For the first time since we created our national high school football rankings in 2013 using our proprietary algorithm, High School Football America is releasing its first in-season Top 25 and The Other 25 before Labor Day. We’re doing this because you have asked us to. After much thought , we decided, why not?
In the past, the reason we held-off until Labor Day was because we felt it was unfair to those teams that hadn’t played a game yet. The strength of our computer rankings comes from actual games, not the info that we use in our preseason criteria; although we’re extremely proud of what we’ve been able to do with our preseason poll. Last year, 14 of the teams in our preseason Top 25, ended the season there.
Another big decision we had to make was…what do we do with Florida’s Kickoff Classics? The games do not count toward a team’s overall record, because they are exhibition games, so to speak. After discussing this with many people that I trust…coaches and media…I decided not to factor-in the Kickoff Classics.
Our decision is simple…if the games don’t count, why would we count them?
That’s good news for preseason #2 IMG, which was pushed to the limit by Carol City in a 17-7 win on Saturday and #32 American Heritage (Plantation), which lost to #37 Booker T. Washington in Kickoff Classics.
So how’d things turn-out of the weekend?
Two of the Top 25 teams lost, however, it should be noted that both #19 Northwestern (South Carolina) and #22 Center Grove (Indiana) lost by a touchdown or less against an opponent ranked in our The Other 25, which ranks teams #26 through #50.
Both Northwestern and Center Grove drop into The Other 25, which means that there was room for two new teams this week.
Moving from #33 to #22 is Mill Creek from Georgia. Saturday night, the Hawks snapped two-time defending Georgia Class AAAAAA champ Colquitt County’s 30 game win streak. The 34-27 win avenged last year’s state semifinal loss by the Hawks to the Packers. Colquitt County, our 2015 “mythical” national champs, began the year ranked #43 in the nation in our poll.
Warren Central is the other new Top 25 team. The Warriors move into the Top 25 at #24, up seventeen spots from their preseason position. The Warriors 21-16 win over former #22 Center Grove, sets-up an all-Top 25 match-up on Saturday between Warren Central and #19 Colerain in Ohio.
Speaking of Top 25 vs. Top 25, there will be three other huge all-Top 25 games — #2 IMG at #8 Grayson (Georgia), #5 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) at #3 Cedar Hill (Texas) and #6 Katy (Texas) at #17 Westlake (Texas). Katy won the Texas Class 6A Division II title, while Westlake finished runner-up in Class 6A Division I.
The biggest mover in this week’s poll is Alabama’s McGill-Toolen, which moves-up three spots to #21.
High School Football America Top 25
Presented by Krossover Intelligence
#1 St. John Bosco Braves (California)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #1
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at St. Xavier (Ohio), Saturday
#2 IMG Academy Ascenders (Florida)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #2
Rewind: beat Carol City (Florida) in Kickoff Classic 17-7
Fast Forward: at #8 Grayson (Georgia), Saturday
#3 Cedar Hill Longhorns (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #3
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. #5 Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Saturday
#4 Mater Dei Monarchs (California)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #4
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at Bishop Amat (California), Friday
#5 Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nevada)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #5
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at #3 Cedar Hill (Texas)
#6 Katy Tigers (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #6
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at #17 Westlake (Texas), Friday
#7 St Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #7
Rewind: beat Dillard 51-0 in Kickoff Classic
Fast Forward: at Booker T. Washington (Florida), Saturday
#8 Grayson Rams (Georgia)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #8
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. #2 IMG Academy (Florida), Saturday
#9 Cibolo Steele Knights (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #9
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at San Antonio Madison (Texas), Saturday
#10 DeMatha Stags (Maryland)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #10
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at Oscar Smith (Virginia), Friday
#11 Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (Pennsylvania)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #11
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. St. John’s College High School (Washington D.C.), Saturday
#12 Miami Central Rockets (Florida)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #12
Rewind: beat Royal Palm Beach 41-0 in Kickoff Classic
Fast Forward: at East Ridge (Florida), Friday
#13 St. Joseph Regional Green Knights (New Jersey)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #13
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: Idle, opener against Serra (Gardena, California), September 3rd
#14 Allen Eagles (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #14
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. Hoover (Alabama), Friday
#15 Roswell Hornets (Georgia)
Record: (1-0)
Previous Rank: #15
Rewind: beat Buford (Georgia) 24-7
Fast Forward: Idle
#16 Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (New Jersey)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #16
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: Idle, opener at American Heritage (Plantation, Florida), September 2nd
#17 Westlake Chaparrals (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #17
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. #6 Katy (Texas)
#18 Mallard Creek Mavericks (North Carolina)
Record: (1-0)
Previous Rank: #18
Rewind: beat Dillon (South Carolina) 7-3
Fast Forward: vs. Butler (North Carolina), Friday
#19 Colerain Cardinals (Ohio)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #20
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. #24 Warren Central (Indiana), Saturday
#20 Lake Travis Cavaliers (Texas)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #21
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. Judson (Texas), Friday
#21 McGill-Toolen Yellowjackets (Alabama)
Record: (1-0)
Previous Rank: #24
Rewind: beat Spanish Fort (Alabama) 24-3
Fast Forward: vs. Davidson (Alabama), Friday
#22 Mill Creek Hawks (Georgia)
Record: (1-0)
Previous Rank: #33
Rewind: beat #43 Colquitt County (Georgia) 34-27
Fast Forward: vs. Stephenson (Georgia), Friday
#23 Good Counsel Falcons (Maryland)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #23
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: Idle, opener Mount St. Joseph (Maryland), September 3rd
#24 Warren Central Warriors (Indiana)
Record: (1-0)
Previous Rank: #41
Rewind: beat former #22 Center Grove (Indiana) 21-16
Fast Forward: at #19 Colerain (Ohio), Saturday
#25 Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors (Jacksonville, Florida)
Record: (0-0)
Previous Rank: #25
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: at Cocoa (Florida), Sunday
