1.McDonogh -- Last year's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A league champs return three All-Metros in QB Bobby Sabelhaus (3,833 passing yards, 33 touchdowns in two years), WR Dennis Badham (73 receptions, 1,654 yards, 17 TDs in two years) and DB Dwayne Stukes (92 tackles, five forced fumbles, five interceptions last year). Sabelhaus (6 feet 6, 225 pounds), ranked No. 1 by Super Prep Magazine, and Stukes (5-11, 190) are preseason All-Americans, and Badham (5-10, 180) made honorable mention after a 9-0 season. Dom Damico takes over as coach replacing Mike Working, who is now at Mount St. Joseph.
2. Patterson -- Roger Wrenn (125-75-2 over 21 seasons) has 11 starters among 19 returnees from the City's 4A League champ (9-2). Second-team All-City/County QB Willie McGirt has 2,387 passing yards, 27 TDs and 11 two-point conversions over two years. RB Ryan Lewis (4.4-second 40-yard --) coverered 1,186 yards for 15 TDs last year. As an LB, Lewis (98 tackles) ranked second in tackles behind LB Joe Mechlinski (119 tackles).
3. Poly -- Augie Waibel's state runner-up Engineers (11-1 last year) return 11 starters from the City 3A championship squad. Second-team All-Metro NG Sebastian Smothers, a two-way player, is one of seven starters back on a defense that allowed under five points a game. Though Greg Kyler, the 1993 All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year, has graduated, sometime starters Jackie Wise (QB), Randall Beamon (RB), Frances Giles (WR) and Dwayne Powell (C) return. The junior varsity was 8-2.
4. Gilman -- Sherm Bristow sifted through a 100-player turnout, including nine starters among the returnees for the 7-2 MIAA runners-up. RBs David Biddison and R. C. Kauffman, who also play LB, combined for more than 900 yards last year. Linemen David Payne, a two-way player, and Alex Mueller (6-5, 260) will protect QB Lorne Smith (6-4, 175), an All-Metro lacrosse player and reserve last season.
5. North County -- Coach Chuck Markiewicz's run-and-shoot led Team Maryland over Northern Virginia in July's second annual Chesapeake Classic. His own program (9-2 last year) boasts speedy WR-RB Lou Brown (36 receptions, 478 yards, seven TDs); ace back Topper Ellis, a sprinter in track who averaged 10 yards on 35 receptions; and QB Earl Sewell, a reserve to All-County Justin Rice, who graduated.
6. City -- The Knights, last year's 3A League runner-up to Poly, are 29-2 over three seasons, losing the final two games of 1993. Nine starters return, including Eddie Hooper (6-4, 290) and Jonathan Jones on a line that averages 260 pounds. RBs Taber Small, Damian Beane and Jemini Jones and WR Kevin Griffin have game-breaking speed.
7. Lake Clifton -- Coach David White returns 20 players, 12 of them starters, from a squad that went 7-3 and was 4A City League runner-up to Patterson. The Lakers, who barely missed last year's playoffs, look to versatile QB Greate White. RB Kenny Williams (6-2, 210) looks to improve on last year's 400-yard season behind two-way tackle Tory Gilliard (6-2, 260).
8. Dunbar -- Stanley Mitchell, last year's All-Metro Coach of the Year, returns after a 9-3, 2A state semifinal year. Second-team All-Metro LB/TE Tommy Polley (6-5, 195) has 174 career tackles and 24 career sacks and caught 28 passes for 479 yards last year. Shamai Butler, Carl Carter and Dwayne Green anchor a quick line that averages 235 pounds.
9. Randallstown -- The Rams aim for their first state playoffs since winning the 4A states in 1990. Good scrimmages against some top-notch area teams have them primed for a postseason run under new coach Jack Bush, who replaced John Buchheister. Fifteen seniors, including Terren Crawford, QB T. J. Williamson and RBs Angelo Todd and Keith Green, return from a squad that has a five-game winning streak.
10. Annapolis -- Roy Brown, The Baltimore Sun's 1992 All-Metro Coach of the Year, returns 16 quality players and as much quickness and speed as ever from a 7-3 squad. Brown projects QB Orlando Downs could be more effective than former All-County Juan Johnson, running the option behind second-team All-Metro C Beau Watkins, Monte Graves and a line averaging 230 pounds.
11. Howard -- Eight starters return from Howard County's 9-2 champs, including second-team All-Metro QB-DB DaLawn Parrish, a preseason All-America who had 727 passing yards for seven TDs and rushed 513 yards for six TDs last year. As a free safety, Parrish had 38 tackles and five interceptions and recovered two fumbles. C Frank Tortella, OGs Letam Biira and Shawn Sherman and TE A. J. Durham return. Howard allowed 8.8 points per game last year.
12. St. Mary's -- Coach Brad Best's MIAA A League Saints (7-3 last year) return two three-year starters in RB Jason Lilly, who has 1,500 yards and 20 TDs for his career, and QB Brad Davis, whose career passing totals are 1,800 yards and eight TDs. They'll work behind a line averaging 230 pounds.
13. Perry Hall -- Though Perry Hall (10-2 last year) lost speedy RBs Mark Franklin (All-City/County) and Mandel Marsh, it returns 16 players from last year's 4A state semifinalist, led by All-Metro K-P-QB Jason Bloom. The Gators' line boasts Chris Jester (6-2, 270), Jason Wancowicz (6-6, 290) and Greg McGrath (6-2, 240). A three-peat in the Baltimore County 3A-4A League is a possibility.
14. Calvert Hall -- Coach Lou Eckerl, in his first season, likes his team's MIAA A Conference chances. The 17 returning players, including seven starters, from a 5-5 squad have looked good in scrimmages against top-notch teams. QB Nick Murow has OT-DT Mike Zito and OT Otis Warren blocking for him. NG Peter Baumeister anchors a defense that returns its entire secondary.
15. Southern-AA -- The Bulldogs won't match the talent of last year's record-breaking 11-2, 2A state runner-up squad. But eight defensive starters are back from a team that outscored opponents by an average of 35-7, and QB Adam Booth and the offense of RB Bobby Procopio (300 yards, three TDs) and RB-WR Rico Gross (4.6 speed) should work itself out. Two-way T Phillip Brown and OT-DT Chris Southerland add to a sizable corps of linemen. Third-year starting LBs Mike McCafferty and Joe Kadjeski combined for more than 100 tackles.
How the poll was compiled: The 1994 preseason football poll was compiled by the local sports staff of The Baltimore Sun.