With three weeks to go in the 2016 high school football season, there’s still time for several teams to make their move toward winning the High School Football America “mythical” national championship based on our proprietary algorithm. Quite honestly, it’s going to take some major upsets to dislodge Bishop Gorman from the top spot, but stranger things have happened.
Gorman controls its destiny. On Saturday, the Gaels will play for their eighth straight Nevada state championship when it takes-on Liberty.
IMG Academy (Florida) remains #2 in the latest rankings, but their lead over #3 Mater Dei (California) shrunk this week. Mater Dei has #7 St. John Bosco (California) this week in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game. If the Monarchs beat Bosco for the second time this year, they could still have two more quality opponents ahead of them, that could move them above IMG. However, don’t count-out St. John Bosco, our preseason #1, out against Mater Dei. Bosco’s two losses have come against Gorman and Mater Dei. In both of those losses, the Braves led at half.
Bosco is this week’s big mover after beating former #7 Corona Centennial 49-47 on Friday. The Braves jump four spots, while Corona Centennial falls to #10. The Huskies close-out the season with losses to IMG and St. John Bosco by a total of only three points.
With #19 Loyola Academy (Illinois) and #21 Center Grove (Indiana) losing in their respective state championship games, two new teams enter the Top 25 this week. Entering at #22 is St. Ignatius, which will play #31 St. Xavier in the Ohio Division 1 championship game on Friday. Saguaro, Arizona’s newly-crowned Class 4A champs, enter the Top 25 at #25.
Aside from the St. Ignatius/St. Xavier state championship game, there are several other big match-ups within the Top 50 in the week ahead.
In Alabama, #9 McGill-Toolen, the state’s defending 7A champs, will play #29 Hoover in the 2016 Class 7A championship game.
In Georgia, #6 Grayson will play #12 Mill Creek in the Class AAAAAAA semifinals. The winner will face the winner of the game between #11 Roswell and Westlake.
In Texas, there are a couple of regular season match-ups taking centerstage in the quarterfinals. In Class 6A Division I, #16 Lake Travis will play 2015 state runner-up Westlake, which began the season ranked #17 in our Top 25. On October 7th, Lake Travis beat the Chaps 49-7. In the Class 6A Division II quarters, #17 DeSoto will play #45 Cedar Hill. On September 23rd, DeSoto beat the Longhorns 33-18.
High School Football America Top 25
Presented by Krossover Intelligence
#1 Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nevada)
Record: (14-0)
Previous Rank: #1
Rewind: beat Arbor View (Nevada) 56-17
Fast Forward: vs. Liberty (Nevada), Saturday, 4A championship
#2 IMG Academy Ascenders (Florida)
Record: (11-0)
Previous Rank: #2
Fast Forward: Season complete
#3 Mater Dei Monarchs (California)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #3
Rewind: beat Rancho Cucamonga (California) 48-21
Fast Forward: vs. #7 St. John Bosco (California), Friday, CIF Southern Section Division I Championship
#4 DeMatha Stags (Maryland)
Record: (12-0)
Previous Rank: #4
Fast Forward: Season complete
#5 Allen Eagles (Texas)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #5
Rewind: beat San Angelo Central (Texas) 35-24
Fast Forward: vs. Duncanville (Texas), Saturday, Class 6A Division I quarterfinals
#6 Grayson Rams (Georgia)
Record: (12-1)
Previous Rank: #6
Rewind: beat Colquitt County (Georgia) 49-21
Fast Forward: vs. #12 Mill Creek (Georgia), Friday, Class AAAAAAA semifinals
#7 St. John Bosco Braves (California)
Record: (11-2)
Previous Rank: #11
Rewind: beat #7 Corona Centennial (California) 49-47
