Gilman vs. Moeller

ESPN High School Football Kickoff preview

Originally Published: August 24, 2012

By Dave Hooker and Jared Shanker | ESPN RecruitingNation

Baltimore Gilman visits Cincinnati Moeller, which is No. 16 in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings, on Sunday (ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET) in the ESPN High School Football Kickoff.

Gilman Greyhounds

Coach: Biff Poggi

Record: 0-0

Team overview: Certainly one of the most talented schools in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area, Gilman finished last season with a conference title. After losing to Olney (Md.) Good Counsel early in the season, the school swept through the remainder of its schedule to win its first championship. And with 13 starters returning, there's no reason to think Gilman can't win another title this year.

Prospect history: Gilman's recruiting began to take off in 2010 when defensive tackle Anthony Ferguson and linebacker Jim Poggi, son of Gilman coach Biff Poggi, signed with Iowa. That brought in more recruiters. In 2011, highly touted athlete Darius Jennings signed with Virginia, and the momentum continued. This past recruiting cycle, athlete Cyrus Jones signed with Alabama, offensive lineman Brian Gaia signed with Penn State and linebacker Devon Porchia signed with Pittsburgh. Now the ball is really rolling.

Top prospect: Defensive lineman Henry Poggi is the top-rated prospect in this year's class at Gilman. Poggi, who is the son of Gilman coach Biff Poggi and the brother of Jim Poggi, committed to Michigan in June over a host of other schools, including Alabama and Tennessee.

New face: Junior transfer Troy Vincent should have an immediate impact this fall. The cornerback is the son of the former NFL standout by the same name. Vincent had scholarship offers from Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin and West Virginia before his junior season even began.

Keep an eye on: Shane Cockerille was a nobody a year ago. Well, perhaps that's a little strong. However, most thought the quarterback who mostly ran would play his other high school position, safety, in college. That turned out not to be the case. Cockerille chose Maryland over scholarship offers from Michigan, Temple and Navy. Since then, he was invited to the Elite 11 finals and his game has developed at an incredibly rapid pace.

Other prospects: In the 2012 class, Micah Kiser chose Virginia over Rutgers, Florida and several other schools. In the 2013 class, linebacker Melvin Keihn is on pace to be a top prospect. He already has scholarship offers from Maryland, North Carolina, Rutgers, West Virginia and Virginia Tech among others.

Bet you didn't know: Gilman's lacrosse team was named the top team in the nation following the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

VS.

No. 16 MOELLER CRUSADERS

Coach: Roger Harriott

Record: 0-0

Team overview: The Crusaders, ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings, are well rounded throughout the starting 11 on each side of the football. Quarterback Spencer Iacovone has several weapons on offense, and the defense is strong at every level. Moeller sat at 7-0 at one point during the regular season last year but dropped its final three regular-season games. It still ended up playing for a regional title in one of Ohio's toughest regions and divisions.

Prospect history: Moeller puts several prospects in Division I schools every year, and 2012 was no different. Headlining the 2012 class was four-star wide receiver Monty Madaris (Michigan State), and the top prospect in 2011 was Wisconsin signee Jesse Hayes. The 2010 class sent six players to Division I schools, including Notre Dame quarterback Andrew Hendrix.

Top prospect: Senior Shane Jones is a wrecking ball at linebacker. The Michigan State commit is No. 181 in the ESPN 300 and No. 6 among inside linebackers nationally. Jones is a force from sideline to sideline, and he holds offers from more than a dozen schools.

New faces: As the season progresses, underclassmen who are future BCS prospects will emerge, but two names to keep an eye on are receiver Isaiah Gentry (2014) and defensive tackle Elijah Taylor (2015). Gentry was working with the second-team offense in a recent scrimmage but showed big-time skills. Taylor could be a force in the middle of the defensive line by his senior season.

Keep an eye on: Three-star Keith Watkins II is committed to Northwestern, and he could play a couple of positions when he gets to college. Rated as a running back, Watkins is a strong threat out of the backfield. He likely will play cornerback in college, though. Regardless of where he plays in college, he will be an impact player on both sides of the ball this season for Moeller.

Other prospects: Tight end Evan Jansen will continue his career next fall at Indiana. Offensive tackle Alex Gall is headed south to play for Miami (Fla.), and Iacovone will play baseball at Marshall. Defensive back Logan Kelleher could be a Football Championship Subdivision player.

Bet you didn't know: Moeller has produced its fair share of elite baseball players in its day. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Barry Larkin is a graduate of Moeller, and surefire first-ballot HOFer Ken Griffey Jr. was a national player of the year while at the school. The Bell dynasty -- Buddy, David and Mike -- all graduated from Moeller, too.