No. 15 Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) -
Full preview Strengths: Good Counsel has numerous playmakers who are capable of breaking a game wide open on either side of the ball. Top recruit
Stefon Diggs is electrifying on offense and dynamic on defense.
Kendall Fuller, only a junior, is similarly gifted. The Falcons also have multiple returning starters on the offensive and defensive lines.
Mike Madaras and
Ryan Watson both are sought-after recruits who played a big role in last year’s WCAC title, the team’s second-straight.
Question marks: The Falcons will start a brand new quarterback in 2011, in 6-5 junior
Brendan Marshall. He looks the part but has not proven himself on the varsity level, as Zach Dancel handled Good Counsel’s offense last season. The team will also strive for more consistency in 2011. A year ago, they lost 28-7 to Gilman after a huge win against St. Xavier and dropped a 31-28 regular-season contest to DeMatha, a team they pounded 42-3 in the WCAC title game.
Outlook: This Good Counsel team may be special. Line play should be excellent; as always, the Falcons have terrific options at running back, receiver and defensive back. Untested players, like Marshall and linemen
Sam Mustipher and
Sam Madaras, both of whom are sophomores who hold Division I scholarship offers, could be the deciding factor between another solid Good Counsel team and a truly memorable one.
No. 14 Glades Central (Belle Glade, Fla.) -
Full preview Strengths: What would a Glades Central team be without tremendous speed? Not only does this Muck Bowl participant boast its usual share of burners, but the 2011 Raiders are an experienced squad, with numerous key players returning from last year’s 12-2 squad that claimed victories over Skyline and American Heritage.
Cre'von Leblanc,
Jamie Wilson,
Dominique Gibson and
William Likley give Glades Central some of the best returning skill players in the country.
Question marks: For as well-established as the team’s skill positions are, Glades Central’s line play may be just as unsettled, as new head coach Roosevelt Blackmon will have to rebuild large parts of both the offensive and defensive lines. How the team will mesh in Blackmon’s first season, particularly with transfer quarterback
Tanner Redish at the helm of the offense, still remains to be seen.
Outlook: Assuming the likes of
Tavious Bridges and
Brandon Rodriguez help construct a formidable defensive line, the real x-factor could be quarterback play. Glades Central will face a stiff season-opening test against Dwyer, a program the Raiders have found success against lately. This is a small program with big expectations, and will be among the state's and country’s best.
No. 13 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) -
Full previewStrengths: The focal point of the 2011 Centennial team, at least right now, is the Huskies' line play on both sides. Head coach Matt Logan is unaccustomed to the depth of players in the trenches that he has returning: four out of five on offense and two very good defensive linemen. Running back
Romello Goodwin, who rushed for nearly 1,200 yards last season backing up Barrinton Collins, is a good bet to top the 2,000-yard mark in the Huskies’ explosive offense.
Question marks: Without question, quarterback Michael Eubank will be nearly impossible to replace.
Hayden Gavett, penciled in to take over behind center, was injured last year but should spring speed to the position. Centennial will also have holes to fill at receiver and defensive back. Only one linebacker returns, so the team’s defense will need to prove itself early on.
Outlook: From Matt Scott to Taylor Martinez to Michael Eubank, Logan has done a terrific job replacing quarterbacks at Centennial. Gavett should be fine. However, the team will be without the blue-chip recruit that it has routinely produced over the last few years. While Southern California lacks what appears to be truly great teams early on, the Huskies could certainly become just that. Having six of eight linemen back could loom large for Centennial, which has a much easier time finding athletes to play skill positions. Transfer
Daniel Mendoza could have an immediate impact in the secondary.
Antonio Conner will move to
quarterback for South Panola.
Photo by David Jones
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Full preview Strengths: While many key cogs from last year’s national champion South Panola squad are now set to play on Saturdays, the Tiger defense does return
Issac Gross and
Temario Strong, both Division I recruits in their own right.
Antonio Conner, one of the nation’s best sophomores a year ago, returns in the secondary but will also play quarterback.
Quandez Lee, only a 10th-grader, could start at running back.
Question marks: Inexperience abounds at many key positions for South Panola, most noticeably among offensive linemen, wide receivers and defensive backs. Against an unforgiving schedule that features West Point, Hoover, Memphis University School and Gulfport, the 2011 Tigers must come together to play like the 2010 squad sooner rather than later.
Outlook: South Panola is clearly the best program in Mississippi; its record of consistency is remarkable, so there’s no reason to think that it will fall off in 2011. It would be unrealistic to expect this Tigers team to match the level of domination last year’s team achieved, though. Nonetheless, South Panola will be a very good team this season, with numerous high-caliber athletes well-conditioned to thrive in Lance Pogue’s system.
No. 11 Katy (Texas) -
Full preview Strengths: Katy’s defense has traditionally been its calling card, but in 2011, expect the team’s offense to be particularly impressive. Quarterback
Brooks Haack is back behind center, and running back
Adam Taylor, who averaged more than nine yards per carry as a sophomore, also returns. All-district tackle
Cameron Glover will lead the offensive line. The defensive line also projects to be a strength for Katy.
Question marks: The offensive line sustained some key losses, so Glover and center
Cole Gessler will be responsible for helping newcomers on the line mature. The secondary should feature some talented players who will have big shoes to fill. Haack will need to attack defenses through the air to prevent opponents from stacking the box on Taylor.
Outlook: Expectations are always high at Katy, and 2011 is no different, especially after the Tigers were upset by eventual state champion Pearland in the 5A-I playoffs. The Tigers cannot afford to look that far ahead, as they open the season against North Shore. If Katy peaks at the right time, expect to see the Tigers back in the state title game.
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