Suburban Conference Gold again has some of KC area’s best high school football teams
Offensive player to watch
Lee’s Summit quarterback Drew Lock is rated as the sixth-best pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com. He committed to Missouri in the offseason, then spent part of his summer at the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp in Beaverton, Ore. He threw for 35 touchdowns last season.
Defensive player to watch
There’s a lot to like about Raymore-Peculiar senior defensive end Ben Harris, who committed to Air Force last week. He is 6-6, 230, but he still possesses enough speed off the edge to put pressure on the quarterback.
Prediction
The winner of the Missouri Class 6 state championship will come from the Suburban Gold Conference. Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit West opened the season as the top-two ranked teams in the state media poll.
1. BLUE SPRINGS
The Missouri Class 6 two-time defending state champions will have to replace two-time Simone Award winner Dalvin Warmack. They could look to pass the ball more often with quarterback Ian Brown returning. The defense is led by twin defensive tackles Carlos and Khalil Davis, who have committed to Nebraska.
2. LEE’S SUMMIT WEST
The Titans make the move to Missouri Class 6 after winning the Class 5 state championship last season. They lost a lot of talent, but speedy tailback Ryan Williams, a Missouri commit, appears to be ready to carry the load.
3. LEE’S SUMMIT
After winning only three games in 2012, the Tigers won 10 games last season. That effort was led by a 32-player senior class, leaving the Tigers with a lot to replace. That puts even more eyes on quarterback Drew Lock, a Missouri commit.
4. BLUE SPRINGS SOUTH
A team with only two returning starters believes it still has enough talent to compete in arguably the state’s toughest conference. The Jaguars are 11-10 over the past two seasons after winning the Missouri Class 6 state championship in 2012.
5. RAY-PEC
More than 100 players are listed on the Raymore-Peculiar football roster, giving coach Tom Kruse the largest squad during his 15-year tenure. That group includes a bevy of returning talent, including defensive linemen Ben Harris and C.J. Donaldson.
6. LS NORTH
The Broncos have revamped their offense after having been held to 29 points over the final six games last year. Senior linebacker Chase Overton has led the team in tackles for two straight seasons.
To reach Sam McDowell, call 816-234-4869 or send email to smcdowell@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SamMcDowell11.
This story was originally published August 22, 2014 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Suburban Conference Gold again has some of KC area’s best high school football teams."