South Jersey's preseason Mean 15 football rankings for 2024

As the journey that is the 2024 high school football season begins this weekend, the South Jersey Gridiron Gang debuts its Mean 15 rankings.

New rankings will be published each week on Sunday evenings.

More: Football 2024: Check out all our content for the South Jersey high school season

South Jersey Mean 15

1. Millville (10-2, last year’s final ranking: 2). Three consecutive double-digit win seasons (34 combined victories over the stretch) for the Thunderbolts. Season opener: vs. No. 2 Holy Spirit, Friday, 7:30, Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
2. Holy Spirit (9-2, 10). The Spartans are 2-1 in their history at the Battle at the Beach, including a thrilling 34-31 win over Cherokee in 2022 (the only year they played a South Jersey opponent. Season opener: vs. No. 1 Millville, Friday, 7:30, Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
3. Winslow (10-3, 7) . The high-flying Eagles offense produced over 4,600 yards of total offense last fall, including 2,887 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air. Can they go even higher this year? Season opener : vs. Montclair, Friday, 5 p.m. Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
4. St. Augustine (8-3, 4) . Despite plenty of success over recent years, the Hermits have lost seven consecutive openers. The last time the Prep won an opener was a 47-30 triumph over Malvern Prep in 2016. Season opener: vs. Donovan Catholic, Friday, 6 p.m.
5. Camden (10-3, 6). The Panthers have posted back-to-back 10-win seasons. The squad has the talent for a third straight double-digit W season, but it will certainly have to earn it with a very tough schedule. Season opener: Friday, at St. Christopher's of Virginia.
6. Mainland (14-0, 1). The Mustangs produced 603 points last season, the second highest total in South Jersey history (621, Penns Grove, 2012). Mainland has started each of the last six seasons with a W. Season opener: vs. Atlantic City, Thursday, 12:45, Battle at the Beach at Ocean City.
7. Cherokee (9-4, 5). A 22-19 win over Winslow in last year's opener paved the way for Cherokee's run to a sectional Group 5 title. The team is 4-1 in openers over the last five years. Season opener: vs. Middletown South, Friday, 2:30, Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
8. Glassboro (9-4, NR). The Bulldogs yielded 10 or fewer points in nine of their final 10 games last season. While the offense should be drastically improved, the Glassboro defense should be just as stingy. Season opener: vs. St. Frances Academy (Md.), Thursday, 3 p.m.
9. Delsea (12-1, 2). After compiling a 40-4 mark over the last four seasons combined, the Crusaders enter a new era with just the program's third head coach (Jason Volpe) in 64 years. Delsea still possesses plenty of talent to make a run at a division title and a deep playoff run in November. Season opener: Sept. 6 at Woodstown, 7 p.m.
10. Washington Township (9-3, 11). The Minutemen marched to nine wins last season for the first time since 2003, when the late Tom Brown was the head coach. Can Township take another step forward this fall? The talent and experience are certainly present. Season opener: vs. Northern Highlands, Friday, noon, Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
11. Cedar Creek (8-4, NR). The Pirates knocked off top-seeded and previously unbeaten Timber Creek in the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinal round last fall. With 14 starters returning, Cedar Creek should make plenty of noise again. Season opener : vs. Eastside, Saturday, 5 p.m., Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
12. Timber Creek (9-1, 13). Over the last two Augusts/Septembers, the Chargers have started strong with a combined 9-1 mark. The team will need to get off to another solid start as the schedule is much tougher in 2024. Season opener: vs. Pleasantville, Thursday, 6 p.m.
13. Paul VI (9-2, 8). The Eagles soared to their most wins in a season since 2009. The team has gotten off to solid starts in recent years, winning each of their last four openers under head coach Dennis Scuderi Jr. Season opener: vs. Nottingham, Friday, 6 p.m.
14. Rancocas Valley (8-3, NR). The Red Devils have rattled off consecutive winning seasons during head coach Garrett Lucas' first two years on the job. The program is 8-2 in opening games over the last decade. Season opener: vs. Pascack Valley, Saturday, noon, Battle at the Beach at Egg Harbor Township.
15. Pleasantville (8-2, 15). Sandwiched in between two losses, the Greyhounds had an eight-game winning streak, posting 50 or more points in four of those contests. A tough schedule might keep the offensive numbers down a bit, but the squad is looking to match or surpass last year's win total. Season opener: at Timber Creek, Thursday, 6 p.m.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey's preseason Mean 15 football rankings for 2024