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

URBANDALE, Iowa -- Defending Florida 5A champion St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) is ranked No. 1 in the first National Prep Poll of the season.

This is the 14th consecutive weekly poll with Aquinas ranked in the top spot. The Raiders, who have won 24 straight games, took over the nation's No. 1 ranking last September and rolled to their second consecutive state championship and first-ever Prep Poll mythical national title.

"It's hard to imagine the 2009 Raiders being as dominant in all phases of the game as last year's team," said Jamie DeMoney, who begins his 10th year as compiler of the World Features Syndicate/Associated Press National Prep Poll. "The '08 Aquinas team was by far faster, stronger, and more fundamentally sound than every team it faced.

"The standard last year's Aquinas team set is almost unrealistically high. But with that said, with the quality of talent and coaching that this team will have, I see no reason to expect the Raiders to lose a game this year, either."

The Raiders, who have about a dozen potential Division I recruits in their senior class, will play a difficult schedule that kicks off with an August 29 trip to play Upper Arlington, Ohio, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. On October 2, Aquinas will host No. 2 Duncan, S.C., Byrnes in a much-anticipated nationally televised matchup.

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View the PrepNation 101 Preseason Rankings and 101 Teams to Watch in 2009

The National Prep Football Poll is compiled by high school sports journalist Jamie DeMoney with input from sportswriters, experts, and coaches. The preseason national Top 25 and PrepNation 101 rankings and regional Top 10's follow with 2008 won-loss-tie records:

Northeast Region
1. Ramsey, N.J., Don Bosco Prep (11-1)  
2. Bethlehem, Pa., Liberty (15-1)  
3. Harrisburg, Pa., Bishop McDevitt (10-3)  
4. Montvale, N.J., St. Joseph Regional (11-1)  
5. Oradell, N.J., Bergen Catholic (9-3)  
6. State College, Pa. (12-1)  
7. McKeesport, Pa. (8-3)  
8. Huber Heights, Ohio, Wayne (12-0)  
9. Lansdale, Pa., North Penn (14-1)  
10. Central Valley, N.Y., Monroe-Woodbury (11-1)  

East Coast Region
1. Duncan, S.C., Byrnes (14-1)  
2. Chesapeake, Va., Oscar Smith (15-0)  
3. Charlotte, N.C., Independence (13-1)  
4. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (10-2)  
5. Matthews, N.C., Butler (12-2)  
6. Olney, Md., Good Counsel (11-1)  
7. Sumter, S.C. (12-3)  
8. Rock Hill, S.C., South Pointe (15-0)  
9. Chantilly, Va., Westfield (9-3)  
10. Hampton, Va., Phoebus (15-0)  

Southeast Region
1. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas (15-0)  
2. Miami, Fla., Northwestern (13-2)  
3. Valdosta, Ga., Lowndes (12-1)  
4. Lakeland, Fla. (14-1)  
5. Prattville, Ala. (13-1)  
6. River Ridge, La., John Curtis (14-1)  
7. Miami, Fla., Central (8-4)  
8. Tampa, Fla., Plant (14-1)  
9. Madison, Miss., Madison Central (12-2)  
10. Nashville, Tenn., Montgomery Bell Academy (10-2)  

Midwest Region
1. Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville (11-1)  
2. Cincinnati, Ohio, Elder (13-2)  
3. Cleveland, Ohio, St. Ignatius (14-1)  
4. Cincinnati, Ohio, Colerain (11-2)  
5. East St. Louis, Ill. (13-1)  
6. Cincinnati, Ohio, Moeller (6-5)  
7. Chicago, Ill., Mount Carmel (10-3)  
8. Wheaton, Ill., Wheaton-Warrenville South (8-2)  
9. Sterling Heights, Mich., Stevenson (10-2)  
10. Louisville, Ky., St. Xavier (12-1)  

Midlands Region
1. Denver, Colo., Mullen (12-2)  
2. Florissant, Mo., Hazelwood Central (12-2)  
3. Sandy, Utah, Alta (13-1)  
4. Blue Springs, Mo. (9-2)  
5. Hutchinson, Kan. (11-2)  
6. Eden Prairie, Minn. (11-1)  
7. Plymouth, Minn., Wayzata (13-0)  
8. South Jordan, Utah, Bingham (11-3)  
9. Littleton, Colo., Columbine (11-2)  
10. Iowa City, Iowa, City High (10-1)  

Southwest Region
1. Katy, Texas (13-3)  
2. Cedar Hill, Texas (12-2)  
3. Jenks, Okla. (12-2)  
4. Allen, Texas (15-1)  
5. Peoria, Ariz., Centennial (14-0)  
6. Dallas, Texas, Skyline (12-2)  
7. Tulsa, Okla., Union (13-1)  
8. Round Rock, Texas, Stony Point (13-2)  
9. Garland, Texas (11-2)  
10. Longview, Texas (13-3)  

West Coast Region
1. Lakewood, Calif. (10-3)  
2. Bellevue, Wash. (14-0)  
3. Sammamish, Wash., Skyline (14-0)  
4. Westlake Village, Calif., Oaks Christian (14-0)  
5. Concord, Calif., De La Salle (12-2)  
6. Anaheim, Calif., Servite (7-4)  
7. Mission Viejo, Calif. (10-2)  
8. Long Beach, Calif., Poly (14-1)  
9. Sherman Oaks, Calif., Notre Dame (11-1)  
10. Huntington Beach, Calif., Edison (7-3)  

FEATS OF THE WEEK: Defending Florida 5A state titlist Fort Lauderdale, Aquinas will pick up where it left off last season: ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll. The Raiders aim to become the fourth different program to win at least two consecutive Prep Poll championships. Veteran coach George Smith, who has 333 career victories, returns nine starters and at least 12 Division I prospects in his senior class. The focal point of the offense will be senior running backs Giovanni Bernard (uncommitted) and James White (uncommitted), who combined for over 2,500 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns last season. On defense, national recruit Lamarcus Joyner (uncommitted) and all-state cornerback Cody Riggs (uncommitted) are leaders of perhaps the most talented secondary in the country. The Raiders will play a difficult schedule that kicks off with an August 29 trip to play Upper Arlington, Ohio, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. On October 2, Aquinas will host No. 2 Duncan, S.C., Byrnes in a much-anticipated nationally televised matchup.

