MaxPreps Top 25 national high school football rankings

Xcellent 25 Football Rankings presented by Army National Guard - Sept. 12 1,256 views 2:31

Video: Xcellent 25 Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard - Sept. 12

The big story of the weekend wasn't a battle between two of the top three teams in the country, but instead it was Jackson (Miami) pulling off a shocking upset of No. 7 Booker T. Washington (Miami) to give Lakatriona "Bernice" Brunson her first career win. The former "South Beach Tow" reality TV star made history this past offseason, becoming the first female head coach in Florida high school football history, and getting your first win against a team that has won four consecutive 4A state titles isn't too bad.

No. 1 Bishop Gorman showed it isn't afraid of adversity, either. The Gaels were trailing No. 3 St. John Bosco early 14-0, and down 20-14 at halftime, but outscored the No. 3 team in the country 21-0 in the second half behind a strong performance from 2017 Ohio State commit Tate Martell and its stout defense.

No. 5 DeSoto survived a scare from Midland, trailing 28-14 at one point, and 43-41 in the final two minutes, but there's little reason to worry when Shawn Robinson is under center. The 2017 TCU commit led the Eagles on a seven-play, 65-yard drive to help DeSoto escape with a 49-43 win. The No. 5 dual threat quarterback in the Class of 2017 finished the night with 276 yards passing and 203 yards rushing to go with seven total touchdowns.

Three top 25 teams went down this past weekend, including Texas power Katy, and there are two newcomers in this week's rankings.

1. (1 last week) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 3-0
Through the first three weeks of the season, Bishop Gorman has taken down powers from Texas, Florida and now California, after a 35-20 win. The Gaels were punched in the mouth early, trailing 14-0, and lost their starting running back Biaggio Walsh, but that didn't stop the top team in the country from winning its 42nd-consecutive game. The Gaels outscored St. John Bosco 35-6 in the final 38 minutes and Tate Martell is quickly emerging as one of the best high school players in recent memory, as he improved to 33-0 as the starting quarterback for Bishop Gorman. The defense for the Gaels has been one of the best in the country too, led by 2017 Ohio State commit Haskell Garrett and four-star safety Bubba Bolden.
Next game: Sept. 17 vs. No. 24 Kahuku (Hawaii)

2. (2) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 3-0
IMG Academy dominated Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 49-7 at the Battle on the Border in Shreveport, La., to give head coach Kevin Wright his 200th career win. It was another big-time performance from 2017 Texas A&M commit Kellen Mond. The No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the 2017 class finished the night with four total touchdowns and the hero from last week's 50-49 win against Corona Centennial, Brian Hightower, had two touchdown receptions. The Ascenders have a big-time test Saturday against No. 17 St. John's.
Next game: Sept. 17 vs. No. 17 St. John's (Washington, D.C.)

3. (4) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 3-0
Mater Dei has outscored its opposition 174-14 so far, including a 48-0 shutout win against La Mirada this past weekend. The No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2019 JT Daniels has been the high school version of Lamar Jackson this year, as he has thrown for 1,113 yards and 17 touchdowns. But just as important is that he has zero interceptions. The Monarchs are loaded with playmakers all over the field and the younger brothers of Notre Dame's star sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, Osiris St. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown, help form one of the best receiving corps in the country.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Upland (Calif.)

4. (5) DeSoto (Texas), 3-0
Todd Peterman's bunch showed they don't mind a little adversity this past weekend with a wild 49-43 win against Midland. Midland booted a 51-yard field goal with just under two minutes left on the clock to take a 43-41 lead but left too much time for one of the best quarterbacks in all of high school football - Shawn Robinson. He showed his maturity and poise, leading the Eagles on a 65-yard touchdown drive, and through three games the four-star quarterback has totaled 1,053 yards and 14 touchdowns. DeSoto gets a week off but after its bye has rival Cedar Hill in the Battle of Belt Line in one of the biggest high school games in all of Texas.
Next game: Sept. 23 at No. 12 Cedar Hill (Texas)

5. (6) Roswell (Ga.), 3-0
Roswell got a little bit of revenge against Colquitt County (Moultrie), the team that beat it in the 6A state championship last year, handing the Packers their worst loss since 2008 with a 34-3 victory. Malik Willis and Sheldon Evans led the way on offense, accounting for five scores, three for Willis and two for Evans. The defense was lights-out again for head coach John Ford, as it limited the opposition to seven points or less for the third-consecutive game to start the 2016 season.
Next game: Sept. 23 at Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.)

6. (3) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 2-1
St. John Bosco had its chances against the No. 1 team in the country but couldn't capitalize on some key drives. The Braves jumped out to a 14-0 lead early but the Gaels showed why they are the best team in the country, outscoring St. John Bosco 21-0 in the second half. Despite being shut out in the second half, the Braves were only trailing 28-20 in the fourth quarter but they could not contain Martell. St. John Bosco only drops three spots this week because it showed it can hang with the top team in all of high school football and Re-al Mitchell is a name to remember because he is only going to get better with the more experience he gets under center.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Crespi (Encino, Calif.)

