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National Prep Poll

December 15, 2008

National Prep Football Poll - Week 18
By Jamie DeMoney

Once again, the National Prep Poll is the FIRST "human" poll released each week and during the preseason.

Have something to say about the Week 18 National Prep Poll? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

Note: The PrepNation 101 final national rankings and expanded regional Top 25 rankings will be released on Monday December 22.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Four of the top five teams in the Week 18 National Prep Poll will be vying for state championships as the prep football season wraps up this weekend.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) -- ranked No. 1 for the 12th consecutive week in the Prep Poll -- can put an exclamation point on its first mythical national championship with a win over No. 16 Lakeland in the 5A championship game Friday night. The Raiders already own a win over Ohio Division I runner-up Cincinnati Elder this season and have beaten their Florida opponents by a whopping average score of 46-7.

Should St. Thomas Aquinas slip up against Lakeland (which beat the Raiders in three consecutive state championship games from 2004-06), No. 2 Long Beach (Calif.) Poly would likely become the top team in the final Prep Poll. Last week, the Jackrabbits beat regionally ranked Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) for their second straight CIF-SS Pac-5 championship. On Saturday, Poly will play regionally ranked Grant (Sacramento) in the CIF Open Division state championship game. It was a mild surprise that CIF commissioners selected the Pacers -- who have victories over state champions in two different states on their resume -- instead of regionally ranked De La Salle (Concord) to play Poly in the state's top championship game.

If both Aquinas and Poly go down to defeat this weekend, No. 3 Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) could find its way to the final No. 1 ranking, despite beginning the season unranked. The Hurricanes knocked off then-No. 11 Houston North Shore and then-regionally ranked Pearland (both were unbeaten at the time) during its run toward this week's Class 5A/I championship. On Saturday, Hightower will play No. 10 Allen, the team that knocked preseason No. 1-ranked Euless Trinity out of the playoffs two weeks ago.

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The National Prep Football Poll is compiled by high school sports journalist Jamie DeMoney with input from sportswriters, experts, and coaches. The national Top 25 with regional Top 10's follow with won-loss-tie records:

= I have seen this team on film

#	School	Record	Note	LW
1.	Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas	14-0-0	advanced to 12th state final in 18 years	1
2.	Long Beach, Calif., Poly	14-0-0	won second straight CIF-SS Pac-5 crown	2
3.	Missouri City, Texas, Hightower	13-0-0	plays No. 10 Allen for 5A/I title	4
4.	Kingsland, Ga., Camden County	15-0-0	won second 5A crown since '03	5
5.	Corona, Calif., Centennial	14-0-0	back-to-back CIF-SS Inland champ	3
6.	Chesapeake, Va., Oscar Smith	15-0-0	won first Division 6 title	6
7.	Hampton, Va., Phoebus	15-0-0	Division 5 champ, outscored foes 720-53	7
8.	Cleveland, Ohio, St. Ignatius	14-1-0	avenged only loss and won 10th Division I title	8
9.	Duncan, S.C., Byrnes	14-1-0	avenged only loss and earned sixth state title in seven years	9
10.	Allen, Texas	14-1-0	state finalist for first time	10
11.	Sammamish, Wash., Skyline	14-0-0	second straight state title	12
12.	Park Ridge, Ill., Maine South	14-0-0	8A state champion	14
13.	Peoria, Ariz., Centennial	14-0-0	third straight 5A/II championship	15
14.	Louisville, Ky., Trinity	14-1-0	avenged only loss and won fourth consecutive state title	16
15.	Destrehan, La.	14-0-0	back-to-back 5A champion	NR
16.	Lakeland, Fla.	14-0-0	will play No. 1 Aquinas for 5A crown	17
17.	Rock Hill, S.C., South Pointe	15-0-0	won 4A/II title in only its third year	19
18.	Tulsa, Okla., Union	13-1-0	won fourth 6A title in seven years	20
19.	Greenwood, Ind., Center Grove	14-1-0	avenged only loss and won 5A title	21
20.	Bethlehem, Pa., Liberty	15-1-0	avenged only loss and won 4A championship	NR
21.	Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier	12-1-0	only loss to No. 14 Trinity	22
22.	Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville	11-1-0	went 1-1 against No. 8 St. Ignatius	23
23.	Provo, Utah, Timpview	13-0-0	three consecutive 4A titles	24
24.	Ramsey, N.J., Don Bosco Prep	11-1-0	won third straight poll state title	25
25.	Memphis, Tenn., Memphis University	13-0-0	Division 2-AA state champ	NR

