Aug 19, 2008
Southern Durham's Jamario Clayton breaks free from Northern's defense Sept. 28, 2007
Call me a flip-flopper, call me gullible, call me whatever you'd like. But there are some changes to my preseason Triangle Top Ten Poll published Aug. 1.
1. Wake Forest Rolesville (1) - No change here. There's no doubt that this is the top team in the Triangle this season. Wake Forest-Rolesville has been pegged as the team to beat, not only in the Cap Seven and Wake County, but in the region. With a new offense that should increase their scoring ability, and a renewed youth on defense, the Cougars will have a balanced game.
2. Southern Durham (2) - Again, no change for the Spartans. I was impressed with Southern at the Smithfield-Selma SpartanFest Jamboree, and they seem to be the real deal. Here's something interesting, No. 1 and No. 2 will play each other in the non-conference!
3. Southeast Raleigh (7) - That's right. The Bulldogs are movin' on up to No. 3 from No. 7. Have you heard how they did in their scrimmage at Richmond County? Pretty darn good. This is a youthful team, but they're talented and athletic. When I talked to head coach Daniel Finn, he was very optimistic that they could compete for the Grater Neuse River Conference title.
4. Millbrook (3) - I dropped Millbrook back one spot, not because they're not as good as I thought they would be, I think Southeast Raleigh's athleticism would edge Millbrook in a head-to-head match-up just a bit. Of course, if Millbrook's offense is explosive as it was at the end of last season, all bets are off.
5. Garner (6)- I have been impressed with Garner so far this season, and I've seen them twice. They played well against Wake Forest-Rolesville, and they also played Broughton and Leesville Road in scrimmages with success. The loss of a few key players could hurt the Trojans, though. We'll see how that pans out. Can anybody say Game of the Week?
6. Apex (8) - This is a very athletic team, and running back Kevin Fogg is going to score A LOT of points this season, especially if he stays away from the injuries. Houston Hawley is going to be under center, and the Cougar defense looks like they will be able to play against many offenses.
7. Jordan (4) - This team shows a lot of promise, but after I see them play on Aug. 29, I'll be able to determine just how much promise they have. With a lot of talent returning, it will be interesting to see how they improve on last season in a tough PAC-6 Conference.
8. Hillside (NR) - I had a hard time buying into Hillside. Let me tell you why: The Hornets have an incredible backfield, but their line is questionable. How does that line play? Are they able to block and make holes? That will determine how successful Hillside is this season.
9. Broughton (NR) - What can I say? This team is a sleeper in their conference. Against Garner, the Caps had success on offense, success on defense, and they have shown that they have improved tremendously from last season. Having spoken with Chris Martin, Chandler Browning, and Jeremy Shelley, it is evident that they are determined to compete for the conference this season.
10. Chapel Hill (NR) - Again, this is a team that has the potential to do some special things in the PAC-6 Conference. How their star players perform, and how the other players support their performance, will have a lot to do with their success. This conference is stacked... So it's any body's guess as to who will finish where.
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