Fast Forward: at #3 Mater Dei (California), Friday, CIF Southern Section Division I championship
#8 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida)
Record: (10-2)
Previous Rank: #8
Rewind: beat Mater Academy (Florida) 50-10
Fast Forward: vs. Venice (Florida), Friday, Class 7A semifinals
#9 McGill-Toolen Yellowjackets (Alabama)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #9
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. #29 Hoover (Alabama), Wednesday, Alabama 7A state championship game
#10 Corona Centennial Huskies (California)
Record: (11-2)
Previous Rank: #7
Rewind: beat lost to #11 St. John Bosco (California) 49-47
Fast Forward: Season complete
#11 Roswell Hornets (Georgia)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #10
Rewind: beat North Cobb (Georgia) 29-12
Fast Forward: vs. Westlake (Georgia), Friday, Georgia Class AAAAAAA semifinals
#12 Mill Creek Hawks (Georgia)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #12
Rewind: beat McEachern (Georgia) 31-28
Fast Forward: vs. #6 Grayson (Georgia), Friday, Class AAAAAAA semifinals
#13 Trinity Shamrocks (Kentucky)
Record: (14-0)
Previous Rank: #13
Rewind: beat St. Xavier (Kentucky) 24-14
Fast Forward: vs. Lafayette (Kentucky), Saturday, Kentucky 6A championship
#14 American Heritage Patriots (Plantation, Florida)
Record: (12-0)
Previous Rank: #14
Rewind: beat Bishop Moore (Florida) 20-7
Fast Forward: vs. Jesuit (Florida), Friday, Florida Class 5A semifinals
#15 St. Joseph’s Prep Hawks (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Record: (12-0)
Previous Rank: #15
Rewind: beat Parkland (Pennsylvania) 38-17
Fast Forward: vs. North Penn (Pennsylvania), Saturday, Class 6A semifinals
#16 Lake Travis Cavaliers (Texas)
Record: (12-1)
Previous Rank: #16
Rewind: beat Los Fresnos (Texas) 54-7
Fast Forward: vs. Westlake (Texas), Friday, Texas 6A Division I quarterfinals
#17 DeSoto Eagles (Texas)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #17
Rewind: beat Abilene (Texas) 49-45
Fast Forward: vs. #45 Cedar Hill (Texas), Saturday, Class 6A Division II quarterfinals
#18 Cass Tech Technicians (Michigan)
Record: (14-0)
Previous Rank: #18
Rewind: beat Detroit Catholic Central (Michigan) 49-20 for Division 1 championship
Fast Forward: Season complete
#19 Cibolo Steele Knights (Texas)
Record: (12-1)
Previous Rank: #20
Rewind: beat Weslaco East (Texas) 56-0
Fast Forward: vs. Churchill (Texas), Saturday, Class 6A Division II quarterfinals
#20 St. Joseph Regional Green Knights (Montvale, New Jersey)
Record: (8-2)
Previous Rank: #22
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. DePaul (New Jersey), Friday, Non-Public Group 3 championship
#21 Paramus Catholic (New Jersey)
Record: (9-2)
Previous Rank: #23
Rewind: Idle
Fast Forward: vs. St. Peter’s Prep (New Jersey), Friday, Non-Public Group 4 championship
#22 St. Ignatius Wildcats (Ohio)
Record: (13-1)
Previous Rank: #26
Rewind: beat Olentangy Liberty (Ohio) 24-14
Fast Forward: vs. #31 St. Xavier (Ohio), Friday, Ohio Division 1 championship
#23 South Pointe Stallions (South Carolina)
Record: (11-1)
Previous Rank: #24
Rewind: beat Airport (South Carolina) 61-7
Fast Forward: at Belton-Honea Path (South Carolina), Friday, South Carolina AAAA quarterfinals
#24 Denton Ryan Raiders (Texas)
Record: (13-0)
Previous Rank: #25
Rewind: beat Lubbock Monterey (Texas) 38-21
Fast Forward: vs. Colleyville Heritage (Texas), Saturday, Texas 5A Division I quarterfinals
#25 Saguaro Sabercats (Arizona)
Record: (14-0)
Previous Rank: #28
Rewind: beat Catalina Foothills 42-14
Fast Forward: Season complete
Dropped-out: #19 Loyola Academy (Illinois), #21 Center Grove (Indiana)
Editor’s Note: The High School Football America National Top 50 is developed using our proprietary algorithm.