Past National Prep Poll champs, with records and coaches:
1987--Fontana, Calif. (14-0-0), Dick Bruich
1988--Prichard, Ala., Vigor (13-0-0), Harold Clark
1989--Odessa, Texas, Permian (16-0-0), Gary Gaines
1990--Aldine, Texas (15-0-0), Bill Smith
1991--Indianapolis, Ben Davis (14-0-0), Dick Dullaghan
1992--Valdosta, Ga. (14-0-0), Nick Hyder
1993--Cleveland, St. Ignatius (14-0-0), Chuck Kyle
1994--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (13-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
1995--Cleveland, St. Ignatius (14-0-0), Chuck Kyle
1996--Hampton, Va. (14-0-0), Mike Smith
1997--Hampton, Va. (13-0-0), Mike Smith
1998--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (12-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
1999--Shreveport, La., Evangel (15-0-0), Dennis Dunn
2000--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (13-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
2001--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (12-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
2002--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (13-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
2003--Concord, Calif., De La Salle (13-0-0), Bob Ladouceur
2004--Southlake, Texas, Carroll (16-0-0), Todd Dodge
2005--Southlake, Texas, Carroll (16-0-0), Todd Dodge
2006--Lakeland, Fla. (15-0-0), Bill Castle
2007--Cincinnati, St. Xavier (15-0-0), Steve Specht
2008--Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Aquinas (15-0-0), George Smith.

Copyright 2009 World Features Syndicate, Inc...endit

All other content, including expanded regional rankings and capsules, Copyright 2009 PrepNation.com

Have something to say about the first National Prep Poll of the football season? 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 begins his 10th year compiling the World Features Syndicate/Associated Press National Prep Poll. He has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years and compiled the National Prep Poll since 1999. DeMoney has also compiled high school football and basketball rankings for Sporting News, School Sports, 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.

Here is where you can find all the teams as we count them down from No. 101 to No. 1, plus another 101 teams to watch in 2009.

No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas
No. 2 Byrnes
No. 3 Miami Northwestern
No. 4 Katy
No. 5 Glenville
No. 6 Oscar Smith
No. 7 Lakewood
No. 8 Bellevue
No. 9 Skyline
No. 10 Cedar Hill
No. 11 Lowndes
No. 12 Jenks
No. 13 Elder
No. 14 Don Bosco Prep
No. 15 Oaks Christian
No. 16 Allen
No. 17 Lakeland
No. 18 De La Salle
No. 19 Liberty
No. 20 Liberty
No. 21 Centennial
No. 22 Skyline
No. 23 Independence
No. 24 DeMatha
No. 25 John Curtis Christian
No. 26 Miami Central
No. 27 Servite
No. 28 Plant
No. 29 St. Ignatius
No. 30 Mission Viejo
No. 31 Tulsa Union
No. 32 Long Beach Poly
No. 33 Madison Central
No. 34 Notre Dame
No. 35 Montgomery Bell Academy
No. 36 Bolles
No. 37 West Monroe
No. 38 Dwyer
No. 39 Edison
No. 40 Camden County
No. 41 Pahokee
No. 42 Colerain
No. 43 St. Bonaventure
No. 44 Mainland
No. 45 East St. Louis
No. 46 Mullen
No. 47 Moeller
No. 48 Stony Point
No. 49 South Panola
No. 50 Hazelwood Central
No. 51 Garland
No. 52 Peachtree Ridge
No. 53 Butler
No. 54 Destrehan
No. 55 Good Counsel
No. 56 Longview
No. 57 Evangel Christian
No. 58 North Shore
No. 59 Shiloh Christian
No. 60 Mount Carmel
No. 61 DeSoto
No. 62 Kahuku
No. 63 Hahnville
No. 64 Wheaton Warrenville South
No. 65 Stevenson
No. 66 Bishop McDevitt
No. 67 Rancho Cucamonga
No. 68 Memphis University
No. 69 Alta
No. 70 St. Xavier
No. 71 St. Xavier
No. 72 Hamilton
No. 73 Grayson
No. 74 Chaparral
No. 75 Monsignor Pace
No. 76 Warren Central
No. 77 St. Joseph's Regional
No. 78 Highlands
No. 79 Maine South
No. 80 Bergen Catholic
No. 81 Oceanside
No. 82 Olive Branch
No. 83 Arrowhead
No. 84 State College
No. 85 Oakland
No. 86 Sumter
No. 87 McKeesport
No. 88 Wayne Hills
No. 89 Southlake Carroll
No. 90 Grant
No. 91 Euless Trinity
No. 92 Blue Springs
No. 93 Strongsville
No. 94 South Pointe
No. 95 Hoover
No. 96 WR Northside
No. 97 Westfield
No. 98 Crespi
No. 99 Lakes
No. 100 Hutchinson
No. 101 Eden Prairie
PrepNation 101 Teams to Watch in 2009