Posted on Tue, Jun. 02, 2009

The summer hasn't officially begun.

The national hype surrounding South Florida's top high school football teams has.

One of the first national rankings was released Monday by MaxPreps.com, and it has Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas ranked exactly where it finished last season -- No. 1.

Miami-Dade County is also represented in the poll.

Miami Central is ranked No. 13, followed by rival Miami Northwestern at No. 15.

Aquinas, the consensus defending national champion, returns a squad as loaded as the one that carried it to a 15-0 record and its second consecutive Class 5A state championship.

With several starters back from that team, including cornerback Cody Riggs, offensive lineman Brandon Linder and running back Giovanni Bernard, and the addition of defensive back LaMarcus Joyner, a transfer from Southwest Miami, the Raiders will be a serious threat to claim another national crown.

Their biggest test figures to be a regular-season clash with second-ranked Byrnes High from South Carolina on Oct. 2.

Central returns Dade's top-rated senior quarterback, Jeffrey Godfrey, as well as several offensive stars from the team that won District 13-6A last season, including running back Brandon Gainer and wide receivers Charles Gaines and Joshua Reese. Linebacker Derrick Dansby leads an improved defense.

The Rockets will have to contend with Northwestern, which also returns several starters from a 13-2 team that eliminated Central on its way to the Class 6A championship game. The Bulls bring back senior defensive stalwart Todd Chandler, and junior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and seniors Michaelee Harris and Corvin Lamb on offense.

SIGNINGS

• Gulliver senior soccer forward Rafael Faria has signed with Penn State University.

Faria, The Miami Herald's Boys' Soccer Class 4A-2A Player of the Year, and an All-State first-team selection, scored 21 goals and had 19 assists this season.

The Raiders also had baseball player Clayton Magenheimer sign with Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

• Varela had seven of its athletes sign letters of intent with colleges recently.

Softball players Shenique Rosario and Tanisha Bush both signed with Barry University.

In football, Ryan Mesh signed with Methodist University of North Carolina, Alex O'Reilly signed with Emory and Henry of Virginia, and Mike Martin signed with Ohio Northern University.

In soccer, Gianelli Vignatti signed with Barry and Bryan Medeiros signed with St. Thomas University.