Video: We break down the Top 10 leaguesIt's a common refrain among coaches when talking about league play: "We play in one of the toughest leagues in the state."
But only one league can make the claim as the toughest league in the nation. Based on the MaxPreps computer football rankings, that league is the Trinity League in the Southern Section of California.
With five teams ranked among the top 160 in the nation, including No. 3 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower), the teams in the Trinity League have an average rating of 65.8. That ranking would be good enough to be ranked No. 29 in the nation this week - and that's every team in the Trinity League.
The Trinity League is 7.5 rating points higher than the next league on the list, the Greater Catholic South league in Ohio, which has a rating of 58.3 and has all four teams ranked among the top 173 in the nation.
Meanwhile the New Jersey Super United Red comes in at No. 3 with a ranking of 56.5. Two of the teams in the conference are ranked among the top 41 teams in the country.
The top 10 leagues are listed below in order of average team ranking. Each team in the league is also listed, along with its overall record, its computer rating and where it ranks in the computer ratings.
Nation's Top 10 Toughest Leagues
1. Trinity League (California) - 65.8
Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Record: 5-0
Rating: 90.9
Ranking: No. 3
St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 89.5
Ranking: 4
Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 54.6
Ranking: 160
JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 56.8
Ranking: 117
Servite (Anaheim)
Record: 3-2
Rating: 45.7
Ranking: 447
Orange Lutheran (Orange)
Record: 3-2
Rating: 57.7
Ranking: 101
2. Greater Catholic South (Ohio) - 58.3
La Salle (Cincinnati)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 57.8
Ranking: 99
St. Xavier (Cincinnati)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 67.2
Ranking: 24
Elder (Cincinnati)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 53.5
Ranking: 173
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
Record: 3-3
Rating: 54.9
Ranking: 153
3. North Jersey Super - United Red (New Jersey) - 56.5
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)
Record: 3-1
Rating: 66.9
Ranking: 26
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey)
Record: 2-3
Rating: 51.7
Ranking: 218
Paramus Catholic (Paramus)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 56.1
Ranking: 133
Bergen Catholic (Oradell)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 63.2
Ranking: 41
St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City)
Record: 3-1
Rating: 44.7
Ranking: 482
4. Washington Catholic (Washington D.C. area) - 50.9
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 81.1
Ranking: 5
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 5-1
Rating: 56.4
Ranking: 126
Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
Record: 3-3
Rating: 46.9
Ranking: 402
St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 76.1
Ranking: 8
Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 0-5
Rating: 11.1
Ranking: 5276
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
Record: 3-2
Rating: 57.7
Ranking: 103
St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.)
Record: 0-6
Rating: 21.6
Ranking: 3108
5. AAAAAA Region 1 (Georgia) - 50.7
Valdosta
Record: 5-1
Rating: 59.5
Ranking: 77
Northside (Warner Robins)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 56.6
Ranking: 120
Lee County (Leesburg)
Record: 5-0
Rating: 48.2
Ranking: 346
Houston County (Warner Robins)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 46.7
Ranking: 410
Coffee (Douglas)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 42.5
Ranking: 597
6. 6A Premier (Arizona) - 47.6
Brophy College Prep (Phoenix)
Record: 7-0
Rating: 62.0
Ranking: 53
Chandler
Record: 5-2
Rating: 51.7
Ranking: 219
Hamilton (Chandler)
Record: 5-2
Rating: 52.5
Ranking: 199
Basha (Chandler)
Record: 2-5
Rating: 22.3
Ranking: 2994
Perry (Gilbert)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 50.1
Ranking: 261
7. MIAA A (Maryland) - 47.5
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
Record: 5-1
Rating: 53.7
Ranking: 169
Archbishop Spalding (Severn)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 56.1
Ranking: 131
Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 48.5
Ranking: 330
Loyola Blakefield (Towson)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 43.4
Ranking: 557
McDonogh (Owings Mills)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 61.5
Ranking: 57
Calvert Hall (Baltimore)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 38.4
Ranking: 911
Gilman (Baltimore)
Record: 1-4
Rating: 32.4
Ranking: 1488
8. AAAAA Region III (South Carolina) - 47.2
Spartanburg
Record: 5-2
Rating: 52.6
Ranking: 196
Dorman (Roebuck)
Record: 4-2
Rating: 47.2
Ranking: 392
Byrnes (Duncan)
Record: 1-5
Rating: 35.4
Ranking: 1184
Boiling Springs (Spartanburg)
Record: 5-1
Rating: 51.0
Ranking: 239
Gaffney
Record: 5-1
Rating: 49.3
Ranking: 290
8. Metropolitan (Indiana) - 47.2
Warren Central (Indianapolis)
Record: 6-1
Rating: 70.8
Ranking: 15
Center Grove (Greenwood)
Record: 6-1
Rating: 62.5
Ranking: 48
Carmel
Record: 4-3
Rating: 48.2
Ranking: 344
Lawrence Central (Indianapolis)
Record: 5-2
Rating: 51.6
Ranking: 225
Ben Davis (Indianapolis)
Record: 4-3
Rating: 54.0
Ranking: 165
Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Record: 3-4
Rating: 43.4
Ranking: 561
North Central (Indianapolis)
Record: 0-7
Rating: 26.1
Ranking: 2335
Pike (Indianapolis)
Record: 0-7
Rating: 21.7
Ranking: 3098
10. 6A District 16 (Florida) - 44.9
Carol City (Miami)
Record: 3-2
Rating: 62.0
Ranking: 52
Central (Miami)
Record: 5-1
Rating: 57.9
Ranking: 97
Norland (Miami)
Record: 3-3
Rating: 40.3
Ranking: 767
Hialeah-Miami Lakes (Hialeah)
Record: 1-4
Rating: 1.4
Ranking: 7527
Northwestern (Miami)
Record: 4-1
Rating: 61.3
Ranking: 60
10. Chicago Catholic Blue (Illinois) - 44.9
Loyola Academy (Wilmette)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 61.9
Ranking: 54
Brother Rice (Chicago)
Record: 6-0
Rating: 58.3
Ranking: 94
St. Rita (Chicago)
Record: 3-3
Rating: 36.4
Ranking: 1072
Providence Catholic (New Lenox)
Record: 2-3
Rating: 35.0
Ranking: 1226
Chicago Mt. Carmel
Record: 3-3
Rating: 31.4
Ranking: 1606
