For the third straight year the Allen Eagles, who Saturday night won Texas’ Class 6A Division I title, are our 2014 national champs based on our proprietary algorithm that we began using in 2013. Our algorithm calculates and evaluates a team’s performance in ten specific areas.
Allen (16-0) began the season ranked #1 in our preseason poll and never left the top spot on its way to a third straight Texas title in the state’s largest classification. Saturday’s 47-16 win over Cypress Ranch moved the Eagles’ win streak to 43 straight, which is the fifth longest active win streak in the nation.
During the postseason, Allen beat three teams – DeSoto, Euless Trinity and Skyline – that all finished in our final Top 25. The Eagles regular season schedule also included a quality in-state win over Denton Guyer, which entered the season as a two-time defending state champ, and a victory over Dutch Fork, which finished runner-up this year in South Carolina’s largest classification. Denton Guyer lost in the second round of this year’s Class 6A Division II playoffs to Southlake Carroll, which finished #22 in our final national Top 25.
What makes Allen’s title even more impressive is the fact that the team didn’t play a game in their $60 million home stadium, which has been closed for repairs since earlier this year.
Saturday night’s also marked the end of an incredible career for Gatorade National Player of the Year Kyler Murray, who closed out his remarkable career with a 42-0 record as Allen’s starting quarterback.
This year’s race for the national championship chase was much closer than last year, with De La Salle from California finishing just behind the Eagles. The Spartans closed out a 14-0 season with a 63-42 win over Corona Centennial in California’s Open Division championship game.
Falling-in behind De La Salle is Bishop Gorman at #3. Like the Spartans the Gaels hold a victory over Corona Centennial, which finished the season ranked #13 in the nation, even though they had three loses.
Colquitt County, Georgia’s AAAAAA champ, finishes #4, followed by Folsom (California) at #5,
Booker T. Washington (Florida), which ended the regular season ranked #3 in our Top 25 and won Florida’s 4A title, comes in at #6. Miami Central, whose only loss this year was to Booker T. finishes the year at #7.
Rounding out the Top 10 are – South Panola (Mississippi) at #8, St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida’s third Top 10 team, at #9 and Buford from Georgia is #10.
Texas leads the way with six teams ranked in our final Top 25, followed by California with four teams and Florida with three teams. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Ohio have two teams each in the Top 25.
In all, 16 of the 25 teams in our first in-season poll finish the year in the final rankings.
Editor’s Note: Our preseason poll combines our algorithm with some opinions factored-in based on our research with fellow journalists from around the country. We don’t release our first in-season poll until two weeks of games are played, which allows our algorithm to take-over based only on games that have been played. High School Football America releases its Top 25 every week during the regular season, but doesn’t release weekly rankings during the postseason. We release our final Top 25 after the regular season is completed.
2014 Final High School Football America Top 25
1. Allen Eagles (Texas) 16-0
Preseason Poll: #1
First In-season Poll: #1
Final Regular Season Poll: #1
2. De La Salle Spartans (California) 14-0
PS: #4
IS: #4
RS: #2
3. Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nevada) 15-0
PS: #8
IS: ##8
RS: #4
4. Colquitt County Packers (Georgia) 15-0
PS: NR
IS: #24
RS: #8
5. Folsom Bulldogs (California) 16-0
PS: #17
IS: #11
RS: #6
6. Booker T. Washington Tornadoes (Florida) 14-0
PS: #7
IS: #3
RS: #3
7. Miami Central Rockets (Florida) 14-1
PS: #14
IS: #7
RS: #7
8. South Panola Tigers (Mississippi) 15-0
PS: #21
IS: #21
RS: #15
9. St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida) 14-1
PS: #3
IS: #2
RS: #12
10. Buford Wolves (Georgia) 15-0
PS: NR
IS: #17
RS: #14
11. Cedar Hill Longhorns (Texas) 14-2
PS: #9
IS: #9
RS: NR
12. St. Edward Eagles (Ohio) 13-2
PS: NR
IS: #14
RS: NR
13. Corona Centennial Huskies (California) 13-3
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: NR
14. Skyline Raiders (Texas) 14-1
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: #20
15. St. John Bosco Braves (California) 12-2
PS: #6
IS: #6
RS: #5
16. St. Peter’s Prep Marauders (New Jersey) 11-1
PS: #19
IS: #19
RS: NR
17. Clay-Chalkville Cougars (Alabama) 15-0
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: NR
18. Maryville Rebels (Tennessee) 15-0
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: #21
19. Hoover Buccaneers (Alabama) 13-2
PS: #2
IS: NR
RS: NR
20. La Salle Lancers (Ohio) 14-1
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: NR
21. Starkville Yellowjackets (Mississippi) 13-1
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: #18
22. Southlake Carroll Dragons (Texas) 13-1
PS: #20
IS: #20
RS: #13
23. Euless Trinity Trojans (Texas) 12-2
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: #16
24. Ben Davis Giants (Indiana) 12-2
PS: NR
IS: NR
RS: NR
25. DeSoto Eagles (Texas) 10-2
PS: #5
IS: #5
RS: #24
