The 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Football Team: Defense was selected by USA TODAY Sports’ Jim Halley based on past performances and coach and scouting analyst recommendations.
Click the gallery below for the 24 players selected. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
MORE DEFENSE: ALL-USA Honorable Mention Defense
OFFENSE: ALL-USA Preseason Offense
MORE: ALL-USA Honorable Mention Offense
LOOKBACK: 2015 ALL-USA Football Team: Defense
The 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Football Team: Honorable Mention Defense was selected by USA TODAY Sports’ Jim Halley based on past performances and coach and scouting analyst recommendations.
Click the gallery below for the five players selected. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
MORE: American Family Insurance ALL-USA Football Team: Defense
RELATED: American Family Insurance ALL-USA Football Team: Offense
Wyatt Davis is an Ohio State commit from St. John Bosco in California (Photo: 247Sports)
The big winners in the selections to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Football Teams were California, Florida, Texas and Ohio State.
Of the 48 players selected, eight are from California, seven from Florida and six from Texas. Arizona and Georgia each had four players along with two from North Carolina, New Jersey and Mississippi. Thirteen other states had at least one player chosen.
RELATED: Meet the ALL-USA Preseason Football: Offense
RELATED: Meet the ALL-USA Preseason Football: Defense
In terms of college commitments, 22 players were undecided. Five players have committed to Ohio State, which makes sense given that the Buckeyes are viewed as having the best class in the nation for 2017.
Three players each have committed to Alabama and Georgia, and two players have selected LSU and Southern California.
With a long way until February and National Signing Day for the seniors selected, that balance is likely to change.
USA TODAY High School Sports and the American Volleyball Coaches Association are excited to announce a partnership to produce and promote Super 25 team rankings for scholastic girls volleyball this fall.
The partnership begins Wednesday with the release of the Super 25 Preseason Rankings for the 2016 season. The first regular season rankings are scheduled to be released Sept. 7 and are planned to include both regional and national rankings. Rankings and stories about top teams are available at usatodayhss.com.
Said Josh Barnett, director of content for USA TODAY High School Sports: “We are excited to be working with the American Volleyball Coaches Association to expand our coverage of high school volleyball. With more than 16,000 teams and 450,000 athletes competing in girls volleyball, this addition continues to expand our overall Super 25 platform that began in the days after USA TODAY’s inception nearly 35 years ago. We look forward to the results of the inaugural Super 25 for girls volleyball and our relationship with the AVCA.”
“This partnership with USA TODAY fits with our mission to advance the sport of volleyball and builds on our expertise as curators of NCAA polls,” said AVCA Executive Director, Kathy DeBoer. “As volleyball enters the third season as the top team sport for girls in U.S. high schools, this Super 25 poll will identify the many places where excellence is a habit. We welcome this opportunity to work with USA TODAY!”
With the addition of girls volleyball, the Super 25 is at 11 sports (six boys and five girls) for the 2016-17 academic year with plans for continued expansion.
About the American Volleyball Coaches Association
The AVCA, an educationally-based nonprofit headquartered in Lexington, KY, is the largest and most diverse volleyball coaches association in the world. With a broad mandate to develop the sport, the AVCA provides leadership, recognition, advocacy and professional development opportunities to over 7000 volleyball coaches. Members include college, high school, club and youth coaches, and well as a wide variety of product and service providers. Further information is available at http://www.avca.org.
About USA TODAY High School Sports
USA TODAY High School Sports is the leading destination for high school sports news and information, providing nationwide coverage and aligning locally with USA TODAY Sports and Gannett properties in various markets across the country. USATHSS is home to the Super 25 national rankings and the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams for boys and girls sports, both serving for more than 30 years as the leading platforms for determining the best teams, and the best athletes, in scholastic sports.
Here are the teams in the USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Super 25 for girls volleyball.
Players to watch: Shannon Scully, OH, 2017 – Utah; Siena Secrist, OH, 2018 – USC; Kelsey Campeau, L, 2018 – UCLA; Brielle Mullally, S, 2019.
Need to know: Defending CIF-Southern Section champions should be a force to be reckoned with this season as they bring back Scully and Secrist at the outside positions and Mullally directing the offense.
Assumption coach Ron Kordes (Photo: David R. Lutman, Courier-Journal)
Players to watch: Jacqueline Askin, OH, 2017 – Bowling Green; Payton Frederick, L, 2018 – Western Kentucky; Lexie Hamilton, L, 2017 – Louisville; Brooke Moore – Austin Peay, OH, 2017; Alexis Triplett, L, 2018 – Lipscomb; Kayla Kaiser, MB, 2018 – Georgia Tech.
