Central State 8
1) SHG – The Gabe Green days are over and the Timmy Brenneisen era has begun, but the new junior quarterback is entering a pretty incredible situation. He’ll have three wide receivers that will eventually pad up to play Division I football to deliver the ball to and running back Sam Sargent will play at the next level as well. This offense, which has set state records each of the last two seasons, should have no problem putting up points again.
2) Rochester – Derek Leonard has coached a stable of Division I quarterbacks, so when he says he’s seen more improvement from Dan Zeigler from his junior to senior season than any quarterback he’s ever coached, that means we could be in for a special season. Name to watch here: Collin Stallworth. The junior wide receiver has a chance to be as good as any wide out Rochester has ever had.
3) Glenwood – Starting a sophomore quarterback in the Central State 8 is always a bit risky, but if there’s a program that has the stability from top to bottom to cover up the learning curve mistakes a young Cole Hembrough will inevitably make, it’s Glenwood. Hembrough is a massive kid with a football family pedigree and huge upside. You’ll see pretty quickly why Dan Rourke went with the sophomore.
4) Jacksonville – If we’re being totally honest, it feels like Jacksonville and Glenwood could be flipped on this list. But since the Titans have beaten the Crimsons in 22 consecutive meetings, they get the nod. Jacksonville’s offense will challenge SHG and Rochester for the most explosive in the conference this season and it might not take long for big time offers to start rolling in for quarterback Joe Brannan.
5) Southeast – The Spartans snapped a 12-year playoff drought last season in head coach Matt Lauber’s first season, and in the process they breathed new life into a program that had laid dormant for years. There’s never been a lack of athletic talent on the eastside, it just hasn’t always been on the field. Now the program is sporting better numbers than they have for years and they’re carrying with them the belief that the playoffs can be a goal year in and year out.
6) Lanphier – This senior class is the group that’s been eyed for a long time to bring the Lions back to the postseason. Lanphier finished 4-5 last season, which included a loss to Southeast. That was the difference between the Spartans playing in the post season in Week 10 while the Lions watched. It’s a safe bet that didn’t settle well considering the Lanphier/Southeast rivalry. The offense returns 80% of their offensive line but replacing quarterback Jared Griffin will be a tall task.
7) MacArthur – The Generals proved they weren’t intimidated by the competition in the Central State 8 last season, posting a 6-3 record in their first season in the conference. It didn’t hurt that they had an insanely talented senior group that they’re now hustling to replace. They’ve got the athletes to do it, but how quickly they can transition will be the key.
8) Springfield High – The Senators have worked hard to acclimate themselves to head coach Roy Gully’s system, but the truth is, getting a new head coach just before summer break isn’t an ideal situation for any high school football team. SHS brings back some studs in Tony Williams (RB/LB), Rahkeem Hawkins (RB/LB) and Jackson Shearer (QB) who have the natural athletic ability to make up for some of the “getting to know you” blemishes.
9) Eisenhower – On offense, the Panthers have the ability to be quite dangerous. Quarterback Cayleb Dehority has the experience and the ability and he’s got weapons around him in wide receiver Colton Lockwood and running back Salat Al-Nurridin. The question is the defense. Eisenhower gave up 329 points last season which was the third most in the conference.
10) Lincoln – The rebuild is a serious job, but it’s a job Seth Bass is setting roots for. The new head coach is charged with turning around a program that’s lost 21 consecutive CS8 games. It’s not a conference that offers much relief to a program with such a mountain to climb.
1) Williamsville – Quarterback Vince Vignali and running back Jace Franklin are almost certainly the most dangerous backfield the Sangamo will produce this season, but outside of those two All-State caliber guys, there are a lot of question marks for the defending 3A runner-up. The Bullets ride a 41 game Sangamo winning streak into this season but for the first time in a while, another perfect conference run is far from a sure thing.
2) Athens – It took one look at the returners on Athens’ defense to realize that scoring against the Warriors is going to be an extremely difficult task. Ryan Knox’s D will hand the ball off to the offense which is primed to transition from their ground and pound style to a new spread format thanks to quarterback Nick Hanner’s arm. Hanner started as a sophomore last season, and before his career is done, he may just be the best quarterback this aging Athens program has ever produced.
3) Auburn – It feels like the Trojans are just fine sliding under the radar a bit this season. They lost a massive amount of production on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense, with Drew Chance at quarterback and Drew Points at wide receiver, already resembles the 2013 squad that Korben Clark and Jared Wilson led to the 2A state semifinals. The Trojans have been to the semifinals and the quarterfinals in back to back seasons. Don’t doubt the fact that these kids know how to win.
4) Pleasant Plains – The Cardinals opened everyone’s eyes last season as Brody Walworth stepped in as head coach and turned a 1-8 record from 2013 into a 6-4 mark that featured a playoff berth in 2014. The Cardinals rode running back Gannon Lanier to the tune of a new school rushing record, and even though Lanier is gone, much of that team returns. Don’t be surprised if this is the lowest Plains checks in on the Power Rankings all season.
5) New Berlin – We’ve heard the same thing from a number of different Sangamo coaches this season. “Don’t sleep on New Berlin,” they all tell us. Barry Creviston lost a pair of all-staters in quarterback Jake Hunt and wide receiver/defensive back Chase Creviston, but Cam Cummings, who will run the offense at QB, is one of the most dangerous players in the conference.
6) Pittsfield – It’s easy to forget about the Saukees because of the fact that they’re geographical outliers in the Sangamo, and because their inaugural season in the Sangamo was underwhelming. But anytime a team returns 17 seniors who all had varsity experience from the season before, it’d be smart to no overlook them completely. Curt Simonson has whipped this program into shape in a hurry and don’t be surprised when they’re standing toe to toe with some of the best teams in the conference.
7) North Mac – Maaaaan, those dudes are HUUUUUUUGE. That’s the first thing we thought when we showed up at North Mac. New head coach Shane Owsley has some serious beef to lean on in the trenches. If he can compliment that with some skill guys who can make plays, the Panthers have a chance to return to relevancy in the conference.
8) Riverton – There’s certainly potential on the offensive side of the ball where Marc Hinkle will line up at quarterback. Josh Gabriel and Ryan Roscetti will get plenty of touches and both have home run hitting capability. The main question is the defense who leaned heavily on senior linebacker Blake Suhling a season ago.
9) PORTA – The Bluejays posted an 0-9 record in 2014 and the emphasis this season is on being competitive every play. It’s a good place to start for a PORTA program that needs to climb it’s way back into relevancy in the Sangamo conference.