Northeast Region
1. Bethlehem, Pa., Liberty (15-1) (3)
2. Ramsey, N.J., Don Bosco Prep (11-1-0) (2)
3. Bethel Park, Pa. (15-1-0) (1)
4. Lansdale, Pa., North Penn (14-1-0) (7)
5. West Lawn, Pa., Wilson (14-1-0) (6)
6. Montvale, N.J., St. Joseph Regional (11-1-0) (5)
7. Medford, N.J., Shawnee (12-0-0) (8)
8. Jefferson Hills, Pa., Jefferson (15-1-0) (4)
9. Orchard Park, N.Y. (13-0-0) (9)
10. Wayne, N.J., Wayne Hills (12-0-0) (10)

East Coast Region
1. Chesapeake, Va., Oscar Smith (15-0) (1)
2. Hampton, Va., Phoebus (15-0-0) (2)
3. Duncan, S.C., Byrnes (14-1-0) (3)
4. Rock Hill, S.C., South Pointe (15-0-0) (4)
5. Greensboro, N.C., Dudley (16-0-0) (5)
6. Sandy Spring, Md., Sherwood (14-0-0) (6)
7. Roebuck, S.C., Dorman (13-1-0) (7)
8. Clarksville, Md., River Hill (14-0-0) (8)
9. Rockingham, N.C., Richmond (12-3-1) --
10. Charleston, W.Va., South Charleston (14-0-0) (10)

Southeast Region
1. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas (14-0) (1)
2. Kingsland, Ga., Camden County (15-0-0) (2)
3. Destrehan, La. (14-0-0) (10)
4. Lakeland, Fla. (14-0-0) (4)
5. Memphis, Tenn., Memphis University (13-0-0) (6)
6. Tampa, Fla., Plant (13-1-0) (5)
7. River Ridge, La., John Curtis (14-1-0) --
8. Prattville, Ala. (13-1-0) (8)
9. Meridian, Miss. (14-1-0) (7)
10. Miami, Fla., Northwestern (12-2-0) (9)

Midwest Region
1. Cleveland, Ohio, St. Ignatius (14-1) (1)
2. Park Ridge, Ill., Maine South (14-0-0) (2)
3. Louisville, Ky., Trinity (14-1-0) (3)
4. Greenwood, Ind., Center Grove (14-1-0) (4)
5. Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier (12-1-0) (5)
6. Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville (11-1-0) (6)
7. Muskegon, Mich. (14-0-0) (7)
8. Cincinnati, Ohio, Elder (13-2-0) (8)
9. Mequon, Wis., Homestead (14-0-0) (9)
10. East St. Louis, Ill. (13-1-0) (10)

Midlands Region
1. Provo, Utah, Timpview (13-0) (1)
2. Plymouth, Minn., Wayzata (13-0-0) (2)
3. West Des Moines, Iowa, Valley (14-0-0) (3)
4. Sandy, Utah, Alta (13-1-0) (4)
5. Denver, Colo., Mullen (12-2-0) (5)
6. Omaha, Neb., Millard West (13-0-0) (6)
7. Junction City, Kan. (13-0-0) (7)
8. Murray, Utah, Cottonwood (13-1-0) (8)
9. Florissant, Mo., Hazelwood Central (12-2-0) (9)
10. Pocatello, Idaho, Highland (10-2-0) (10)