Need to know: Since 1992, Assumption has won 19 state championships, including the 2015 title. The Rockets look to make a run in 2016 led by seniors in Hamilton, Moore, Askin, Crockett and Palmer. Kaiser and Frederick are the top juniors.
Players to watch: Julianna Reisinger, L, 2017 – Purdue; Meghan McClure, OH, 2017 – Stanford; Haley Carmo, MB, 2018; Devon Chang, S, 2018 – Cal Berkeley.
Need to know: Katy Daly’s Santa Margarita squad won the difficult Trinity League last season and began the season with a big win against Southlake Carroll from Texas before heading to Hawaii for the Ann Kang Invitational, where it lost in the final to Mira Costa.
Players to watch: Kylee McLaughlin, S, 2017 – Oregon St; Annie Benbow, L, 2018; Lauren Merrill, MB, 2018; Emma Clothier, MB, 2019.
Need to know: Despite losing eight players from last season, Hebron opened by winning the prestigious Texas Volleyball Invitational, the largest HS tournament in the country with 80 teams.
Players to watch: Gabrielle Orr, OH/S, 2017 – Iowa; Alyssa Doucette, OH, 2017 – Missouri State; McKenna Melville, DS, 2018 – UCF; Ally Murphy, OH, 2018 – North Dakota State; McKenzie Lee, S, 2018
Need to know: Defending AAA state champions did not lose any players to graduation and have as many as five Division I prospects.
Nia Robinson (Matt Detrich, Indy Star)
Players to watch: Payton White, L, 2017 – Auburn; Nia Parker-Robinson, OH, 2017 – Wake Forest; Maria Schorr, S, 2017 – Dayton; Shaney Lipscomb, MB, 2017 – Hawaii; Emily Kleck, 2018; Mattison Norris, MB, 2018; Jean Cripps, MB/RS, 2019
Need to know: Coach Jean Kesterson squad finished last year with their seventh state title, a 36-0 record and No. 1 ranking nationally. Although they graduated six D-I players, the Fighting Irish look to just reload with four key seniors in the 6-1 Robinson, Schorr (Dayton), White (Auburn) and Brooks.
Players to watch: Ally Barrett, OH, 2017 – UConn; Grace Loberg, OH, 2017 – Wisconsin; Alexandria Mullen, MB, 2017 – Boston College
Need to know: A big time offense led by Barrett, Loberg and Mullen, the Vikings are primed to have another impressive year.
Players to watch: Gabrielle Curry, OH, 2017 – Kentucky; Vivian Guy, L, 2017; Tatum Shipes, OH, 2018 – Auburn; Sophia Costello, L, 2018.
Need to know: With the combined efforts of pin hitters Gabrielle Cooney (Kentucky) and Tatum Shipes (Auburn), Buford will look to repeat as Georgia state champions.
Players to watch: Kathryn Decker, OH/RS, 2017 – Santa Clara; Emily Demots, OH, 2017 – Portland; Grace Massey, L, 2017; Claire Zanon, OH, 2017.
Need to know: After back-to-back undefeated seasons, Jesuit is looking to continue its dominance in Oregon.
Players to watch: Megan Cooney, OH/MB, 2017 – Illinois; Jazz Sweet, RS, 2017 – Nebraska.
Need to know: After losing to eventual state champions St. James Academy in last year’s state tournament, Laura Curry should expect her squad to hopefully build on last year’s success thanks to Cooney and Sweet.
Key players: Amanda Montag, OH, 2017 – Navy; Britt Bommer, S, 207 – Northwestern
Need to know: Mira Costa will look to build on a very successful 2015 that saw the Mustangs fall to Mater Dei in the state tournament.
Key players: Annalise Kit, S, 2017 – Clemson; Rachel Meyne, OH, 2017 – Colgate; Haley Hallgren, OH, 2017 – USC; Asjia O’neal, MB, 2018 – Texas.
Need to know: Losses to start the season were to strong California teams – Edison and Saint Margarita. The team still features a stacked lineup with multiple DI commits.
Darian Clark (Photo: Pat Shanahan, azcentral)
Key players: Preslie Anderson, MB, 2017 – Cal Berkeley; Sydney Lostumo, S, 2017 – Fresno State; Heaven Harris, MB/RS, 2017 – Northern Arizona; Darian Clark, OH, 2018 – Cal Berkeley; Emily Cockell, L, 2018.
Need to know: Hamilton returns this season with a stacked line up that includes multiple DI commits.
