MaxPreps 2013 Pennsylvania preseason football Fab 5

MaxPreps 2013 Pennsylvania Preseason Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard 1. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)
Head coach: Gabe Infante
2012 finish: 10-1, lost in Philadelphia Catholic League Class AAAA championship
Team preview

Hawks coach Gabe Infante thought his team was a year ahead of schedule last season. The Hawks ripped through the Philadelphia Catholic League Class AAAA Division, only to have their nemesis, six-time league champ La Salle, resurface in the league championship and deny the Hawks their first PIAA Class AAAA (large schools) state playoff appearance. This should be the year the Hawks break through the threshold. That's because the whole skill nucleus returns, including arguably the best player in the state, 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior defensive back/offensive back John Reid, and Michigan-bound Jon Daniel Runyan, the 6-4, 250-pound son of former Philadelphia Eagle Jon Runyan who's grown an inch and added 25 pounds.

"What I've been preaching from Day One, at the level we're hoping to compete at, is that it's a process," Infante said. "For as much as we want to speed that process up, we need to be patient, yet have a sense of urgency among ourselves. We need to manage the expectations. We have to maintain our composure and poise through the process."

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2. Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh)
Head coach: George Novak
2012 finish: 10-3, lost in WPIAL final
Team preview

The Wolverines came closest to defeating the undefeated North Allegheny, which finished 16-0 and the nation's No. 4 team in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25. A host of players return for the Wolverines. Topping the list are eight back on defense, led by seniors Harry Randall (6-0, 184-pound quarterback/safety), Daechaud Ausbrooks (5-10, 175-pound safety/running back), Donte Broadus (6-2, 205-pound wide receiver/linebacker), Trevon Mathis (6-foot, 173-pound wide receiver/defensive back) and Chris David (5-11, 172-pound wide receiver/defensive back). Watch for budding stars Daniel Gibson, a 6-3, 265-pound two-way junior lineman who started both ways as a sophomore, and 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore Miles Sanders, who's also receiving interest from Michigan.

"We have a lot of team speed, but we still have a young offensive line, starting two sophomores. They're big, but they're sophomores," Wolverines coach George Novak said. "We have eight guys back on defense that started for us. We'll be in the race."

See last season's Pennsylvania all-league teams

3. Coatesville
Head coach: Matt Ortega
2012 finish: 13-3, won District 1 Class AAAA, lost in PIAA state championship
Team preview

The Red Raiders won't sneak up on anyone this year, though head coach Matt Ortega would like it. Not with nine starters back on defense, including two of the best players in Pennsylvania in 6-4, 245-pound linebacker/tight end Tyler Burke (Maryland) and 5-10, 185-pound running back/defensive back Daquan Worley (Penn State). Add in some considerable size in 6-6, 290-pound Colin Raysor, and more speed in Isaih Flamer and Devonte Suber and Coatesville has a good chance of playing again in December. It's core nucleus won't forget walking off the field after an embarrassing state championship loss to North Allegheny.

"My selling point this year, now that we have the bull's eye on our chest, is that other teams are going to be excited to play us," Ortega said. "We're going to have go week-in, week-out and elevate our game. If we do that and stay healthy, we're going to be pretty good."

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4. Gateway (Monroeville)
Head coach: Donnie Militzer
2012 finish: 9-2, lost in WPIAL quarterfinals
Team preview

Donnie Militzer inherits a great situation from previous coach Terry Smith, now an assistant coach at Temple. The Gators return arguably two of the best players in western Pennsylvania in 6-2, 205-pound senior wide receiver/safety Montae Nicholson, who's received more than 40 offers, and 6-1, 180-pound wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Davis (Temple). Jimmy Moore, a 5-10, 175-pound senior, will handle the quarterback position. Look for 6-5, 260-pound senior center/defensive tackle Joseph Robak and 6-2, 240-pound senior right tackle/defensive end Stephen Gross to anchor both lines.

"When you come into Gateway, you have your eyes set on a WPIAL championship. That's my goal and our staff's goal, to play at Heinz field and end up at Hershey [in the state championship]," Militzer said. "We'll be a spread team and we're trying to exploit our speed as much as possible. Defensively, no one threw for over 50 yards against Gateway, because of the secondary. We feel we have the best safety combination in the country (Nicholson and Davis). The feeling is we have to break through this year."

See last season's MaxPreps Computer Rankings for Pennsylvania, presented by the Army National Guard

5. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg)
Head coach: Jeff Weachter
2012 finish: 14-1, District 3 champion, PIAA Class AAA semifinalist

The Crusaders will again be the team to beat in Class AAA (after three straight titles) and have the kind of size, speed and talent to beat many Class AAAA teams in the state. Perennial Philadelphia powerhouse Archbishop Wood is lurking in the eastern half of the state, but tailback Andre Robinson is a 5-11, 215-pound junior who's received more than 15 offers, including Notre Dame, and that puts the Crusaders a notch above. Rashad Lawson (5-8, 185-pound senior) rushed for more than 1,000 yards. What makes McDevitt special, aside from Robinson, is 6-2, 235-pound tight end/defensive end Mike Perloski (Penn or Princeton), 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker Nate Monroe, and talented underclassmen: Steve Marrazzo Jr. (6-2, 220-pound junior defensive end), Anthony Long (6-3, 265-pound sophomore offensive lineman), Myles Turner (6-2, 250-pound junior defensive tackle) and Kobay White (6-1, 175-pound sophomore wide receiver).

"Last year was a rebuilding year and we were shocked as anyone that we were 14-1," Crusaders' coach Jeff Weachter said. "We return four out of five offensive linemen. If we stay healthy, this is going to be a really good football team for the next two years, and at least three, because our sophomore class as has six very good wide receivers."