The biggest surprise in Week 1 was La Salle College High School routing No. 9 Harrisburg 45-7. That moves the Explorers from No. 14 to No. 6 in the first in-season High School Football America Pennsylvania Top 25 high school football rankings, powered by NFL Play Football.
La Salle can continue to move up this week when it plays No. 3 Malvern Prep. Harrisburg will try to rebound when it plays No. 9 Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg) after dropping to No. 16 in the latest rankings.
Top-ranked St. Joseph’s Prep will open defense of its back-to-back 6A titles by playing three-time reigning Ohio Division I champ St. Edward. Both are highly-ranked in the HSFA 300 national rankings.
St. Ed enters No. 14 in America. SJP is No. 17 in the latest national rankings.
New to the rankings this week is Garnet Valley at No. 24 after beating preseason No. 23 Coatesville last week. Freedom (Bethlehem) enters at No. 25 after beating California’s Torrey Pines 17-14 in its season opener.
This week, Freedom will test that ranking against No. 19 Parkland.
Out west, No. 4 Pittsburgh Central Catholic will take-on No. 20 Pine-Richland.
High School Football America Pennsylvania Top 25
| Ranking/Team | Record | Preseason Ranking |
| No. 1 St. Joseph’s Prep | (0-0) | 1 |
| No. 2 Imhotep Charter | (1-0) | 2 |
| No. 3 Malvern Prep | (0-0) | 3 |
| No. 4 Pittsburgh Central Catholic | (0-1) | 4 |
| No. 5 Roman Catholic | (1-0) | 5 |
| No. 6 La Salle College HS | (1-0) | 14 |
| No. 7 Central Bucks South | (1-0) | 6 |
| No. 8 Nazareth | (1-0) | 7 |
| No. 9 Bishop McDevitt | (1-0) | 8 |
| No. 10 Downingtown West | (1-0) | 10 |
| No. 11 Spring-Ford | (1-0) | 11 |
| No. 12 North Allegheny | (1-0) | 12 |
| No. 13 Peters Township | (1-0) | 13 |
| No. 14 Chester | (1-0) | 15 |
| No. 15 Central York | (1-0) | 16 |
| No. 16 Harrisburg | (0-1) | 9 |
| No. 17 Aliquippa | (0-0) | 17 |
| No. 18 Manheim Central | (1-0) | 18 |
| No. 19 Parkland | (1-0) | 19 |
| No. 20 Pine-Richland | (1-0) | 20 |
| No. 21 Manheim Township | (1-0) | 21 |
| No. 22 West Chester Rustin | (1-0) | 22 |
| No. 23 Strath Haven | (1-0) | 24 |
| No. 24 Garnet Valley | (1-0) | NR |
| No. 25 Freedom (Bethlehem) | (1-0) | NR |
Dropped-out: No. 23 Coatesville, No. 23 McKeesport
Editor’s Note: The High School Football America national, regional and state rankings are developed using our proprietary algorithm.