Key players: Haley Warner, RS, 2018 – Florida; Ella May Powell, S, 2018 – Washington; Faith Waitsman, MB, 2017; Abbie Kathol, OH, 2017.
Need to know: Youth National team members Warner and Powell lead the team.
Key players: Paige Hammons, OH, 2017 – Florida; Nadia Dieudonne, S, 2017 – Xavier; Abigail Westenhofer, S, 2017 – Saint Louis; Kaelin Gentile, MB, 2017; Lauryn Bennett, RS, 2017; Megan Crush, L, 2017.
Need to know: Brett Versen takes over the reins at Sacred Heart. They return many of their starters from last year’s team that lost to Assumption in the regional finals. Leading the way will be senior outside hitter Hammons along with four other senior contributors.
Key players: Kamryn Carter,OH, 2017; Garrett Joiner, OH, 2018; Logan Eggleston, OH, 2019.
Need to know: Brentwood is looking for its fourth straight state title.
Erin O’Leary (Photo: Detroit Free Press)
Key players: Erin O’Leary, S, 2018 – Michigan; Ally Commings, OH/RS, 2017 – Valparaiso.
Need to know: Any team with O’Leary (USA Youth National Team) setting is going to be competitive, and this one has DI players at the pins to take the swings.
Key players: Lexi Alden, OH, 2017 – Maryland; Ivey Whalen, MB, 2017 – Northwestern; Kathryn Christian, MB, 2018; Maddy Rondeau, S/RS.
Need to know: Catholic Memorial brings back their entire starting lineup that won last year’s state title in Wisconsin.
Key players: Makena Patterson, MB, 2017 – Texas A&M; Lanie Wagner, OH, 2018; Shannon Shields, S, 2019.
Need to know: Last year’s Arizona state runner-ups, the Gators bring back a strong group but lose Gatorade National Player of the Year Khalia Lanier.
Key player: Kenzie Knuckles, OH, 2019.
Need to know: Knuckles and seniors Olivia Reed, Kendall Murr and Rhyen Neal lead for Stephanie Bloom’s Tigers.
Natalie Steibel (17) is one of the stars for Mount Notre Dame (Photo: Scott springer, Cincinnatti.com)
Key players: Natalie Steibel, OH, 2018 – Deleware; Tori Beckelheimer, 2018, OH; Sarah Reisenberger, MB, 2017; Grace Hauck, MB, 2018.
Need to know: The Cougars have won the Ohio state championship the past three years. Joe Burke’s squad will once again contend for a state title.
Key players: Maddy Bremer, MB, 2018 – Northern Colorado; CC McGraw, OH, 2018 – Minnesota.
Need to know: State AAA runners-up, the team returns the majority of its roster led by a pair of juniors in Bremer and McGraw.
Key players: Kiara McNulty, S, 2018 – Northwestern; Brynn Chandler, S, 2017 – Cal Berkeley; Chiara Spain, MB, 2017; Emily Fitzer, RS, 2019.
Need to know: Torrey Pines will once again field a dangerous team for coach Brennan Dean coming off a CIF San Diego Section title.
Key players: Gabby Blossom, S/RS, 2018 – Penn State; Marissa Tomek, OH, 2017; Lauren Reding, MB 2017; Hannah Gruensfelder, L, 2017 – Ohio State.
Need to know: The Angles of St. Joseph’s brings back their entire lineup as they look to once again contend of the state title.
Key players: Brooke Heyne, OH, 2017 – Kansas State; Allison Schomers, S/RS, 2017 – UMKC; McKenna Kirkpatrick, MB, 2017; Lily Heyne, MB, 2019.
Need to know: After a 40-2 season and a state championship, Skutt Catholic is looking to continue its NE Class B dominace behind a strong trio of seniors.
Under consideration: Walton (Marietta, Ga.), Tumwater (Wash.), Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas)m Plano West (Plano, Texas), St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Pleasant Grove (Utah(, Immaculate Heart Township (Washington Township, N.J.), Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.), La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Shannon Scully leads top-ranked Mater Dei (Photo: Lou Collazo, Mater Dei)
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) reached the CIF-Southern Section I-AA finals – one of the nation’s most competitive divisions of high school volleyball – in 2013 and ’14 and lost.
Last fall, the Monarchs broke through with a sectional championship and are met with even higher expectations despite several new faces in the lineup.
That includes the spot atop the inaugural USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Super 25 Preseason Rankings for girls volleyball.
“The good thing is the girls have the confidence that we can do it,” coach Dan O’Dell said. “But we also know that if we don’t have the daily effort, we’re not going to be able to accomplish everything we want to. We can’t get too high or too low and have to focus on the present and not look too far ahead.
