If you haven’t had a chance to watch top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) in-person or on television, you’re missing what may be one of the top high school football teams of all-time. At least that’s what some are saying, and I’ve jumped on that bandwagon — the Monarchs ARE impressive with a high-powered offense and a defense that swarms and hits.
Mater Dei, which enters its bye week before starting Trinity League play on October 6, has a solid grip on the top-spot midway through the regular season after a 52-14 win over St. Mary’s (Stockton, California) at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers Saturday night. The Monarchs’ Trinity League foes own a non-league record of 23-2. Those two loses were against nationally-ranked teams — St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) to No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) and Santa Margarita to Mission Viejo (California), which moves-up one notch to No. 25 in the latest High School Football America Top 100 that is created with our proprietary algorithm.
Mater Dei’s showdown with No. 6 St. John Bosco is set for October 13. The Braves picked-up an impressive come-from-behind win over former No. 17 St. John’s (Washington, DC) on Saturday, which dropped the Cadets to No. 27 this week.
Related: Top 100 scoreboard September 21-23, 2017
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) remains a solid No. 2 after coming-from-behind to beat former No. 11 Miami Central on Friday. The Ascenders, who have won 32 straight, will test themselves against another Miami-foe this week in the Northwestern Bulls, who climb six spots this week to No. 44 after beating No. 75 Booker T. Washington (Miami, Florida) 14-7 over the weekend. Miami Central drops three spots to No. 14 this week.
The IMG/Northwestern match-up is one of five Top 100 games this week.
In Louisville, Kentucky, No. 8 Trinity and St. Xavier will renew their intense rivalry in-front of 30,000-plus fans. In Oklahoma, No. 29 Union (Tulsa) takes-on No. 67 Owasso (Owasso) and in New Jersey No. 28 St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City) plays No. 51 Paramus Catholic (Paramus) and No. 31 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey) faces No. 45 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey).
There are two new teams in this week’s national rankings — defending Illinois 8A champ Maine South at No. 97 and two-time defending Ohio Division III champ Archbishop Hoban at No. 99.
High School Football America Top 100
| Rank, Team, State | Record | Last Week | Next Week |
| #1 Mater Dei (California) | 5-0 | 1 | Idle |
| #2 IMG Academy (Florida) | 3-0 | 2 | #44 Northwestern (FL) |
| #3 Allen (Texas) | 3-0 | 3 | Boyd (TX) |
| #4 Grayson (Georgia) | 3-0 | 4 | Ramsay (AL) |
| #5 St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) | 2-0 | 5 | Stranahan (FL) – Monday |
| #6 St. John Bosco (California) | 4-1 | 6 | Idle |
| #7 DeSoto (Texas) | 3-0 | 7 | Cedar Hill (TX) |
| #8 Trinity (Kentucky) | 6-0 | 8 | #78 St. Xavier (KY) |
| #9 St. Xavier (Ohio) | 5-0 | 9 | Elder (OH) |
| #10 South Pointe (South Carolina) | 5-0 | 10 | Ridge View (SC) |
| #11 St. Ignatius (Ohio) | 5-0 | 12 | Clarkson Football N (Canada) |
| #12 American Heritage (Plantation, Florida) | 3-0 | 13 | Idle |
| #13 St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania) | 4-0 | 14 | Idle |
| #14 Miami Central (Florida) | 3-1 | 11 | Norland (FL) |
| #15 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) | 3-2 | 15 | Spring Valley (NV) |
| #16 De La Salle (California) | 4-1 | 16 | Bishop O’Dowd (CA) |
| #17 DeMatha (Maryland) | 4-1 | 18 | Idle |
| #18 Ben Davis (Indiana) | 6-0 | 20 | Carmel (IN) |
| #19 Corona Centennial (CA) | 3-1 | 19 | Idle |
| #20 Brentwood Academy (Tennessee) | 5-0 | 21 | Baylor (TN) |
| #21 St. Edward (Ohio) | 5-0 | 22 | Naperville Central (IL) |
| #22 Hoover (Alabama) | 4-1 | 23 | Idle |
| #23 Bingham (Utah) | 6-0 | 24 | Lone Peak (UT) |
| #24 Katy (Texas) | 2-0 | 25 | Katy Taylor (TX) |
| #25 Mission Viejo (California) | 5-0 | 26 | El Toro (CA) |
| #26 St. Frances Academy (Maryland) | 4-0 | 27 | Loyola Blakefield (MD) |
| #27 St. John’s College HS (Washington, DC) | 2-2 | 17 | Idle |
| #28 St. Peter’s Prep (New Jersey) | 2-1 | 28 | #51 Paramus Catholic (NJ) |
| #29 Union (Oklahoma) | 4-0 | 29 | #67 Owasso (OK) |
| #30 Fort Dorchester (South Carolina) | 5-0 | 30 | Stratford (SC) |
| #31 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey) | 2-1 | 31 | #45 Bergen Catholic (NJ) |
| #32 Denton Ryan (Texas) | 4-0 | 32 | Denton (TX) |
