mix of consistency, offensive firepower and defensive playmakers gives it an edge heading into the fall.

No. 24 Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) - Full preview
Strengths: There’s no doubt about the areas in which Chaparral is strong, as the team should have one of the most explosive passing attacks that Arizona has ever seen. Quarterback Connor Brewer and receiver Davonte Neal, both Top 100 recruits, provide quite a spark. Brewer has other weapons in receivers Craig Roh, Zac Buzzard and Gary McKay, a sophomore. On defense, three starters return, not including defensive end Jarvis Lewis, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound physical specimen who transferred in after the season.

Question marks: Line play on both sides will make or break Chaparral. The defensive line boasts Lewis and several long, rangy players that coach Charlie Ragle feels will be able to step up admirably. The offensive line, which loses Andre Yruretagoyena, Peter McBride and Wes Schweitzer, all Division I players, will be more difficult to replace. The secondary, sans Colby Targun and Colton Bishop, also needs to be retooled.

Outlook: Last year, Chaparral scored averaged more than 51 points per game and this year returns the skill players to be even more potent. Pete Greene, Jordan Bronowitz, Eric Combs and the rest of the offensive line will dictate the course of Chaparral’s season. Even if the defense takes a step back from last season (certainly iffy given the young talent at Chaparral), the offense has a chance to really dial up points this season, provided Brewer has time in the pocket. Bishop Gorman, Chaparral’s opponent in the Sollenberger classic, will be a good barometer for the Firebirds’ season.

No. 23 Bellevue (Wash.) - Full preview
Strengths: Bellevue’s potent Wing-T offense should be extremely difficult to stop in 2011, as most of the Wolverines’ key backfield players return along with most of their offensive line. Quarterback Tyler Hasty will hand off on many plays to Latrell Dukes, the team’s leading rusher a year ago. Myles Jack, only a junior, should also contribute. The offensive line should be the team’s biggest strength; it could be the best that Bellevue has had in recent years. Linebacker Sean Constantine should excel as a junior.

Question marks: Turnovers were the main factor in Bellevue’s only loss last season, a 28-21 setback at the hands of Skyline. The Wolverines started a number of sophomores last year and gained great experience as a result. Still, this year’s team will be relatively young. Outside of Hasty, who will also double as a cornerback, Bellevue’s secondary will need to come together. Last season, the unit struggled at times against capable quarterbacks.

Outlook: Bellevue fans are excited for the upcoming season, with good reason. The Wolverines won the state’s 3A crown and finished 13-1 with a very young team. Historically, Bellevue has shown the ability to hang with top teams anywhere in the country, as head coach Butch Goncharoff has mastered the art of adding wrinkles to the team’s Wing-T scheme to make his offense extremely difficult to prepare for. If the defense develops according to plan, this will be an extremely good football team. Tangling with Oaks Christian to open the season will be a big test for Bellevue.

No. 22 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) - Full preview
Strengths: Ishmael Adams and Jordan Payton give Oaks Christian one of California’s best running backs and wide receivers, respectively. Quarterback Luke Falk, who transferred in from Utah, has the makings of a big recruit and should flourish in the Lions’ pass-friendly offense. The defense returns a great deal of experience and should be a pillar of the 2011 team. The defensive line returns five players that saw quality minutes a year ago, and both Cameron Judge and Carlos Mendoza are back at linebacker.

Question marks: Falk is far from a sure thing for Oaks Christian, as he has yet to earn the starting job. The interior offensive linemen all will be new. With so many transfers, including former Narbonne freshman standout Malik Cyphers and Oxnard linebacker Tyrone Faanono, it’s hard to know what to really expect from Oaks Christian. The pieces are in place, but team chemistry and cohesion could be the critical factor here.

Outlook: With regular season matchups against Westlake and a St. Bonaventure team that many people think could be as good or better than Oaks Christian, the Marmonte League will provide a good indication of how well the Lions will have come together this season. Head coach Bill Redell thinks this could be one of the better teams he’s had, if all of the transfers work out as planned. Look for the Lions to be a force around Southern California by the time September rolls around.

No. 21 Aledo (Texas) - Full preview
Strengths: Anyone who has seen Aledo over the last two seasons knows that the team’s strength lies with running back Johnathan Gray, who has already established himself as one of the top rushers in state history. Far from a one-trick pony, the Bearcats also bring back underrated quarterback Matthew Bishop, top wideout Michael Mann and three offensive linemen, including Texas A&M commit Michael Wilson. Aledo is riding a 29-game winning streak.

Question marks: Aledo will be more inexperienced on the defensive side of the ball, particularly up front and in the secondary. This team is not as deep as some of the top 5A teams in Texas, but its track record over the last two seasons speaks for itself. Still, any sort of injury to Gray would be a devastating blow to the Bearcats’ hopes of capturing a third consecutive state title. Stephenville, the team’s season-opening opponent and a team Aledo beat in the playoffs last season, returns several key players and will be an immediate test for the Bearcats.

Outlook: Head coach Tim Buchanan thinks that offensively, this could be his best team yet. That has to do as much with the rest of his returning pieces as it does with Gray. In fact, his should be among the top offenses in the state, and potentially, the country. It still has momentum from a 69-point outburst in the 4A-II final over La Marque. Jaylen Hill, Gunner Johnson, Dayne Davis and the rest of the defense will make or break Aledo.

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