July 27, 2009

Dallas Jackson
RivalsHigh Managing Editor

RivalsHigh.com today begins its 2009 countdown, ranking the teams from No. 1 through No. 100.

We starting at No. 100 and are releasing two groups of five teams per day, then we'll do a daily countdown from 10th to first. Our No. 1 team will be unveiled Aug. 10, two weeks from the start of the season.

After that, we will wait until Sept. 1 for the next rankings, then have them every Monday during the season.

The team rankings were compiled by high school sports managing editor Dallas Jackson, the Rivals AMP team, football recruiting analysts and the entire RivalsHigh network of publishers.

Final RivalsHigh Top 100 Rankings | Post YOUR thoughts about teams 100-96

Top 100 countdown No. 100 Xaverian Brothers, Mass.

Top 100 countdown No. 99 Hinsdale Central, Illinois

COACH: Mike DiMatteo LAST SEASON: 11-3 FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: No. 3 in Chicagoland, No. 2 in Class 8A KEEP AN EYE ON: Starting QB John Whitelaw. Coach Mike DiMatteo said Whitelaw is a "natural leader who conducts himself with grace and seems to never have any doubt about his ability at all." STAR POWER: Whitelaw may not have the offers rolling in, but he is certainly the star of the team. Said DiMatteo: "So many teams are looking for a 6-4 player, but John is the finest quarterback in our history." Expect the offers to pile up if that is true. STRENGTHS: Depth. The Red Devils bring back eight players on offense from a team that went 11-3 last year. To make a run to the 8A state finals, they will need to rely on the offense. WEAKNESSES: While it is still early in camp, the linebacking corp looks a little thin. Hinsdale Central needs to find a few athletes to plug the hole in the middle of the defense. HIDDEN GEM: Teams will need to be aware of WR Alex Kirk. The 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver is poised to have a breakout season. He is very quick and has a work ethic that is off the charts.

Top 100 countdown No. 98 Palo Verde, Nevada

COACH: Darwin Rost LAST SEASON: 14-1; lost in Nevada state finals FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: No. 2 in Nevada KEEP AN EYE ON: Palo Verde has produced back-to-back Division I inside linebackers, and this season they will be starting only their third player at the position in seven years. Daniel Godkin will have big shoes to fill, but coaches expect him to do so. STAR POWER: RB Tyrone Blake has been a four-year starter for the Panthers. He is a two-way player (RB/LB) with offers from UNLV, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. STRENGTHS: This teams knows how to win. The senior class has a chance to be the all-time winningest class at Palo Verde after going 9-0 as freshmen, 8-1 in JV and 14-1 as juniors. An undefeated state title would give the class that distinction. WINNING MENTALITY: Coach Darwin Rost knows what it takes to win, and he said he thinks this group of seniors do as well. "The difference between this group and some of the others is that these kids understand there were special players here before them," Rost said. "This group has the mindset that they want to prove themselves to be the best, and they are working towards that goal."

Top 100 countdown No. 97 Millard West, Nebraska

COACH: Kirk Peterson LAST SEASON: 13-0; won Nebraska Class A state title FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: No. 95 nationally KEEP AN EYE ON: The middle of the defense. Millard West brings back DE Matt Longacre, DT Brandon Yost and ILB Phillip Colling and should be stingy to run on. STAR POWER: None. This is a true team. There aren't any high-major - or even low-major - prospects littering the roster. While some may head to Division II schools, this is a very good team of high school football players. STRENGTHS: Team chemistry. When there isn't a superstar to lean on it is easy to build togetherness, and this team has had very good chemistry for a long time. WEAKNESSES: Millard West is a senior-led team. So, with that, it will need to replace four of five on the offensive line. Building that back will be a tough test and a key to success. THE BUZZ: Always hit hard by graduation, Millard West is hard at work filling holes. "Our seniors traditionally have stepped up to fill the holes left by graduation," coach Kirk Peterson said.

Top 100 countdown No. 96 Atlantic, Florida

COACH: Andre Thaddies LAST SEASON: 11-1 FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: No. 51 in Florida KEEP AN EYE ON: The offense. This is a loaded team with a lot of players coming back. Virginia Tech QB commit Mark Leal will have to be able to shoulder the load and spread the ball to his many playmakers. STAR POWER: Atlantic should have at least seven seniors heading to college next year. The team is headlined by four-star WR James Louis, who will decide among UNC, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State. STRENGTHS: The offense. While the defense is nothing to scoff at, the offense has a lot of high-profile players and will be the determining factor for success. Besides Louis and Leal, Atlantic will lean on Donnell Kirkwood, a Minnesota commitment, to pound the ball on the ground. QUOTABLE: "This is an experienced team on offense," FlaVarsity.com publisher Michael Langston said. "They could be a force in 6A this year."

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