4A No. 10: Defense propels South Oak Cliff
August, 8, 2011
8/08/11
12:11
AM CT
By
Jeff Andrews | ESPNDallas.com
ESPNDallas.com gets ready for the start of the high school football season by unveiling its preseason rankings, one spot at a time:
4A NO. 10: DALLAS SOUTH OAK CLIFF GOLDEN BEARS
2010 record: 10-2
Predicted 2011 regular-season record: 9-1
ESPNDallas.com spring ranking: Unranked
Division I commits: None.
Why they’re here: South Oak Cliff regularly produces some of the best athletes in the area, making them an annual threat to win a district title and make a deep run in the playoffs.
RB Paul Franklin's 2010 season was cut short because of injury, but he returns for his senior season with a chance to become one of the better running backs in the area. He averaged more than 9 yards per carry as a backup his sophomore year and topped 8 yards per carry before his injury last season.
The Golden Bears defense returns six starters a year after holding its opponents to 20 or fewer points in nine of their 12 games. DT Adarius Wright and DE LeAnthony Holland, both first-team all-district players in 2010, lead what should be a stellar defensive line.
Holes to fill: South Oak Cliff's stellar offense lost the bulk of its contributors to graduation as just four starters return from a year ago.
Outside of Franklin and WR Corey Callicut, not many proven playmakers return, and the team will be hard pressed to replace the production of dual-threat QB Semaj Riley. Three all-district offensive linemen graduated as well.
Key game: vs. Dallas Kimball at Sprague Stadium, Sept. 30
4A NO. 10: DALLAS SOUTH OAK CLIFF GOLDEN BEARS
2010 record: 10-2
Predicted 2011 regular-season record: 9-1
ESPNDallas.com spring ranking: Unranked
Division I commits: None.
Why they’re here: South Oak Cliff regularly produces some of the best athletes in the area, making them an annual threat to win a district title and make a deep run in the playoffs.
RB Paul Franklin's 2010 season was cut short because of injury, but he returns for his senior season with a chance to become one of the better running backs in the area. He averaged more than 9 yards per carry as a backup his sophomore year and topped 8 yards per carry before his injury last season.
The Golden Bears defense returns six starters a year after holding its opponents to 20 or fewer points in nine of their 12 games. DT Adarius Wright and DE LeAnthony Holland, both first-team all-district players in 2010, lead what should be a stellar defensive line.
Holes to fill: South Oak Cliff's stellar offense lost the bulk of its contributors to graduation as just four starters return from a year ago.
Outside of Franklin and WR Corey Callicut, not many proven playmakers return, and the team will be hard pressed to replace the production of dual-threat QB Semaj Riley. Three all-district offensive linemen graduated as well.
Key game: vs. Dallas Kimball at Sprague Stadium, Sept. 30
Jeff Andrews
ESPNDallas.comJeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
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Travis L. Brown
Travis L. Brown covers high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He is a graduate of TCU, where he was sports editor of the student paper, The Daily Skiff.
Randy Jennings
Randy Jennings covers south Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. His 34-year career as a sports writer includes eight years at the Dallas Morning News. Jennings is a graduate of UT-Arlington.
Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
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