Southwest Region
1. Missouri City, Texas, Hightower (13-0) (1)
2. Allen, Texas (14-1-0) (2)
3. Peoria, Ariz., Centennial (14-0-0) (3)
4. Tulsa, Okla., Union (13-1-0) (4)
5. Euless, Texas, Trinity (13-1-0) (5)
6. Austin, Texas, Lake Travis (15-0-0) (7)
7. Katy, Texas (12-3-0) --
8. Reno, Nev., McQueen (14-0-0) (8)
9. Bentonville, Ark. (12-1-0) (9)
10. Las Cruces, N.M. (13-0-0) (10)

West Coast Region
1. Long Beach, Calif., Poly (14-0) (1)
2. Corona, Calif., Centennial (14-0-0) (2)
3. Sammamish, Wash., Skyline (14-0-0) (3)
4. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Tesoro (13-1-0) (4)
5. Bellevue, Wash. (14-0-0) (5)
6. Ventura, Calif., St. Bonaventure (13-1-0) (6)
7. Concord, Calif., De La Salle (12-1-0) --
8. Westlake Village, Calif., Oaks Christian (14-0-0) --
9. Sacramento, Calif., Grant (13-0-0) (7)
10. Honolulu, Hawaii, Punahou (12-1-0) (9)

Dropped out: Top 25: No. 13 West Monroe, La. (13-1-0). East Coast: No. 9 Vienna, Va., Oakton (13-1-0). Southwest: No. 6 Spring Branch, Texas, Smithson Valley (13-2-0). West Coast: No. 8 San Jose, Calif., Bellarmine (12-1-0); No. 10 Beaverton, Ore., Southridge (12-2-0).

FEATS OF THE WEEK: For a state-record 19th time, the champion of Kentucky's largest classification is No. 14 Louisville, Trinity. The Shamrocks hammered Independence, Simon Kenton, 48-0, in the 6-A final before a crowd of 11,556 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. It was Trinity's fourth straight title and seventh in eight years . . . The Superdome in New Orleans hosted the Louisiana state championship games, including the 5A final where No. 15 Destrehan beat then-No. 13 West Monroe, 14-3. It was the second straight title for the Wildcats, who have won 29 straight games. In the 2A title game, regionally ranked River Ridge, Curtis won its 23rd state championship and fifth straight. The Patriots routed Shreveport, Evangel, 35-14, led by senior running back Kenny Cain's three rushing touchdowns . . . No. 13 Peoria, Ariz., Centennial beat Avondale, Westview, 20-7, at the University of Phoenix Stadium to win its third consecutive 5A/II championship. The Coyotes, who also defeated the 5A/I champion, Chandler, Hamilton, during the regular season, have won 26 straight games . . . No. 20 Bethlehem, Pa., Liberty beat regionally ranked Bethel Park, 28-21 in overtime, for the 4A championship at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey. Junior quarterback/defensive back Anthony Gonzalez had over 300 total yards, scored the game-winning touchdown, and ended the game by intercepting a pass in overtime. It was the first state championship for the Hurricanes, who have reached the state finals three of the last four seasons.

Have something to say about the Week 18 National Prep Poll? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

*****

About the National Prep Poll: Compiled weekly weekly since 1987 and distributed by World Features Syndicate and the Associated Press, the National Prep Poll is the nation's second oldest weekly high school sports rankings. Doug Huff of ESPN RISE compiled the rankings from 1987 until 1999. Jamie DeMoney has compiled the poll since the start of the 1999 basketball season. The National Prep Poll is the only high school poll distributed to newspapers and Web sites around the United States by the Associated Press national wire service. The National Prep Poll is the first high school football and boys basketball poll to released in the preseason and during each week of the regular season. Criteria considered for the National Prep Poll rankings are strength of schedule, the ability to accomplish the ultimate goal on a team's schedule (i.e. winning a championship), impact players and performers, a team's coaching and recent tradition.

Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He has compiled the National Prep Poll for World Features Syndicate and the Associated Press since 1999 and has also compiled high school football and basketball rankings for Sporting News and RISE. DeMoney was managing editor of American Football Monthly and assistant national editor of All-Stater Sports/Highwired Sports. DeMoney is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism, and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association.