by Scott Herpst
posted June 30, 2009
"Stump on Sports Late Nite" has released its 2009 preseason high school football Top 10 poll, which includes teams representing the metro-Chattanooga and northwest Georgia areas.
North Georgia powerhouse Calhoun checks in at the top spot in the initial poll. Coach Hal Lamb's Yellowjackets are coming off a 12-3 season where they won an incredible eighth straight region crown and finished as the Class AA state runners-up. Calhoun will be led by a pair of SEC commitments in quarterback Nash Nance (Vanderbilt) and wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers (Georgia).
Tim Daniels' Red Bank Lions sit at No. 2 in the poll. The Lions saw a streak of four straight Region 4-4A titles snapped last year, but still managed a 7-4 season and a state playoff berth. Quarterback Andy Christopher and running back Keon Williams have the Blue and White primed for another big year.
The Ooltewah Owls, coached by the legendary Benny Monroe, are No. 3. The Owls went 11-2 last season, falling to eventual state champion Oakland in the Class 5A state semifinals. Ooltewah lost some talented players, but return quarterback Brady Reed and defensive end Jacques Smith, a Tennessee commitment and one of the top college prospects in the nation.
Ridgeland will begin the year at No. 4 in the SOS Top 10. The Panthers are coming off a record-setting season that saw them win their first outright Region 6-AAA title and set a school record with nine wins against just three losses before falling to Class AAA runners-up Flowery Branch. College prospects DeVaughn Buchanan (LB) and Dewaun Harrison (DB) will give Ridgeland another hard-hitting defense.
The No. 5-ranked Cleveland Blue Raiders went 7-4 last year, losing in the Class 4A playoffs to state runner-up Maryville. The big news in the offseason was the hiring of head coach E.K. Slaughter, who guided Soddy-Daisy back to the playoffs in his first and only season with the Trojans.
Perennial power Dalton is No. 6 in the poll. The Catamounts also have a Georgia commitment in defensive end Jalen Fields, one of the top 10 prospects in the state. Dalton won seven games last season and is looking for an unprecedented 50th straight winning season in 2009.
Alvin Tarver's Howard Hustlin' Tigers have come on strong in recent years and will begin the year ranked No. 7. Howard went 9-2 last year, but were upset in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
A new face in the top 10 is LaFayette, who checks in at No. 8. The Ramblers went 6-4 last year in their first season under new coach Perry Swindall, and the All-State passing duo of quarterback Josh Morgan and receiver Dimitri Miles have LaFayette fans excited for the upcoming season.
Traditional Tennessee state power South Pittsburg is No. 9 in the poll. The Pirates went 12-1 last year, falling to Class 1A champion Trousdale County in the quarterfinals. Vic Grider will have another strong squad this fall, led by quarterback Terrell Robinson, a UTC commitment, and tight end Jiajuan Fennell, who recently pledged to MTSU.
The final spot in the top 10 is occupied by Ringgold. Robert Akins' Tigers overcame injuries in key spots to make the Region 6-AAA playoffs last year. Ringgold could be looking at big season this fall behind the powerful legs of fullback Martez Eastland, one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Georgia.
The poll will be updated weekly on the "Stump on Sports Late Nite" television program, which can be seen on UCTV Channel 3, Charter Cable Channel 5 in north Georgia, and on Comcast Channel 96 in Chattanooga live every Friday evening from 11 p.m.-1 a.m.
The show, now in its 25th year of promoting area high school sports, is hosted by Stump and Deb Martin and the SOS Late Nite crew.
Stump on Sports Late Nite Preseason Top 10
(2008 record in parentheses)
1. Calhoun (12-3)
2. Red Bank (7-4)
3. Ooltewah (11-2)
4. Ridgeland (9-3)
5. Cleveland (7-4)
6. Dalton (7-3)
7. Howard (9-2)
8. LaFayette (6-4)
9. South Pittsburg (12-1)
10. Ringgold (4-6)
Also receiving votes: Tyner, Marion County, Walker Valley, Northwest Whitfield
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