“We’ve done it once. We’ve brought up a lot of talent, and hopefully let’s go and do it again.”
FULL RANKINGS: See the Super 25 with key players and more
That includes taking it even further. While Mater Dei won the Southern Section, it did not win the overall CIF state title.
O’Dell describes his team as “young with experience.” Mater Dei only has four seniors but also returns five players who were starters in the Southern Section title game.
One of those seniors is Shannon Scully, an outside hitter who is committed to Utah. She is a three-year starter, two-time captain and posted 320 kills and 382 digs last season.
“She’s the heart and soul of our team, the glue, our best passer and our best attack,” O’Dell said. “Teams always try to go away from her. She’s asked to take on a lot of responsibility. She’s someone that when we need something to happen, we can count on her to make the play. She comes through in all the biggest matches.”
Mater Dei also will rely on Sienna Secrist, a junior, and sophomore Brielle Mullally, the team’s top setter in the second half of last season.
Assumption’s Brook Moore (Photo: Pat McDonogh, Courier-Journal)
Assumption from Louisville is No. 2 in the Super 25 and must replace seven seniors off a state championship team, including All-American Allie Gregory, now at the University of Florida. But Assumption has six players who already have committed to NCAA programs.
“I really like our team,” said coach Ron Kordes, who is entering his 28th season with the Rockets. “We have a really great influx of some younger kids … so I don’t know how quick we’ll get out of the gate. That remains to be seen. But I do like our potential.”
Kordes will lean on a quintet of seniors in libero Lexie Hamilton (University of Louisville commit), outside hitters Brooke Moore (Austin Peay), Jacqueline Askin (Bowling Green) and Ana Crockett (South Carolina-Aiken) and opposite hitter Anna Palmer (uncommitted). Middle blocker Kayla Kaiser (Georgia Tech) and libero Payton Frederick (Western Kentucky) are top juniors.
Santa Margarita is No. 3 and has returning hitters Meghan McLure (Stanford) and Haley Carmo, setter Devon Chang (Cal), and senior libero Julianna Reisinger (Purdue). The Eagles began the season with a victory against Southlake Carroll from Texas, the No. 12 team in the rankings.
The team was in Hawaii in hopes of repeating as champions of the prestigious Ann Kang Invitational but lost in the final to Mira Costa, which is ranked No. 11. Santa Margarita had beaten Mira Costa earlier in the tournament.
The obvious circle the date matches are when Mater Dei and Santa Margarita meet Sept. 28 and Oct. 20 in league play.
“They’re very, very good,” O’Dell said. “They’ve had a better regular season than us the last two years. We’ve never had to face them in the playoff, but they’re phenomenal.”
Oregon State commit Kylee McLaughlin leads No. 4 Hebron (Lewisville, Texas), which is off to an 8-1 start and won the Texas Volleyball Invitational, the largest high school tournament in the nation with 80 teams.
The early success comes after the team lost eight players from last season and only returns three.
Eagan (Minn.) begins at No. 5 after winning the AAA state title (the biggest classification) with a roster that features as many as five Division I prospects. Senior outside hitter Gabrielle Orr is an Iowa commit.
Indianapolis Cathedral begins the second five at No. 6, followed by Geneva (Ill.), Buford (Ga.), Jesuit ( Portland, Ore.) and Shawnee Heights (Tecumesh, Kan.).
In all, 17 states were represented in the Preseason Super 25, led by four from California and two each from Kentucky, Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois and Arizona.
Contributing: Jason Frakes, Courier-Journal
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports and the American Volleyball Coaches Association will release Super 25 Regional Girls Volleyball Rankings. Rankings are based on results from the 2016-17 season, quality of players and strength of schedule. Regions are determined by the AVCA.
