ESPN RISE

Here's a preseason look at the players to watch in the metro St. Louis area:

PRIME-TIME PLAYERS

JORDAN WEBB
Operating in Union's spread offense, Webb was flawless in 2007, passing for 4,279 yards and 55 touchdowns. The strong-armed Webb hit 64 percent of his passes and threw just six interceptions.

MONTEE BALL
Ball's 2007 effort was simply epic, as he ran for 3,077 yards and 32 touchdowns to lead the Wolves to the Class 4 quarterfinals. He averaged an astonishing 8.7 yards per carry.

MAURICE ALEXANDER
Despite being significantly undersized for a defensive tackle, Alexander dominated last season to the tune of 13 sacks. He also made 48 tackles and was the Suburban West Player of the Year.

LEE WARD
Behind Ward's stellar play, the Parkway Central defense allowed just 8.7 points per game during the 2007 regular season. As a sophomore he finished the year with 63 tackles and seven sacks.

COACH'S TAKE

AN AREA COACH ON TOMMY TUCK:
"Heck of a linebacker. He just finds the ball, and he really brings the lumber. He's a tremendous athlete, with speed to close, and he's smart enough to read and diagnose plays, and at the end of that he can really hit. He plays with force."