Video: Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings Mater Dei climbs to No. 1 after CIF Southern Section Division I championship win over St. John Bosco.
Because of the way
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) won the first meeting (41-18) with the Monarchs, not many thought Mater Dei could beat the Braves. However, a relentless defensive effort and some key offensive plays pushed the Monarchs to a 17-13 victory.
The defense forced two
DJ Uiagalelei interceptions, the key one coming late in the fourth quarter as
Elias Ricks recorded his ninth interception of the season. Junior USC commit
Bryce Young made some huge plays on offense, and
Bru McCoy and UCLA commit
Mike Martinez combined for 158 yards receiving and a score.
Mater Dei clinched a spot in the CIF Open Division championship game on Dec. 8 at Cerritos College (Norwalk) and awaits the winner of No. 8
De La Salle (Concord) and Liberty (Brentwood).
No one in high school football has a better resume than Mater Dei.
See the video above for a complete look at this week's Xcellent 25 rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
Bru McCoy, Mater Dei
File photo by Ming Chung Lin
Just because the Monarchs jump to No. 1 doesn't mean Mater Dei has anything locked up — even if it wins the Open Division state title. Four other schools have a legit chance at ending the year as the top team in the country.
No. 2
Allen (Texas) has the best opportunity because of what's left for the defending 6A-Division I state champs. The Eagles won their 28th consecutive game, beating Rockwall 52-40 to advance to the regional final. They could potentially face two Top 25 teams in the Final Four which could be enough to move Allen to the No. 1 spot by the end of the season.
No. 5
Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.) is still in play and the Packers are two wins away from winning the 7A Georgia state title. They shutout the defending state champs, North Gwinnett (Suwanee) 45-0. Rush Propst's squad is one of the most complete teams in the country and are 13-0, winning by nearly 35 points per game. Up next for the Packers is a very talented Archer (Lawrenceville) squad in the semifinals.
No. 8
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) has a chance to make a big jump in the rankings over the next two weeks but they have to get by an 11-0 Liberty team in the North Coast Section championship Friday first before a potential showdown with Mater Dei.
No. 10
North Shore (Houston) is still in the mix. The Mustangs have been one of the most dominant teams in the country at 12-0 and winning by nearly 50 points per game. They take on the newest team to the Top 25 on Friday at NRG Stadium (Houston) —
Katy (Texas) — with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. If North Shore gets by Katy and some other big-time Texas programs, and wins the 6A Division I state championship it would have a legit chance to finish the year at No. 1.
A couple of teams in the Top 25 won state titles this past week.
No. 7
St. Louis (Honolulu) capped its perfect season winning its third consecutive Open Division state championship beating Mililani 38-17. The Crusaders enter the 2019 season riding a 27-game winning streak.
No. 11
Warren Central (Indianapolis) improved to 9-0 in state championship games and won its first state title since 2013 knocking off Carmel 27-7.
Romeir Elliott continued his remarkable senior season rushing for 162 yards and three scores. He brought his total to just under 3,000 yards on the year to go with 44 total touchdowns.
Jayden George joined his older brother, Jeffrey George (2013), and father, Jeff George (1984 and 1985), as Warren Central quarterbacks to win state titles. The Warriors also became the first school in Indiana history to have undefeated state championship seasons in boys basketball and football in the same calendar year.