Records through Friday, Aug. 12
REGION 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Walter Panas | 0-0 | Cortlandt | NY |
| 2 | Connetquod | 0-0 | Bohemia | NY |
| 3 | Barnstable | 0-0 | Hyannis | MA |
| 4 | Ludlow | 0-0 | Fairfield | CT |
| 5 | Notre Dame Academy | 0-0 | Hingham | MA |
| 6 | Farmington | 0-0 | Farmington | CT |
| 7 | Westborough | 0-0 | Westborough | MA |
REGION 2 (DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Princess Anne | 0-0 | Virginia Beach | VA |
| 2 | Immaculate Heart Academy | 0-0 | Washington Township | NJ |
| 3 | Bishop Shanahan | 0-0 | Downingtown | PA |
| 4 | Northwest | 0-0 | Germantown | MD |
| 5 | Parkland | 0-0 | Allentown | PA |
| 6 | Kellam | 0-0 | Virginia Beach | VA |
| 7 | The Academy of Holy Cross | 0-0 | Kensington | MD |
| 8 | Loudoun County | 0-0 | Leesburg | VA |
| 9 | Liberty | 0-0 | Bethlehem | PA |
| 10 | Old Tappan | 0-0 | Old Tappan | NJ |
REGION 3 (AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Buford | 2-0 | Buford | GA |
| 2 | Brentwood | 1-0 | Brentwood | TN |
| 3 | Walton | 0-0 | Marietta | GA |
| 4 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 0-0 | Ft. Lauderdale | FL |
| 5 | Mountain Brook | 0-0 | Birmingham | AL |
| 6 | Bishop Moore | 0-0 | Orlando | FL |
| 7 | Wando | 0-0 | Mt. Pleasant | SC |
| 8 | Providence | 0-0 | Charlotte | NC |
| 9 | Briarcrest Christian | 0-0 | Memphis | TN |
| 10 | Dorman | 0-0 | Roebuck | SC |
REGION 4 (AR, LA, MS, OK, TX)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Hebron | 8-1 | Hebron | TX |
| 2 | Southlake Carroll | 8-2 | Southlake | TX |
| 3 | Fayetteville | 0-0 | Fayetteville | AR |
| 4 | Oak Ridge | 9-0 | Conroe | TX |
| 5 | Plano West | 8-1 | Plano | TX |
| 6 | Lovejoy | 8-1 | Lucas | TX |
| 7 | Allen | 8-1 | Allen | TX |
| 8 | Amarillo | 8-1 | Amarillo | TX |
| 9 | Clear Creek | 8-1 | League City | TX |
| 10 | Waco Midway | 6-2 | Waco | TX |
REGION 5 (IN, KY, MI, OH, WV)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Assumption | 0-0 | Louisville | KY |
| 2 | Cathedral | 1-0 | Indianapolis | IN |
| 3 | Sacred Heart Academy | 1-0 | Louisville | KY |
| 4 | Novi | 0-0 | Novi | MI |
| 5 | Yorktown | 0-0 | Yorktown | IN |
| 6 | Mount Notre Dame | 0-0 | Cincinnati | OH |
| 7 | Mercy Academy | 0-0 | Louisville | KY |
| 8 | Hamilton Southeastern | 0-0 | Fishers | IN |
| 9 | Grand Haven | 0-0 | Grand Haven | MI |
| 10 | Henry Clay | 0-0 | Lexington | KY |
REGION 6 (IA, IL, MO, WI)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Geneva | 0-0 | Geneva | IL |
| 2 | Catholic Memorial | 0-0 | Waukesha | WI |
| 3 | St. Joseph’s Academy | 0-0 | St. Louis | MO |
| 4 | Minooka | 0-0 | Minooka | IL |
| 5 | Westosha Central | 0-0 | Salem | WI |
| 6 | Lafayette | 0-0 | Wildwood | MO |
| 7 | Western Christian | 0-0 | Hull | IA |
| 8 | Marian Central Catholic | 0-0 | Woodstock | IL |
| 9 | Ankeny Centennial | 0-0 | Ankeny | IA |
| 10 | Divine Savior Holy Angels | 0-0 | Milwaukee | WI |
REGION 7 (MN, ND, NE, SD)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Eagan | 0-0 | Eagan | MN |
| 2 | Prior Lake | 0-0 | Prior Lake | MN |
| 3 | Omaha Skutt Catholic | 0-0 | Omaha | NE |
| 4 | Omaha Marian | 0-0 | Omaha | NE |
| 5 | Bethlehem Academy | 0-0 | Faribault | MN |
| 6 | Champlin Park | 0-0 | Champlin Park | MN |
| 7 | Papillion La-Vista | 0-0 | Papillion | NE |
| 8 | Millard West | 0-0 | Millard | NE |
| 9 | Aberdeen Central | 0-0 | Aberdeen | SD |
| 10 | Century | 0-0 | Bismarck | ND |
REGION 8 (CO, KS, NM, UT, WY)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Shawnee Heights | 0-0 | Tecumseh | KS |
| 2 | Pleasant Grove | 0-0 | Pleasant Grove | UT |
| 3 | Olathe Northwest | 0-0 | Olathe | KS |
| 4 | La Cueva | 0-0 | Albuquerque | NM |
| 5 | Lewis-Palmer | 0-0 | Monument | CO |
| 6 | Blue Valley West | 0-0 | Stilwell | KS |
| 7 | Cheyenne East | 0-0 | Cheyenne | WY |
| 8 | St Thomas Aquinas | 0-0 | Overland Park | KS |
