Top Teams over the Last Four Years according to High School Football America Algorithm

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We’re less than a month away from releasing the High School Football America Preseason Top 100. To get ready for this year’s first poll that is created with our proprietary algorithm, we thought it would be fun to look back at the best teams in the nation from 2013 through last season.

Why start in 2013?  That was the first year that we used our algorithm to rank teams across the nation.  In 2012, our Top 25 was an opinion-based poll.

Related: High School Football America expands national rankings to Top 100

For the purpose of this ranking, we create a Top 20 by awarding points based on where teams were ranked in our final national polls since 2013. For example, the No. 1 team receives 25 points, the No. 2 team receives 24 points and so forth.

The only teams that are eligible for this poll are teams that appear in at least two of our four final Top 25’s.

Overall, since 2013, 65 different teams have finished their seasons ranked in the High School Football America Top 25.  However, out of those 65, only three teams — Allen (Texas), Bishop Gorman (Nevada) and St. John Bosco (California) — have appeared in all four season-ending polls.  Allen won the 2013 and 2014 “mythical” national championships, while Bishop Gorman won it last year.  Colquitt County (Georgia) was the 2015 national champ.

St. John Bosco, which hasn’t won our national title, but has two runner-up finishes (2013 and 2016), is the No. 1 team since the creation of our propriety algorithm that uses 15 criteria to rank teams across the United States.  During that stretch, the Braves have won two California Open Divisions titles.  Both times, Bosco beat De La Salle for the championship.  Like St. John Bosco, the Spartans can claim two national runner-up finishes (2014 and 2015).  DLS is ranked No. 4 over the last four years, according to our algorithm.

Two-time national champ Allen is No. 2 over the last four years, followed by eight-time Nevada state champ Gorman at No. 3.  Allen is one of four Texas teams to be ranked in this Top 20.  DeSoto, which has three Top 25 appearances since 2013 is No. 11, followed by Cedar Hill at No. 12 and Katy at No. 16.  Cedar Hill and Katy have appeared in the final poll twice.

Rounding-out the Top 5 is St. Thomas Aquinas, one of five Sunshine State teams to exhibit consistency in the national rankings our the last four years.  Miami Central, with three appearances in the Top 25, is ranked No. 8, followed by Booker T. Washington (2 appearances) at No. 9, IMG Academy (2 appearances) at No. 10 and Plantation’s American Heritage (2 appearances) at No. 19.

Aside from De La Salle, DeSoto and St. Thomas Aquinas, other three-time Top 25’ers are No. 6 Corona Centennial (California), No. 15 Hoover (Alabama) and No. 17 La Salle (Ohio).

2015 national champ Colquitt County (Georgia) is ranked No. 7.

High School Football Rankings since 2013

Team2016201520142013Pts
1. St. John Bosco (California)2815277
2. Allen (Texas)1791176
3. Bishop Gorman (Nevada)1432373
4. De La Salle (California)NR22965
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida)6129NR51
6. Corona Centennial (California)10513NR50
7. Colquitt County (Georgia)NR14NR47
8. Miami Central (Florida)NR227445
9. Booker T. Washington (Florida)NRNR6343
10. IMG Academy (Florida)37NRNR42
11. DeSoto (Texas)12NR25536
12. (tie) Cedar Hill (Texas)NRNR11734
12. (tie) DeMatha (Maryland)513NRNR34
12. (tie) St. Edward (Ohio)NR612NR34
15. Hoover (Alabama)18NR191031
16. Katy (Texas)NR3NR2227
17. (tied) La Salle (Ohio)211520NR22
17. (tied) St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, NJ)19NRNR1122
19. American Heritage (Plantation, FL)13NRNR2019
20. Starkville (Mississippi)NR1921NR12

Final High School Football America Top 25 teams (2013-2016)

Below are all of the teams from 23 different states that have finished in our Top 25 since 2013.

Alabama (2) – Clay-Chalkville (2014), Hoover (2016, 2014, 2013)

Arizona (2) – Saguaro (2016), Mountain Pointe (2013)

California (7) – Chaminade (2013), Corona Centennial (2016, 2015, 2014), De La Salle (2015, 2014, 2013), Folsom (2015), Mater Dei (2016), Mission Viejo (2015), St. John Bosco (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013)

Florida (6) – American Heritage-Plantation (2016, 2013), Booker T. Washington (2014, 2013), Dwyer (2013), IMG Academy (2015, 2016), Miami Central (2015, 2014, 2013), St. Thomas Aquinas (2016, 2015, 2014)

Georgia (5) – Buford (2014), Colquitt County (2015, 2014), Grayson (2016), Norcross (2013), Roswell (2016)

Illinois (1) – Loyola Academy (2015)

Indiana (2) – Ben Davis (2014), Center Grove (2015)

Kentucky (2) – Male (2015), Trinity (2016)

Louisiana (1) – Edna Karr (2016)

Maryland (2) – DeMatha (2016, 2015), Gilman (2015)

Michigan (2) – Brother Rice (2013), Cass Tech (2016)

Mississippi (2)- South Panola (2014), Starkville (2015, 2014)

Missouri (1) – Blue Springs (2013)

Nevada (1) – Bishop Gorman (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013)

New Jersey (4) – Don Bosco Prep (2015), Paramus Catholic (2016), St. Joseph Regional-Montvale (2016, 2013), St. Peter’s Prep (2014)

North Carolina (1) – Mallard Creek (2013)

Ohio (6) – Archbishop Moeller (2013), Colerain (2015), La Salle (2016, 2015, 2014), St. Edward (2015, 2014), St. Xavier (2016), Wayne-Huber Heights (2015)

Oklahoma (1) – Jenks (2013)

Pennsylvania (2) – Pittsburgh Central Catholic (2015), St. Joseph’s Prep (2016, 2013)

South Carolina (2) – Northwestern (2013), South Pointe (2016)

Tennessee (1) – Maryville (2014)

Texas (10) – Aledo (2013), Allen (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013), Cedar Hill (2014, 2013), DeSoto (2016, 2014, 2013), Euless Trinity (2015, 2014), Katy (2015, 2013) Lake Travis (2016), Southlake Carroll (2014), Skyline (2014), The Woodlands (2016)

Washington (2) – Bellevue (2013), Eastside Catholic (2015)

Final 2016 National Top 50

Final 2015 National Top 25

Final 2014 National Top 25

Final 2013 National Top 25

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About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.