by Jeff Fisher, High School Football America
As we move deeper into the season, the High School Football America algorithm is able to do a deep-dive into strength of schedule and beyond, to provide fans with a great snapshot of the best teams in the country.
How good is our algorithm that we began using in 2013?
Just look at some of the teams over the last two years that High School Football America had in its preseason polls that none of the other national ranking services did at the start, but they did in the end. South Panola from Mississippi would be the best example last year.
The best example of the High School Football America Top 25 algorithm being ahead of the curve this year is La Salle from Ohio. The defending Division II champs in Ohio were HSFA’s preseason #12. Not one other national ranking service had the Lancers in their Top 25.
Related: 2015 Preseason Top 25
I’d also like to point-out that we were the only ranker to have Euless Trinity from Texas in the Preseason Top 25, and we all know what the Trojans did at the start of the season on national television against then #1 De La Salle from California.
Related: Recap – #23 Euless Trinity beats #1 De La Salle
But back to La Salle — after a hard-fought 13-7 overtime road victory over Archbishop Moeller Friday night, the Lancers move from #10 to #9 in the latest rankings released on Sunday. The Lancers jump right back into the fire this Friday when they take to the road again to face St. Xavier in a Greater Catholic League South Division showdown. Last week, St. X had climbed to #48 in High School Football America’s The Other 25 (teams #26 through #50), however, a 24-17 loss to Elder will change that ranking this week when we release The Other 25 on Monday.
Aside from La Salle, three other teams moved-up in this week’s rankings, plus New Jersey’s Bergen Catholic, after hard-fought losses to nationally-ranked IMG Academy from Florida and St. Edward from Ohio, moves back into the poll at #25 after a 27-21 over Paramus Catholic in New Jersey’s ultra-tough Big North United Division.
Speaking of IMG and St. Ed’s, both teams were the biggest movers in this week’s poll.
IMG’s 24-12 win over former #15 St. Joseph Regional from New Jersey Friday night, saw the Ascenders ascend from #16 to #12, while St. Joe’s dropped to #16.
St. Edward moves from #19 to #17 after its win over Cocoa from Florida. This week, the Eagles will be a slight favorite, according to our algorithm, when they face another foe from Florida, Mainland, which dropped one notch to #18 after spending the entire time since the preseason poll at #17. The St. Ed/Mainland game will be played in Ohio.
The other upward mover this week is American Heritage from Plantation, Florida which moves up one notch to #21.
The only team dropping-out of this week’s poll is former #25 Byrnes from South Carolina, which lost to #23 Spartanburg 17-7 on Thursday.
High School Football America Top 25
#1 Allen Eagles (Texas)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #1
Rewind: beat Lewisville (Texas) 52-7
Fast Forward: at Hebron (Texas), Friday
#2 Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nevada)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #2
Rewind: beat Shadow Ridge (California) 70-7
Fast Forward: vs. Durango (Nevada), Friday
#3 Corona Centennial Huskies (California)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #3
Rewind: beat Valencia (California) 59-7
Fast Forward: at King (California), Friday
#4 DeMatha Stags (Maryland)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #4
Rewind: beat St. John’s (Washington, DC) 40-0
Fast Forward: at Bishop McNamara (Maryland), Saturday
#5 St. John Bosco Braves (California)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #5
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at Santa Margarita (California), Friday
#6 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #6
Rewind: beat Idle
Fast Forward: at Deerfield Beach (Florida), Friday
#7 Euless Trinity Trojans (Texas)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #7
Rewind: beat Haltom (Texas) 68-0
Fast Forward: at Bell (Texas), Thursday
#8 Colquitt County Packers (Georgia)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #8
Rewind: beat Lowndes (Georgia) 42-20
Fast Forward: at Lee County (Georgia), Friday
#9 La Salle Lancers (Ohio)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #10
Rewind: beat Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) 13-7 OT
Fast Forward: at St. Xavier (Ohio), Friday
#10 Katy Tigers (Texas)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #9
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. Seven Lakes (Texas), Saturday
#11 De La Salle Spartans (California)
Record: (4-1)
Previous Rank: #11
Rewind: beat Granite Bay (California) 37-0
Fast Forward: vs. San Ramon Valley (California), Friday
#12 IMG Academy Ascenders (Florida)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #16
Rewind: beat #15 St. Joseph Regional (New Jersey) 24-12
Fast Forward: vs. Southern Lab (Louisiana), Friday
#13 Mater Dei (California)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #13
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at Orange Lutheran (California), Friday
#14 South Panola Tigers (Mississippi)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #14
Rewind: beat Olive Branch (Mississippi) 47-29
Fast Forward: at Hernando (Mississippi), Friday
#15 Cedar Hill Longhorns (Texas)
Record: (5-0)
Previous Rank: #12
Rewind: beat Midlothian (Texas) 52-13
Fast Forward: vs. Duncanville (Texas), Friday
#16 St. Joseph Regional Green Knights (Montvale, New Jersey)
Record: (4-1)
Previous Rank: #15
Rewind: lost to #16 IMG Academy (Florida) 24-12
Fast Forward: at St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania), Saturday
#17 St. Edward Eagles (Ohio)
Record: (5-1)
Previous Rank: #19
Rewind: beat Cocoa (Florida) 24-14
Fast Forward: vs. #18 Mainland (Florida), Saturday
#18 Mainland Buccaneers (Florida)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #17
Rewind: beat Deltona (Florida) 42-14
Fast Forward: at #17 St. Edward (Ohio), Saturday
#19 Center Grove Trojans (Indiana)
Record: (7-0)
Previous Rank: #18
Rewind: beat Pike (Indiana) 59-14
Fast Forward: vs. Lawrence North (Indiana), Friday
#20 Male Bulldogs (Kentucky)
Record: (7-0)
Previous Rank: #20
Rewind: beat Pleasant Ridge Park (Kentucky) 44-0
Fast Forward: Idle
#21 American Heritage Patriots (Plantation, Florida)
Record: (5-1)
Previous Rank: #21
Rewind: beat Stranahan (Florida) 42-7
Fast Forward: Idle
#22 Clay-Chalkville Cougars (Alabama)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #21
Rewind: beat Center Point (Alabama) 56-0
Fast Forward: vs. Shades Valley (Alabama), Friday
#23 Spartanburg Vikings (South Carolina)
Record: (6-0)
Previous Rank: #23
Rewind: beat Byrnes (South Carolina) 17-7
Fast Forward: vs. Dorman (South Carolina), Friday
#24 Colerain Cardinals (Ohio)
Record: (5-1)
Previous Rank: #24
Rewind: beat Fairfield (Ohio) 35-0
Fast Forward: vs. Lakota West (Ohio), Friday
#25 Bergen Catholic (New Jersey)
Record: (3-2)
Previous Rank: #27
Rewind: beat Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) 27-21
Fast Forward: at DePaul (New Jersey), Friday
Dropping out – #25 Byrnes (South Carolina)
Jeff Fisher’s Editor’s Note: For the third straight year, High School Football America is using its propriety algorithm for its in-season Top 25 national rankings.