| #33 John Curtis (Louisiana) | 3-1 | 33 | Easton (LA) |
| #34 Judson (Texas) | 4-0 | 35 | Cibolo Steele (TX) |
| #35 Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania) | 5-0 | 36 | Pittsburgh Central Catholic (PA) |
| #36 Cocoa (Florida) | 3-0 | 37 | Int. School of Broward (FL) |
| #37 Chaminade (California) | 4-1 | 44 | Serra (Gardena, CA) |
| #38 Aledo (Texas) | 3-0 | 38 | Chisholm Trail (TX) |
| #39 East (Utah) | 5-1 | 39 | Cooper Hills (UT) |
| #40 Byrnes (South Carolina) | 5-0 | 40 | Spartanburg (SC) |
| #41 Lake Travis (Texas) | 3-1 | 41 | Hays (TX) |
| #42 Mountain Pointe (Arizona) | 4-1 | 46 | Desert Vista (AZ) |
| #43 Chandler (Arizona) | 4-2 | 47 | Basha (AZ) |
| #44 Northwestern (Miami, Florida) | 3-0 | 50 | #2 IMG Academy (FL) |
| #45 Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) | 2-2 | 56 | #31 St. Joseph Regional (NJ) |
| #46 DePaul Catholic (New Jersey) | 2-1 | 43 | Hudson Catholic (NJ) |
| #47 Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania) | 3-2 | 53 | Archbishop Ryan (PA) |
| #48 Erie Cathedral Prep (Pennsylvania) | 5-0 | 49 | St. Francis (NY) |
| #49 Long Beach Poly (California) | 3-1 | 42 | Long Beach Wilson (CA) |
| #50 Armwood (Florida) | 2-0 | 48 | Blake (FL) |
| #51 Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) | 2-2 | 45 | #28 St. Peter’s Prep (NJ) |
| #52 Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, FL) | 4-1 | 51 | Columbia (FL) |
| #53 Dutch Fork (South Carolina) | 3-1 | 52 | Blythewood (SC) |
| #54 Cartersville (Georgia) | 5-0 | 54 | Central (GA) |
| #55 The Woodlands (Texas) | 1-1 | 55 | Idle |
| #56 Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) | 4-0 | 57 | Center Point (AL) |
| #57 Evangel Christian (Louisiana) | 2-1 | 58 (tied) | Haughton (LA) |
| #58 Wake Forest (North Carolina) | 6-0 | 58 (tied) | Idle |
| #59 West Point (Mississippi) | 5-0 | 60 | Center Hill (MS) |
| #60 East St. Louis (Illinois) | 4-1 | 61 | Belleville West (IL) |
| #61 Buford (Georgia) | 2-1 | 62 | Clarke Central (GA) |
| #62 Central (Phenix City, Alabama) | 4-0 | 63 | Opelika (AL) |
| #63 Westlake (Texas) | 4-0 | 64 | Vandegrift (TX) |
| #64 Lowndes (Georgia) | 5-0 | 65 | Ware County (GA) |
| #65 Manvel (Texas) | 2-0 | 66 | Willowridge (TX) |
| #66 Valor Christian (Colorado) | 4-0 | 67 | Cherry Creek (CO) |
| #67 Owasso (Oklahoma) | 4-0 | 68 | #29 Union (OK) |
| #68 Colquitt County (Georgia) | 5-1 | 69 | Bishop Sullivan (VA) |
| #69 Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) | 5-0 | 70 | West Carrollton (OH) |
| #70 Klein Collins (Texas) | 2-0 | 71 | Houston Memorial (TX) |
| #71 Pulaski Academy (Arkansas) | 4-0 | 72 | Beebe (AR) |
| #72 Pearl (Mississippi) | 6-0 | 73 | Meridian (MS) |
| #73 Pickerington Central (Ohio) | 3-1 | 74 | Lincoln (OH) |
| #74 Booker T. Washington (Florida) | 1-2 | 75 | Miami Edison (FL) |
| #75 Cass Tech (Michigan) | 3-1 | 76 | Cody (MI) |
| #76 Starkville (Mississippi) | 4-1 | 77 | Northwest Rankin (MS) |
| #77 Prairie Ridge (Illinois) | 5-0 | 78 | McHenry (IL) |
| #78 St. Xavier (Kentucky) | 4-0 | 79 | #8 Trinity (KY) |
| #79 Plant (Florida) | 3-0 | 80 | Sickles (FL) |
| #80 Dudley (North Carolina) | 4-0 | 81 | Southwest Guilford (NC) |
| #81 Liberty (Nevada) | 2-1 | 83 | Green Valley (NV) |
| #82 Venice (Florida) | 3-0 | 84 | Braden River (FL) |
| #83 Kahuku (Hawaii) | 5-1 | 85 | Campbell (HI) |
| #84 Midway (Texas) | 3-0 | 86 | Copperas Cove (TX) |
| #85 Montgomery Bell Academy (Tennessee) | 6-0 | 87 | White Station (TN) |
| #86 Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) | 5-0 | 88 | Homewood-Flossmoor (IL) |
| #87 Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) | 4-0 | 89 | Hershey (PA) |
| #88 Duncanville (Texas) | 3-0 | 90 | Irving (TX) |
| #89 Saint Louis (Hawaii) | 5-0 | 91 | Kamehameha (HI) |
| #90 McDonogh (Maryland) | 2-1 | 92 (tied) | Archbishop Spalding (MD) |
| #91 Lamar (Houston, Texas) | 1-1 | 94 | Idle |
| #92 Lawrence Central (Indiana) | 5-1 | 95 | North Central (IN) |
| #93 Deerfield Beach (FL) | 2-1 | 96 | Taravella (FL) |
| #94 Carol City (Florida) | 1-1 | 97 (tied) | Hialeah-Miami Lakes (FL) |
| #95 Saguaro (Arizona) | 4-2 | 97 (tied) | Marcos de Niza (AZ) |
| #96 Warren Central (Indiana) | 3-3 | 99 (tied) | Lawrence North (IN) |
| #97 Maine South (Illinois) | 4-1 | NR | Niles North (IL) |
| #98 Oakland (Tennessee) | 5-0 | 99 (tied) | Coffee County Central (TN) |
| #99 Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) | 4-1 | NR | Lake Catholic (OH) |
| #100 Narbonne (California) | 2-3 | 92 (tied) | Idle |
Dropped-out No. 34 La Salle (Ohio), No. 82 Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey)