| 9 | Denver East | 0-0 | Denver | CO |
| 10 | Lone Peak | 0-0 | Highland | UT |
REGION 9 (AK, NV, CA, AZ)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Mater Dei | 0-0 | Santa Ana | CA |
| 2 | Santa Margarita | 1-0 | Rancho Santa Margarita | CA |
| 3 | Mira Costa | 1-0 | Manhattan Beach | CA |
| 4 | Hamilton | 0-0 | Chandler | AZ |
| 5 | Xavier College Prep | 0-0 | Phoenix | AZ |
| 6 | Torrey Pines | 0-0 | San Diego | CA |
| 7 | Valley Christian | 0-0 | Cerritos | CA |
| 8 | Shadow Ridge | 0-0 | Las Vegas | NV |
| 9 | Bishop Gorman | 0-0 | Las Vegas | NV |
| 10 | Notre Dame Belmont | 0-0 | Belmont | CA |
REGION 10 (HI, ID, MT, OR, WA)
| Rank | School | Record | City/Town | State |
| 1 | Jesuit | 0-0 | Portland | OR |
| 2 | Central Catholic | 0-0 | Portland | OR |
| 3 | Tumwater | 0-0 | Tumwater | WA |
| 4 | Emerald Ridge | 0-0 | South Hill | WA |
| 5 | West Valley Yakima | 0-0 | Yakima | WA |
| 6 | Clackamas | 0-0 | Clackamas | OR |
| 7 | Idaho Falls | 0-0 | Idaho Falls | ID |
| 8 | Bend | 0-0 | Bend | OR |
| 9 | Bellarmine Prep | 0-0 | Tacoma | WA |
| 10 | Crook County | 0-0 | Prineville | OR |
Quentin Lake, a cornerback from Santa Ana (Mater Dei, Calif.), will remain in Southern California after committing to UCLA on Wednesday. He announced his decision on Twitter.
The son of former NFL Pro Bowler Carnell Lake will follow his dad’s path as a Bruin. Carnell Lake is still UCLA’s career leader in tackles for loss and is fourth in sacks.
“UCLA was always the school I heard about growing up,” Lake told Scout.com. “I grew up hearing stories about my dad (Carnell Lake) and watching old film on him, I’ve always been brought up around the atmosphere of being a Bruin.
Lake, ranked among the top 10 corners in the West, chose the Bruins over USC, Oregon State and Pitt among others.
His performance at the Bruin Elite Camp convinced UCLA coaches to offer him a scholarship.
At 6-1, 175, he also has the ability to play multiple positions, which makes him an attractive prospect.
Mater Dei opens the season at No. 14 in the Preseason Super 25 rankings.
Addison Grubbs, the No. 4 outside linebacker according to Rivals.com in the Class of 2017, has committed to Oklahoma, according to multiple reports.
A four-star prospect ranked No. 58 overall plays for Stellar Prep in Hayward, Calif. He choose the Sooners over UCLA, Washington and many others.
Grubbs is 6-3, 184 and accepted an invitation to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
“They feel like I can play all around. I can play inside, outside so I feel like I’m a very versatile linebacker,” Grubbs told Rivals.com. “If they use me all around, that is great because I feel I can play a lot of spots.”
Grubbs said he plans to only take an official visit to Oklahoma and will shut down his recruitment.
Tyjon Lindsey (seated) and Tate Martell were stars for Bishop Gorman last season (Photo: Greg Cava)
Tyjon Lindsey could be returning to Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).
Lindsey, one of the top wide receiver recruits, had returned to Southern California and transferred to Centennial (Corona), but coach Matt Logan told the Los Angeles Times that Lindsey has not been at practice this week.
“In the back of my mind, I knew this was a strong possibility,” Logan told the Times about Lindsey returning to Gorman.
“We move on.”
However, Centennial assistant principal Bill Gunn said transfer paperwork has not been submitted.
RELATED: Bishop Gorman preview
Lindsey, who caught 14 touchdown passes for the unbeaten Super 25 champion Gaels, is close friends with Gorman quarterback Tate Martell and the two moved from California to Las Vegas together. Lindsey lived with Martell’s family.
Lindsey was scheduled to announce his college commitment on Aug. 22 with Ohio State considered the leader over Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and others. Martell is an Ohio State commit.
