ESPN RISE

For the teams that didn't quite make it into the ESPN RISE Preseason FAB 50 Football Rankings, it often was due to just one obstacle that couldn't be overcome. Many of these teams did earn a spot in the ESPN RISE Preseason Regional Football Rankings.

Anthony Kurtz

Oaks Christian QB Nick Montana threw four touchdown passes to lead his team to a CIF Southern Section title.

In Mississippi, for example, the consensus choice for preseason state No. 1 among the media members who were contacted was Oak Grove (Hattiesburg). The Warriors, however, don't have a track record of success like South Panola (Batesville), so they will need to win some games to get ranked nationally. This is the same school, by the way, where Brett Favre recently showed up for a practice. It's also the same school Steve McNair Jr. attends. The late NFL quarterback went to every game last season to see his son play.

Sometimes, teams need to beat just one rival to get into the FAB 50. In California, Lakewood High has not beaten league rival Poly (Long Beach) in more than 20 years and therefore can't be ranked ahead of the Jackrabbits.

Another detriment to a team's preseason ranking is a less-than-stellar record from the previous season. DeSoto (Texas), which is loaded with Division I-talented players, falls into that category after posting a 6-6 record in 2008.

And like in college football, graduation can take a toll on a team and affect where it is ranked in the preseason. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) lost record-setting QB Aaron Murray, who is now at Georgia. However, junior Phillip Ely, who played last season when Murray was injured, looked good as a ball boy at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp and could have the Panthers back in the national rankings.

Compiling the regional rankings begins by using the same order as the FAB 50. In the East, only the top five were nationally ranked. It was the top 13 for the Southeast, top nine for the Midwest, top 11 for the Southwest and top 12 for the West. Teams that were just outside of the FAB 50, such as Linganore (Frederick, Md.) and Trinity (Euless, Texas), then were placed.

Once the season starts, we will be expanding our weekly regional rankings on ESPNRISE.com to include a list of bubble teams in each region. This will allow every state to have at least its No. 1 team mentioned.

Note: Rankings include final 2008 records.

East Region Top 20

1. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 15-0
2. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 11-1
3. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 10-2
4. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.) 10-3
5. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 15-1
6. Linganore (Frederick, Md.) 13-1
7. Varina (Richmond, Va.) 12-1
8. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1
9. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 11-1
10. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 15-0
11. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 11-1
12. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 12-0
13. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) 9-3
14. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 14-1
15. Broad Run (Ashburn, Va.) 14-0
16. St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) 8-3
17. State College (Pa.) 12-1
18. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) 8-4
19. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 9-3
20. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.) 9-3

Southeast Region Top 20

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 15-0
2. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 14-1
3. Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) 13-3
4. Prattville (Ala.) 13-1
5. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-1
6. Lakeland (Fla.) 14-1
7. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) 12-2
8. West Monroe (La.) 13-1
9. Miami Central (Miami, Fla.) 8-4
10. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 14-1
11. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 15-0
12. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) 14-0
13. Pahokee (Fla.) 12-3
14. Hoover (Ala.) 12-2
15. Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 12-2
16. University School (Memphis, Tenn.) 13-0
17. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 14-1
18. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) 15-0
19. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 13-1
20. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 14-1

Midwest Region Top 20

1. Elder (Cincinnati) 13-2
2. Glenville (Cleveland) 11-1
3. East St. Louis (Ill.) 13-1
4. Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.) 11-3
5. Colerain (Cincinnati) 12-2
6. Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) 14-1
7. De La Salle (Warren, Mich.) 13-1
8. St. Ignatius (Cleveland) 14-1
9. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 14-1
10. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-1
11. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 13-0
12. Warren Central (Indianapolis) 9-4
13. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 12-1
14. Bolingbrook (Ill.) 10-1
15. Stevenson (Sterling Heights, Mich.) 10-2
17. Ben Davis (Indianapolis) 10-4
18. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 14-0
19. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0
20. Steubenville (Ohio) 14-1

Southwest Region Top 20

1. Katy (Texas) 13-3
2. Allen (Texas) 15-1
3. Cedar Hill (Texas) 12-2
4. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1
5. Longview (Texas) 14-2
6. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1
7. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 13-2
8. Jenks (Okla.) 12-2
9. Carroll (Southlake, Texas) 8-3
10. Skyline (Dallas) 12-2
11. Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) 13-1
12. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-1
13. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1
14. DeSoto (Texas) 6-6
15. Garland (Texas) 11-2
16. Madison (San Antonio) 9-3
17. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 13-1
18. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 12-1
19. Blue Springs (Mo.) 9-2
20. Millard South (Omaha, Neb.) 9-4

West Region Top 20

1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 14-0
2. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 14-0
3. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 14-0
4. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 13-1
5. Bellevue (Wash.) 13-0
6. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 12-2
7. Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 10-3
8. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 11-1
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 13-1
10. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 14-0
11. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 14-1
12. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 11-2
13. Lakewood (Calif.) 10-3
14. Bingham (Salt Lake City) 11-3
15. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0
16. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 15-0
17. Oceanside (Calif.) 12-0-1
18. Monte Vista (Danville, Calif.) 8-3
19. Westview (Avondale, Ariz.) 12-2
20. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) 7-4

ESPN RISE editors Mark Tennis, Doug Huff and Sheldon Shealer contributed to these rankings.