Northwestern football ranked in national preseason list

Northwestern is getting some early national love from MaxPreps.

The Trojans were ranked in the online publication’s preseason top-25 high school football poll, released Wednesday.

MaxPreps’ Mitch Stephens acknowledged on the publication’s site that picking a national top 25 for high school football isn’t the easiest thing to do.

“Picking the best 25 high school football teams from a pool of more than 15,000 squads nationally appears akin to searching for needles in the proverbial haystack,” he wrote.

“But records, coaching continuity, previous championships and the ever-increasing resources to locate top-end talent – Hudl, recruiting sites, highlight reels – has allowed for better educated stabs to choose the cream-of-the-crop squads.”

Charlotte’s Mallard Creek is also ranked by MaxPreps. The Mavericks will face South Pointe in September.

Northwestern finished the 2015 season ranked 35th by MaxPreps. The defending 4A Division II state champs aren’t out of place in the national ranking.

Longtime former assistant coach David Pierce has taken the reins and his team returns much of last season’s offensive talent, led by college recruits Gage Moloney, Jerry Howard, Dequez Harris and Jamario Holley. Northwestern also has defensive players ready to step to the fore as well, including Clemson commit Logan Rudolph, linebacker Caliph Brice, safety Ali Shockley and a host of players that were in the shadows of seniors last fall.

The Trojans finished spring football practice last week, holding their spring scrimmage on Thursday. Story, photos and video from the game can be found here.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Northwestern football ranked in national preseason list."