Bishop Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez did not return a message from USA TODAY Sports.
Stanford quarterback recruit Davis Mills (Photo: Rivals.com)
Stanford five-star quarterback commit Davis Mills is expected to undergo knee surgery and miss three to four months, according to a report from GwinnettPrepSports.com.
Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.) coach Tim Hardy said the injury did not happen in practice or last week’s scrimmage but from “doing something stupid,” although he did not specify what that was.
“It was tough news and you really feel for him,” Hardy told the site.
Mills is ranked as the No. 2 pro-style passer in the Class of 2017, the No. 1 player in Georgia and the No. 22 player overall in the nation.
He led the school to state runner-up and state semifinal status the last two seasons. He threw for 26 touchdowns as a sophomore and accounted for 39 as a junior.
It is possible he could be back in time if the school makes a deep playoff run and could potentially play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Senior Jonathan Rose, a projected starter at outside linebacker, will step in at quarterback.
The 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Soccer Team was selected based on past performance, level of competition and strength of schedule. Only players from states that compete in the fall season were considered.
New Jersey and Connecticut lead the team with four selections each, while New York, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania each have two players. Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin all have one honoree.
LOOKBACK: 2015-16 ALL-USA Boys Soccer Teams
MORE: Five other players worth watching
Click the gallery below to see the players:
A.J. Whisenant (Photo: Charlotte Observer)
The 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Soccer Team was selected based on past performance, level of competition and strength of schedule. Only players from states that compete in the fall season were considered.
RELATED: American Family Insurance ALL-USA Soccer Team
Here are five more players to watch:
PETER BECHT
Year: Senior
Position: Midfielder
School: Downers Grove South (Downers Grove, Ill.)
College: Illinois-Chicago
CRAY CORDERO
Year: Junior
Position: Defender
School: Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
College: Undecided
AIDEN McFADDEN
Year: Senior
Position: Midfielder
School: Henderson (West Chester, Pa.)
College: Notre Dame
STEPHEN NICHOLS
Year: Junior
Position: Forward
School: McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.)
College: Undecided
A.J. WHISENANT
Year: Junior
Position: Forward
School: Hough (Cornelius, N.C.)
College: Undecided
They don’t mess around when it comes to high school football in Texas.
That goes for the stadiums. And apparently the season tickets to get into those stadiums.
The Dallas Morning News’ Twitter feed posted an image of the season tickets for Allen, which plays in one of the most expensive stadiums in the nation, and notes that they don’t look like high school game tickets.
Allen opens its season next Friday in the Tom Landry Classic at Eagle Stadium against Hoover (Ala.) in what should be an entertaining game and a good test for the Eagles in their first game under new coach Terry Gambill. Hoover is the first out-of-state team to play in the Landry Classic.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association has formed an Investigations Team with a $100,000 budget and the directive to vet transfers and look for illegal recruiting, executive director Steve Savarese said, according to AL.com.
Savareese acknowledged that he is “embarrassed” that such a step is necessary.
“We should not have to send in the police to enforce the rules,” he said, noting that each member school agrees to follow the rules and the members are the ones who create the rules in the first place.
Savarese explained that the team features a private investigator, a former investigator for the Attorney General’s office, a retired investigator with the Alabama State Troopers, a retired school administrator and an investigative journalist.
The team will be charged with looking into whatever issues the association requests but transfers will be a key part of its work with Savareese noting that the AHSAA wants to make sure no third party was involved in a transfer.
(Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports)
Xavier McKinney, a four-star safety and one-time Alabama commit, has been forced to deal with some push-back from fans since he reneged on his pledge to the Crimson Tide last month.
“It’s been a lot, but I feel like I deal with it in a good way,” McKinney told SECCountry.com. “I pretty much come back with something all of the time. I don’t like when people try to come at me with something they don’t really know what they’re talking about. Most of the time, it’s kind of dumb comments I get. I reply back to them to teach them up on some things.”
The Roswell (Ga.) High star says he’s still considering Alabama, along with Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and others. Regardless, he doesn’t seem terribly concerned with what ‘Bama fans think of him.
“That stuff has never meant a lot to me,” McKinney told the site. “I don’t care what the fans have to say about me. At the end of the day, you aren’t going to school for fans. You are going to school for the school itself and the program. They can say whatever they want to me, but I’ll have an opinion back.”
McKinney isn’t planning to commit until after the season.
St. Xavier quarterback Sean Clifford is a Penn State commit (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati.om)
As the season gets underway, which teams are facing the toughest competition, either because of the strength of their leagues or difficult out-of-state tests or some combination?
