Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
South Carolina’s Byrnes High School will open the 2008 season at No. 1 in the MaxPreps Preseason National Football Rankings.
The Rebels, under the direction of second-year head coach Chris Miller, are coming off a 15-0 campaign in 2007 capped by a 48-9 win over Summerville in the AAAA state title game.
Plenty of firepower returns, including a 3,000-yard passer in junior quarterback Chas Dodd and junior running back Marcus Lattimore, who racked up over 2,300 all-purpose yards as a sophomore. Senior Ricco Sanders is Byrnes’ leading returning receiver after hauling in 13 touchdown passes in 2007.
Senior defensive backs Riyahd Richardson and Justin Bright (committed to Florida State) are Division I prospects, while Daniel Cleveland will head the linebacking corps after racking up 140 tackles as a junior. Defensive lineman Brandon Willis will be a top recruit in the class of 2010.
Beyond the No. 1 spot, No. 2 De La Salle (Calif.) and No. 3 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) provide plenty of intrigue as the storied programs are slated to meet Sept. 26.
Skyline of Sammamish, Wash., checks in at No. 4 after an unbeaten, 3A state championship season in 2007. The Spartans make the move to the 4A level this season.
Ohio’s Coldwater High School rounds out the top five. The Cavaliers are 40-2 over the past three seasons and return quarterback Cory Klenke, who accumulated over 3,000 yards through the air and on the ground a year ago.
The Top 25
MaxPreps Preseason Top 100
