ESPN RISE

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Dave Cruz

Powered by its offensive line, Centennial should have one of the year's best offenses.

Every team in the preseason ESPN RISE 50 is talented. They wouldn't be ranked if they weren't. But just like in the NFL, some base their identity on scoring a lot while others rack up wins with their staunch defenses. We dissected the preseason FAB 50 to determine the best offenses and defenses in the land.

Top offenses

These teams could be putting up points on the board so quickly this fall that not even gas station operators raising the price of fuel can keep up. A returning quarterback with experience is just about a must and so is having at least one other prime-time performer at either running back or wide receiver.

Here are the top 10 offenses among teams that landed positions in this year's preseason ESPN RISE FAB 50:

1. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
The Rebels will give opposing defenses fits as the FAB 50 No. 2 team makes a serious bid for a mythical national title. After scoring 625 points in 15 games last year, Byrnes returns third-year starting quarterback Chas Dodd (2,927 passing yards, 28 TDs) and EA SPORTS National Junior of the Year Marcus Lattimore, who rushed for 2,314 yards and scored 30 TDs. Do you stop the run or the pass?

2. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
The Lions return eight starters from an offense that racked up 672 points in 14 wins a year ago. Quarterback Nick Montana has more than the name after impressing at the EA SPORTS Elite 11 Quarterback Camp this summer. The ground game for the FAB 50 No. 6 ranked team is in veteran hands with Malcolm Jones in his fourth season after being named State Freshman and Sophomore of the Year.

3. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
The prolific Tigers are coming off a 15-0 record, 617-point season with few signs of letting up this year since quarterback Phillip Sims is in his final year before heading to the University of Alabama. Sims, with 7,785 career passing yards and 84 touchdowns, anchors the attack for the FAB 50 No. 8 ranked team. Junior running back Jaston George should bolster the running game.

4. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
Quarterback Jake Heaps, the MVP of the EA SPORTS Elite 11 Quarterback Camp, is one of nine offensive regulars back from a 14-0 team that scored 514 points. Heaps, a BYU recruit, passed for 2,910 yards and 38 TDs last season and hasn't lost in 28 starts. Touted junior receiver Kasen Williams will be a primary target.

5. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)
The Coyotes return nine starters from a 14-0 team that outscored opponents by 571-88. The anchor is senior quarterback Dain McFarland, who passed for 1,668 yards and 18 scores a year ago. The running back should be led by Anthony Hughes as the Coyotes seek to expand on a 26-game winning streak.

6. Cedar Hill (Texas) Seven starters are back from an offense that averaged 35 points a game last season. Dual-threat quarterback Driphus Jackson started all 14 games as a sophomore. The running game is in good hands with Texas A&M recruit Ben Malena coming off a 2,202-yard, 35-TD junior season. The Tigers scored 499 points a year ago.

7. Miami Central (Fla.)
The Rockets return quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey (2,126 yards, 26 TDs passing, 11 TDs rushing) plus running back Brandon Gainer (1,644 yards, 17 TDs). They also have top receiver Josh Reese (45 catches, 793 yards, 10 TDs) and welcome in offensive line standout Jose Jose, a transfer who has committed to Tennessee. Godfrey, Gainer and Reese all have more than 10 scholarship offers they are wading through. This is a team with prolific statistics and big-time talent.

8. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Touted quarterback Ryan Kasdorf, the State Junior Player of the Year last season, will be at the throttle for his final year after passing for 3,291 yards and 36 touchdowns, plus 628 rushing yards, in 12 games. The running back position appears solid as well with the presence of Kenny Boggs, who ran for 1,028 yards and 19 scores as a junior. The Knights averaged 38 points per game in 2008.

9. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.)
The Crusaders return their primary weapons from a team that averaged nearly 40 points in 13 games last year. Junior quarterback Matt Johnson has two Division 1 recruits as key targets in Salath Williams, bound for Pittsburgh, and Jeremy Cornelius, a Purdue recruit. McDevitt is ranked No. 35 in the FAB 50.

10. Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.)
The point-happy Saints return most of the arsenal from a 13-1 record team that scored 662 points and racked up at least 40 points in their last 11 games. Junior quarterback Kiehl Frazier, running back Garrett Harper and wide receiver Jon Hawes all return after leading the team in passing, rushing and receiving.

Top defenses

Running backs getting stuffed or quarterbacks getting picked is often a routine result for those offenses that have to go up against the best high school football defenses in the country.

Here are the top 10 defenses among teams that landed positions in this year's preseason ESPN RISE FAB 50:

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
The No. 1 ranked team, and defending FAB 50 champion, has six defensive starters back along with a touted transfer in cornerback LaMarcus Joyner. The Raiders capped a 15-0 record season by holding the final 14 opponents they played to 14 points or less. The team also outscored its 15 victims a year ago by 695-117. Besides Joyner, the Raiders have defensive back Cody Riggs, who had eight interceptions, and linebacker Vincent Mauro, the team's second leading tackler, still around.

2. Katy (Texas)
The Tigers' defense remains solid as it comes off a 13-3 season capped by the school's fourth state title of the decade. The key defensive pieces to the puzzle include tackle leader Sam Holl (109 stops) and sacks leader Nick Narcisse. Katy finished strong last season as the defense allowed only six touchdowns in six post-season playoff wins.

3. Prattville (Ala.)
The Lions have six regulars returning from a stingy defensive unit that recorded seven shutouts and allowed only 103 points in 14 games last season. The No. 10 ranked FAB 50 team is led in the secondary by Nick Perry (37 tackles, four interceptions). Other defensive veterans include linebacker Cory Lee and linemen Joshua Stinson and Dennis Gardner.

4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Eight defensive regulars return from a team that allowed only 93 points in 12 games last season. Defensive tackle James Kittredge, a Vanderbilt recruit, anchors the line. Two touted underclassmen, and probable future recruits, include junior linebacker Paul Canevari and sophomore Darius Hamilton, son of ex-New York Giant defensive lineman Keith Hamilton.

5. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
The Tarblooders allowed only 58 points in 12 games last season while fielding an underclass-led squad. Defensive backs, and two-way stalwarts, include Christian Bryant and Shane Wynn, who will be joined by touted transfer Latwan Anderson in the secondary. Linebacker James Gordon and linemen Jayrone Elliott and Aundrey Walker also return.

6. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
The Stags return seven defensive starters from a unit that allowed only 117 points in 12 games. The veteran defenders include linebacker Austin Phillips and a trio of backs in Kyrrel Latimer, a Virginia recruit, plus Michael Coley and Lorenzo Waters. The Stags, ranked No. 21 in the FAB 50, yielded only 26 points in their final six games last season.

7. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
A young Spartan defensive squad got off to a slow start last season and allowed the first three opponents to score over 20 points. However, only two of the team's remaining 11 foes scored over 14 points. The anchors of the defensive unit are a pair of juniors in linebacker Blake Renaud and lineman Dylan Wynn.

8. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas)
All three starting linebackers are among six defensive regulars returning for a 12-2 record team that advanced to last season's state Class 5A Division I semifinals. Leading tackler Nathan Godfrey anchors the linebackers while the veteran secondary is led by Texas Tech recruit Desmond Martin.

9. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
The Patriots return seven defensive starters from a 14-1 record team that held 12 victims to 14 or less points. The ringleader in the secondary is Jonathan McKnight, whose brother, Joe, now stars at USC. Veteran linebackers include John White and Walker Ashburn. They will be joined by touted sophomore Dillon Gordon.

10. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Eight defensive starters return for a Dragon program more noted for its offensive production. Defensive back Kacy Rodgers is a Texas Tech recruit while linebacker Cade Foster is a place-kicking recruit for Alabama.