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Ohio Top 5

The Buckeye State is a hotbed of football talent. Home to a passionate fan-base paired with an equally passionate crop of players, it doesn't get much better than this.

By Luke Ellis

Updated: September 16, 2009

In a state like Ohio, high school football is a way of life. A talent rich state with a great number of top players and rivalries, the Buckeye State draws plenty of attention and respect both on the national scene as well as from college recruiters. With loaded teams like Cincinnati Elder and St.Ignatius, it's bound to be a great year for the state, and so far it's been a great start.

Here are my top five for Ohio:

1. Cincinnati Elder

Not only the best team in Ohio, but one of the nation's top high school teams this year. To start the season, Elder ran past East St. Louis (IL), one of the top teams in the state of Illinois, 49-28 on the strength of tailback Adam Brown's 213 yards. Following that big win, Elder hosted Cincinnati Colerain on national TV and won 20-7. The third game may have possibly been the toughest; Louisville Trinity was last year's Kentucky state champion Despite that, Elder rolled to victory by posting 26 points to Trinity's seven. If you haven't figured it out already, Elder is going to be very tough to beat.

St. Ignatius

In 2005, Sports Illustrated ranked Ignatius as the top football program in the state. Almost five years later, that ranking still may hold true. The Wildcats won a nail-biter against powerhouse Glenville in late August and followed it up with a 27-20 win against Northmont. Ignatius then proceeded to blow out Canisius High School from New York, 50 to 8. Next week, Ignatius faces a good opponent in Mentor High School. Should be a fun game to watch.

St. Xavier

Xavier has proven how good they are with wins against quality teams thus far. With a 16-0 shutout of Cincinnati Colerain, Xavier bolted up in the rankings and got a lot of attention after defeating Indianapolis Cathedral High School 19-10. Ironically, Xavier's next game was against St. Xavier, from Louisville. Once again, the Bombers showcased their defensive prowess by holding the oppositionr to only seven points. The Bombers play both St. Ignatius and Cincinnati Elder this year, but this team is battle tested and ready to go.

Dublin Coffman

Unlike Ignatius, Coffman began the season with a blowout, crushing Olentangy Liberty by 52 points. The Shamrocks continued with a 55-13 rout of Holy Trinity Catholic from Ontario, showcasing their powerful offense. Coffman wasn't done yet, though, traveling to Columbus and beating Brookhaven 33-0. With a combined total of 140 points in 3 games, Dublin Coffman looks to put up a lot of points on Westland this Friday.

Archbishop Moeller

Playing in the same division as Xavier, Ignatius, and Elder is going to lead to some tough games, but Moeller is definitely talented enough to compete with all three. Moeller started off with a key win over Winton Woods. Woods has since won their next 2 games by a combined total of 103-6. A 47-20 victory over Hamilton showed that the Fighting Crusaders have some offensive power, especially over Hamilton's stingy defense. Last week, Moeller went on the road to play Centerville High School, and escaped with a narrow 21-19 win. Archbishop plays Findlay High School this coming Saturday.