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According to Ken Massey, whose rankings fuel the Super 25 Computer, the top two teams with the toughest schedules reside in the same city: Cincinnati.
Here’s a look at the Top 10, according to the computer:
The schedule includes three teams ranked in the Super 25 Expert rankings, including the opener against No. 20 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), No. 7 Colerain (Cincinnati) and No. 21 Warren Central (Indianapolis). It also include a game against the team with nation’s second-toughest schedule.
Other than the aforementioned game against St. Xavier, Moeller also faces No. 24 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), traditional power St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and the always challenging slate of Cincinnati foes.
Playing in the Trinity League in Southern California is always tough, but the Braves also host two-time defending Super 25 champion Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).
MORE: Super 25 football schedule for Aug. 19-20
Serra does not play any out-of-state games but closes its season with Bosco and Preseason No. 14 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), along with tests from Southern California’s best.
Lutheran also faces Bosco and Mater Dei along with the high-powered offense from Centennial (Corona, Calif.). Its lone out-of-state game is against Mullen, which was ranked in the top 20 in Colorado last season.
Another Trinity League member makes the list. That is a tough league.
Servite has its league schedule in SoCal but also has a Sept. 9 date with perennial Northern California and national power De La Salle (Concord, Calif.).
Ranked No. 24 in the Preseason Super 25 Expert rankings, Bosco open at No. 6 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), then travels to Philadelphia to face St. Joseph’s Prep and hosts Cincinnati’s St. Xavier before the league schedule even begins. That schedule includes St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), which just missed the Preseason Super 25.
The Cadets face a very difficult first half of the season as three of their first six games are against teams ranked in the Top 10 of the Preseason Super 25. That begins with the Sept. 3 opener at No. 6 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), at No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) on Sept. 17 and at No. 9 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) on Sept. 30. The stretch also includes a visit to St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) and a home game against always-tough Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).
Ranked at No. 21 in the Preseason Super 25 Expert rankings, the Warriors open at Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) and then visit No. 7 Colerain in two weeks. After a full slate of games against tough Indiana foes, Warren closes at St. Xavier in Cincinnati.
Here are the next 10:
Note: St. Catherines is included because it plays only U.S. schools
St. Thomas Aquinas will play Thursday. (Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports Images)
Here’s a sampling of what you need to know before kickoff:
MJ Webb, a defensive end from Morgan County (Madison, Ga.) High, became the second four-star recruit to commit to South Carolina’s Will Muschamp this week.
Hamsah Nasirildeen, a defensive back from North Carolina, committed to the Gamecocks Wednesday.
Webb chose South Carolina over a host of SEC schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and Tennessee. One of the top-ranked defensive ends in the country, Webb becomes the fourth four-star recruit in the class of 2017 to commit to Muschamp’s staff, joining Nasirildeen, Shi Smith, and T.J. Moore.
Tyjon Lindsey with Gorman quarterback Tate Martell in this photo from last season. (Photo: Greg Cava, Bishop Gorman).
Elite wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey says he is still planning to announce his college decision Monday, despite the fact that he is currently without a team.
Lindsey said Thursday that he was not yet sure how he will make the announcement or at what time.
Lindsey, who had transferred from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) to Centennial (Corona, Calif.), has returned to Gorman, according to multiple reports, but it is unknown if he has been cleared to play.
Lindsey, ranked as the No. 6 receiver in the Class of 2017 by the 247Sports Composite, said he did not want to comment until “things are final.”
As of earlier this week, transfer paperwork had not been requested of Centennial, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association would need to rule on the transfer. State rules call for 10 practices before an athlete can play in a game, meaning next weekend’s opener against No. 5 Cedar Hill (Texas) seems unlikely.
Lindsey had 14 touchdown catches and 1,117 receiving yards last season at Gorman.
Lindsey announced a group of nine finalists from among his scholarship offers, but Ohio State is viewed as the leader. He would reunite with Gorman quarterback Tate Martell and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett in Columbus.
![May 19 2016 -- Fort Lauderdale, FL, U.S.A -- St. Thomas Aquinas defensive lineman Tyler Dunning (2). St. Thomas Aquinas, the likely No. 1 team in the preseason Super 25, is hosting its annual gold and blue inter squad scrimmage at the schools stadium. -- Photo by Steve Mitchell USA TODAY Sports Images, Gannett ORG XMIT: US 134928 St. Thomas Aquin 5/19/2016 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](http://usathss.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/xxx_st-_thomas_aquinas_dec_1952_82009235.jpg?w=1000&h=714)