7. (8) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2-1
Even without five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes, scoring wasn't a problem for the Raiders. St. Thomas Aquinas shut out Plantation 49-0 behind a strong performance from one of the best running back tandems in the country in Mike Epstein and Kyshaun Bryan. The defense is loaded with D-1 talent too and it showed on Friday night, as the Raiders didn't allow Plantation inside the red zone the entire game. Since their controversial season-opening loss to Booker T. Washington, the Raiders have outscored the opposition 91-6.
Next game: Sept. 23 vs. Hallandale (Fla.)

8. (9) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 1-1
Idle.
Next game: vs. Deerfield Beach (Fla.)

9. (13) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 3-0
Even without star running back Anthony McFarland, who broke his fibula in the preseason, the offense has been great through three games this season. 2017 Air Force commit Beau English has been huge this year and he led the Stags to a 35-7 win against Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.), throwing two touchdowns. DeMatha has a good chance to win its fourth-straight WCAC title because of its stout defense led by five-star Ohio State commit Chase Young.
Next game: Sept. 16 at McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.)

10. (10) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 3-0
Idle.
Next game: Sept. 16 at South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.)

11. (11) Cedar Hill (Texas), 2-1
Cedar Hill's 20-point fourth quarter comeback against Mansfield two weeks ago was the type of win that can change an entire season, and the Longhorns rode that momentum to an impressive 59-21 win against Horn (Mesquite). Garret Mcguire got his second-consecutive start with Avery Davis nursing an injury and he threw for nearly 300 yards and three scores. 2017 Texas A&M commit Camron Buckley was his favorite target, finishing with 137 yards and two touchdowns. The Longhorns get a week off before they face DeSoto in one of the biggest rivalry games in all of high school football.
Next game: Sept. 23 vs. No. 4 DeSoto (Texas)

12. (20) Mountain Pointe (Phoenix), 3-0
Mountain Pointe had the best win out of any team in the Top 25 with a dominant 52-7 win against rival Chandler. The Pride proved they are the best team in Arizona and they are one of the most well-balanced squads in the country. Isaiah Pola-Mao had a big-time game, finishing with two scores and one interception and his younger brother Matthew Pola-Mao, one of the top recruits in the Class of 2019, is a huge force on the defensive line. Good football genes run in the family, as their uncle Troy Polamalu was pretty good at football too.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.)

13. (12) Colerain (Cincinnati), 3-0
Colerain didn't make it look pretty but escaped with a 6-0 win against a very good La Salle (Cincinnati) team with a huge goal line stand in the final minutes. The Cardinals are a very gritty team and they have shown they are very resilient, finding ways to win against three good opponents to start the 2016 season.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Princeton (Cincinnati)

14. (14) Central (Miami), 3-0
Miami Central has outscored its opposition 176-14 through its first three games, including back-to-back shutouts, after blanking First Coast (Jacksonville) 62-0 this past weekend. The Rockets are loaded with a ton of talent, but the name to remember is James Cook. The 2018 Florida State commit is the third-rated running back in his class, and his older brother Dalvin Cook is one of the top running backs in all of college football.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Norland (Miami)

15. (15) Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 4-0
The second-best team in Arizona cruised to its fourth-consecutive double-digit win of the season with a 49-15 triumph against Higley (Gilbert). After a slow first half the Sabercats scored five touchdowns in the second half and Max Massingale finished the night with with 122 yards on the ground and 145 yards through the air to go with two touchdowns. Josiah Bradley finished the game with three rushing touchdowns on only five carries.
Next game: Sept. 16 at St. Mary's (Phoenix)

16. (18) Allen (Texas), 3-0
After Coppell cut Allen's lead to 21-20 in the third quarter, the Eagles fired back with 21 unanswered points to pull away with a 42-20 win. Terry Gambill has his team playing at a high level to start the 2016 season, as the Eagles have reeled off three straight wins by double digits.
Next game: Sept. 23 at Boyd (McKinney, Texas)

17. (24) St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 3-0
St. John's beat a very good St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) team 21-10 thanks to 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. A 58-yard touchdown pass from Kasim Hill to Charles Briscoe gave St. John's a 14-10 lead and the defense made sure that was all they needed. St. John's shut out St. Joseph Regional the final three quarters and is riding a ton of momentum into its big-time showdown against No. 2 IMG Academy this weekend.
Next game: Sept. 17 at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

18. (17) Cass Tech (Detroit), 3-0
Cass Tech recorded its second-straight shutout with a 57-0 win against Pershing (Detroit). The only reason why the Technicians dropped one spot was because of strength of schedule. St. John's and Allen have played much better competition to start the season. The No. 1 team from Michigan has cruised to a 3-0 start, outscoring the opposition 162-27.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Southeastern (Detroit)

19. (19) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 3-0
American Heritage held off Northwestern (Miami) 34-32 after almost blowing a 27-6 halftime lead. After Northwestern cut it to 27-26, Jason Brown led Heritage on a 67-yard touchdown drive to give the Patriots a 34-26 lead with just over four minutes left. Northwestern answered back with a touchdown in the final two minutes but a crucial 15-yard celebration penalty moved the game-tying 2-point conversion attempt back to the 18-yard line and American Heritage batted down the pass in the end zone. Brown finished the night with over 300 total yards and three scores.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Coconut Creek (Fla.)

