St. Xavier Tops National Poll

BY TOM GROESCHEN

St. Xavier will be rated No. 1 nationally in the preseason PrepNation.com and Rise magazine football polls, the polls' ratings editor said today.

Jamie DeMoney compiles the polls, with the PrepNation.com poll officially called the National Prep Poll. The NPP has been compiled weekly since 1987, making it the nation's second-oldest weekly high school sports ratings. The USA Today national ratings began in 1982.

"I can't give you the full list yet, but I can tell you that St. X will be preseason No. 1 in my poll," DeMoney said in an e-mail to The Enquirer Tuesday. "Colerain will probably start the year ranked between No. 15-20 nationally."

DeMoney said the full list will be released at PrepNation.com Monday morning, and also in the Rise magazine August/September issue.

He said he bases St. Xavier's rating on the fact that the Bombers return 15 regulars and will play another strong schedule, including national power DeMatha (Md.) in the Burger King Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge on Sept. 2 at the University of Cincinnati.

St. Xavier, the Ohio Division I state champion in 2005 and a regional finalist in 2006, returns several standouts, including running back Darius Ashley and linebacker Fred Craig. Craig committed to Stanford over the weekend, while Ashley is mulling Louisville, Virginia, Illinois and others.

When told of the No. 1 rating, St. Xavier coach Steve Specht said it is a tribute to past St. X teams.

"This year's team hasn't done anything yet," Specht said. "It's an honor, but it's a credit to the program (former coach) Steve Rasso built here and all the coaches and kids who have been involved."

The USA Today ratings come out around Aug. 25, poll editor Chris Lawlor said.