Houston Area Class 5A preseason Top 10 high school football teams

MaxPreps Houston Area Class 5A Preseason Football Top 10

1. Katy
The defending 5A state champion and perennial powerhouse is an automatic pick for the No. 1 ranking. Until a team figures out a way to stop running back Rodney Anderson (one of the most explosive backs in all of Houston) the Tigers will keep doing what they do – win football games. Head coach Gary Joseph said Anderson has "gotten bigger and stronger" this offseason, and that will spell trouble for opposing defenses. Despite only bringing back six starters off his  2012 title team, Joseph never has a problem restocking, and the six players returning are exceptional, including No. 9 ranked Houston area quarterback Kiley Huddleston.

2. Lamar (Houston)
The Redskins made history last season by becoming the first Houston ISD team to reach the state title game since 1992. Led by the No. 1-ranked Houston area quarterback Darrell Colbert and seven other starters that return on offense, Lamar will be putting up points on the scoreboard often. Highly recruited defensive back John Bonney headlines a young defensive unit. The Redskins will be hungry to get back to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington for another shot at a championship before Colbert and his go-to wideout Shelby Walker head to SMU next year.

3. North Shore (Houston)
This tradition-rich program made it 19 straight playoff appearances in 2012 and it had its deepest run since 2007 with a regional finals appearance, losing to Lamar in that game. With 11 returning starters, there's no doubt that coach David Aymond will have his squad in the thick of things once again. Alabama-bound linebacker Zach Whitley had 149 tackles last season to go along with three interceptions, and is a punishing defender with speed. A massive offensive line will open holes for speedy running back Tristan Houston, who is a big play threat every time he touches the ball.

See the Houston area 4A Top 10

4. Westfield (Houston)
Westfield has been known for two things: consistently producing quality D-1 prospects and always having a nasty defense under coach Corby Meekins. The Mustangs swept through district 13-5A a year ago, and their only loss was in the Division I regional semifinals to Dallas Skyline. Although it did graduate some key players, Westfield is blessed with two returning quarterbacks that are capable (William Dedon and Courtland Greenwood), who will work behind a wall that includes a pair of all-state linemen in 5-foot-9, 275-pound Adrian Parker and 6-foot-3, 275-pound Marcus Oliver. And on the D-line, look for 6-foot-2, 285-pound sophomore end Ed Oliver to make a huge impact.

5. Manvel
Coach Kirk Martin has a squad that impressed everybody in Houston in 2012, when the Mavericks rolled all the way to the Division II region semifinals and won 11 games in their first year at the 5A level. Manvel has a building block in 6-7 defensive end/tight end Koda Martin – Kirk's son – who will draw double teams on both sides of the ball, creating opportunities for teammates. Stefan Kahn or athlete Reggie Hemphill will take over at quarterback for Shane McCarley, who is now at Old Dominion.

6. The Woodlands
Running back Patrick Carr is the name to follow in The Woodlands, and he will be keeping the Highlanders moving again in 2013. Fresh off a phenomenal sophomore campaign that saw him run for more than 2,000 yards and 21 scores, Carr will be featured again in the Highlanders' spread attack. But keep in mind that he'll be running behind an untested line that lost two BCS-caliber linemen and an all-district center. The Woodlands will also be working in a new quarterback, but he'll have a talented group of receivers to throw to, led by Tyler Patrick and Bayley Novak.

7. La Porte
Despite having to play in the same district as North Shore, the Bulldogs have established themselves as a team to be reckoned with, having reached the postseason in six of the last seven years and reaching at least the second round in each of those postseason trips. LaPorte enjoys a great home-field advantage at Bulldog stadium, where it packs the joint every Friday night and it gets loud. The star on the field to watch in LaPorte is Texas A&M-bound, all-state linebacker and two-way player Hoza Scott. He drew interest from almost every major D-1 program in the country.

8. Alief Taylor (Houston)
The Lions graduated no less than five D-1 signees off their 2012 starting lineup that helped them reach the area finals. They'll be led by LSU commit Chris Hardeman at corner, and big-play wide receiver Keenen Brown, who has 15-plus BCS offers sitting on the table. Hardeman anchors a defense that only averaged 12.1 points allowed per game, and Brown was the favorite target of returning quarterback Remi Olanade, who found him for more than 700 yards through the air. The Lions are the prohibitive favorites to win district 18-5A.

9. Cy-Fair (Cypress)
District 17-5A is considered to be the most competitive one in all of Houston, and the Bobcats are the early season, sexy pick to win it. That is because coach Ed Pustejovsky returns nearly every player on offense from a squad that snuck into the playoffs last year as the fourth seed out of the district, and will replace some starters on defense from a JV team that went 9-1. Cy-Fair has a pair of tailbacks to watch in Jacorey Aleem and Dillon Birden that will see plenty of carries for a historically run-heavy offense.

10. Fort Bend Bush (Richmond)
Twin brothers Ronald Monroe (quarterback) and Donald Monroe (receiver) combine with wideout Kasey Poole to form one of the more dangerous passing games in all of Houston. Ronald tossed for more than 1,800 yards in 2012 and led the Broncos to the area round of the playoffs and a school-record 10 wins. Now a senior, he is a veteran of coach Allen Aldridge's program and has a solid grasp of the Bronco offense. Bush should come out on top of district 23-5A.

11. Cypress Falls (Houston)
12. Pearland
13. Clear Springs (League City)
14. Dekaney (Houston)
15. Klein Collins (Spring)