2014 High School Football Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders presented by Eastbay: No. 7 St. Edward

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St. Edward named Rick Finotti as head coach in the spring of 2009. In 2010, the Eagles finished 15-0, capturing a Division I state title and finishing near the top of national rankings.

Since then, St. Edward has failed to reach the title, losing to Mentor in each of the last two seasons.

However, St. Edward has posted a 30-7 record over the last three years. The program's record in the three seasons before Finotti's hire was 19-12. Clearly, the Eagles are a state -- and national -- powerhouse here to stay.

The St. Edward 2015 class carries with it great expectations. It is one of the more talented groups in program history.

Offensively, quarterback Brett Kean is back to power the Eagles' offense. He nearly eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark to go along with 32 touchdowns.

Many of those scores went in the direction of Alex Stump. Stump, a 6-3 receiver a with a three-star rating from 247Sports, will once again provide Kean a reliable target in the Eagles' passing game. Stump committed to the University of Kentucky at the end of April. He projects as one of the state's top receivers this fall.



The 2015 class features several other offensive weapons, particularly in the form of twin brothers Andrew and David Dowell.

Andrew should take most of the handoffs from Kean, while brother David, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year, will continue to serve as a threat out of the slot or the backfield. Shaun Crawford, an elite cornerback who also thrives on offense and special teams, will be another option.

If there's a weakness or a question mark right now for Finotti's squad, it would be the offensive line. The unit will be almost entirely new. Tackle Ben Gauthier, who cut his teeth some last year as a junior, offers some welcomed experience. Junior Kyle Tomshack, Dan Petticord and Andrew Turner will also step up.

David Dowell will be a key returner on the other side of the ball, serving as a top defensive back for the Eagles. Crawford, who is committed to Michigan but could end up at Notre Dame or Ohio State, fills the same role. His speed and athleticism are too good to limit to merely offense.



The team's linebackers are legitimate. Troy Dipre is one of the state's top linebackers. He took home Division I first team all-state honors as a junior. Troy Henderson gives the group another premier player. Sophomore Antonio Hillis is a 6-5 physical specimen who will push for playing time, either at linebacker or defensive end, where he would be playing alongside returning tackle Max Williams.

St. Edward ran the table in 2010. If it gets above-average play from its offensive line, it could have a chance to match the feat this fall.

"Obviously the big question mark is the offensive line. If that’s even able to be 75 percent as good as it was last year, I would say the team can go as far as it allows itself to go, as far as the skills guys it has. The sky is the limit, they are a bona fide state title contender for sure and it’s not even June 1 yet."
- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com (@blandis25)