Goose Creek tabbed as No. 45 in Rivals High 100 poll

Arguably the best team the Palmetto State has to offer this year, Goose Creek earned national distinction by being ranked No. 45 among the RivalsHigh 100 preseason poll, a list of the nation’s top 100 high school football programs.
Ranked nationally for much of the 2010 season, the Gators won their first 13 games before falling to eventual state champion Northwestern in the Class AAAA Division II semifinal. It earned the squad a No. 36 ranking to end the campaign, but this season it hopes to finish the deal with a state championship.
Most impressive to RivalsHigh senior analyst Dallas Jackson and other scouts is the Goose Creek power game, which rung up nearly 600 points last season. However, in contests against top tier opponents the defensive unit gave up 154 points, including 41 to the Trojans in its state semifinal loss.
“It is pretty obvious that the offensive line and the running attack is what helps make this team go. The stats speak to both - with over 600 carries last season, the team still averaged nearly seven yards per carry and 335 yards per game. With the ability to break big runs and keep the clock moving in its direction, it is no small wonder why the team has elevated from a solid South Carolina team to a nationally-recognized group,” Jackson said. “…Goose Creek should be better defensively this season - and it may need to be. … The team was able to dominate inferior competition but gave up a lot of points against quality squads.”
With talented athletes like Clemson commitment T.J. Burrell at linebacker and bruising fullback Virgil Smalls returning for one last run at the gold, Goose Creek may have the ingredients to finally seal the deal.
Click here to see what RivalsHigh said about Goose Creek.