20. (22) Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 2-1
Corona Centennial bounced back from a gut-wrenching 50-49 loss against No. 2 IMG Academy with a 42-14 win against Orange Lutheran. Tanner McKee had another nice showing, throwing for more than 300 yards for the third consecutive week and the 4-star junior quarterback has accounted for 15 touchdowns in only three games this season.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

21. (21) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 3-0
De La Salle had its first test of the season and the Spartans escaped with a 28-27 road win against Servite (Anaheim) thanks to a gutsy call to go for the game-winning 2-point attempt. With the Spartans trailing 27-20 in the final minutes, Kairee Robinson scored his second touchdown of the night and then tacked on the go-ahead conversion with one minute left. The defense held Servite on four consecutive plays and after a couple quarterback kneels the Spartans improved to 3-0 to start the 2016 season.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. East (Salt Lake City)

22. (23) McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), 3-0
Idle.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Foley (Ala.)

23. (25) Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 4-0
The Miners were up 51-0 on West Jordan at one point and breezed to a 51-21 victory in their Region 3 opener. Jahvontay Smith had another good performance, scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), and the defense was led by 2017 Oregon commit Langi Tuifua. Bingham has already defeated the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the state so its next big test might not come until the postseason.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Copper Hills (West Jordan, Utah)

24. (NR) Kahuku (Hawaii), 5-0
Kahuku becomes the first team from the Aloha State to crack the Xcellent 25 rankings and through the first five games the Red Raiders have outscored the opposition 254-22. The Red Raiders have posted three consecutive shutouts, including an 83-0 win against Radford (Honolulu) last weekend. A fourth-consecutive shutout might be hard to come by though, because Kahuku travels to Las Vegas to take on No. 1 Bishop Gorman next.
Next game: Sept. 17 at No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

25. (NR) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 3-0
Mission Viejo outgained La Habra 223-43 in the first half and cruised to a 32-14 win for its third-consecutive double-digit win to start the 2016 season. Mater Dei transfer Matthew McDonald has been huge for the Diablos offense at quarterback. Bob Johnson also has two of the top players in the state in four-star wide receiver Austin Osborne and four-star cornerback Olaijah Griffin, who is just as dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. After joining this week's rankings, Mission Viejo becomes the fifth team from California, now the most out of any state in the Top 25.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Long Beach Poly (Calif.)

Bubble Teams

St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia), 2-0
St. Joseph's Prep capped off its second big win to start the season after beating New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey) 35-24. It was the first time the Hawks had knocked off Bosco in six tries and 2017 Georgia commit D'Andre Swift scored two more touchdowns, now putting his total at six through two games. Swift is the No. 1-rated player in the state and St. Joseph's Prep checks in as the top team in all of Pennsylvania.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)

Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 4-0
The No. 1 team from Kentucky improved to 4-0 after an impressive 37-34 comeback win against rival Male (Louisville). Trailing 34-21 in the second half, Trinity scored 16 unanswered points to rally for a big-time win to keep its perfect season intact.
Next game: Sept. 16 at Pleasure Ridge Park (Louisville, Ky.)

Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 2-0
Defense was the story for Armwood in its 47-0 shutout victory against Bloomingdale (Valrico). Three-star defensive end Malcolm Lamar was big-time, as he finished the game with three sacks, a forced fumble and a 15-yard fumble return touchdown. Lennard (Ruskin) transfer Devin Black finished the game with 253 yards passing and four total touchdowns.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Chamberlain (Tampa, Fla.)

Judson (Converse, Texas), 3-0
Judson has emerged as one of the best teams in all of Texas and has showed it can hang with the big boys after its season-opening comeback win against Lake Travis (Austin, Texas). Since that win the Rockets have outscored their last two opponents by 88 points and remember the name Julon Williams, he is one of the best kept secrets in all of high school football.
Next game: Sept. 16 vs. New Braunfels (Texas)

Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), 4-0
Mill Creek is the fifth and final bubble team this week after beating Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 31-10 to give it its fourth-straight win to start the 2016 season. Georgia has always been one of the best states when it comes to high school football and No. 5 Roswell and No. 8 Grayson are the only two teams ranked higher in all of Georgia.
Next game: Sept. 23 at Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)