Xcellent 25 Football Rankings: Bosco soars after De La Salle win

After beating De La Salle 30-6, Ironmen rise to No. 8 in this week's rankings.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Stephen Spiewak
By
Sep 13, 2009, 12:00am
Thanks to a dominating performance against California power De La Salle, Don Bosco Prep jumped to No. 8 in the Xcellent 25.
Bryan Murphy leads the Don Bosco Prep linebackers.
Bryan Murphy leads the Don Bosco Prep linebackers.
Dan Coppola


The Ironmen held the Spartans to a mere six points and no touchdowns. De La Salle accrued just 54 total yards.

Don Bosco Prep can enhance its resume when it travels to Alabama later in the month to take on defending 6A state champion Prattville.


Cedar Hill and St. Xavier, two of the top programs in Texas and Ohio respectively, also rose in the rankings thanks to impressive performance in marquee games. Cedar Hill was able to hold off Euless Trinity in a big non-district game, while St. Xavier traveled to Louisville and downed the St. Xavier Shamrocks.

Other teams making their season debut in the Xcellent 25 are Jenks (Okla.), Grayson (Ga.), and Stony Point (Texas).

MaxPreps Xcellent 25

1. Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2-0. Last Week: 1. The Raiders kept up their winning ways, blasting Boyd Anderson 46-6. Lamarcus Joyner, in his second game with Aquinas, totaled 155 all-purpose yards. The Raiders will have a final tune-up against Cardinal Gibbons this week before their mammoth showdown with No. 2 Byrnes.

2. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 3-0. Last Week: 2. The Rebels continue to dominate their schedule, handling Greer  52-6. Chas Dodd led the offense with five touchdowns.

3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 3-0. Last Week: 3. For the second time in three games, the Panthers defeated a defending state champion, beating Kentucky 6A titlist Trinity 26-7. Elder’s Greater Catholic League schedule begins this week with LaSalle.

4. Smith (Chesapeake, Va.), 2-0. Last Week: 5. Despite a pedestrian night by star quarterback Phillip Sims, Smith rallied for 42 straight points and never looked back against Indian River.

5. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.), 3-0. Last Week: 6. Still not convinced that Lowndes is back? The Vikings pitched a shutout against Ware County and have allowed only 31 points in three games.

6. Central (Miami, Fla.), 2-0. Last Week: 7. While the Rockets’ offense remains one of the most impressive in the state, the defense remains the story for Central. After shutting down Mainland last week, the defense pitched a shutout against Killian.

7. Cedar Hill (Texas), 4-0. Last Week: 12. The Longhorns continue to take on all comers. After beating De Soto and Rider to begin the season, Cedar Hill took out Texas powerhouse Trinity on Saturday, confirming its status as one of the nation’s elite teams.

8. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 1-0. Last Week: 16. The Ironmen outperformed even the most optimistic projections for their season opener against De La Salle (Calif.). Led by an outstanding defensive performance, Don Bosco Prep was able to rout the Spartans 30-6.

9. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 2-0. Last Week: 9. A tough Gilman squad was no match for DeMatha, as the Stags’ offense, led by Iowa-commit Marcus Coker, erupted for 56 points to claim the win.

10. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 2-0. Last Week: 10. The Lions looked great on both sides of the ball, beating Muir 51-0. Nick Montana threw for four touchdowns and Malcolm Jones rushed for 129 yards on only 12 carries.

11. Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 1-0. Last Week: 10. Salmen is up next for Curtis on Friday after a bye week.

12. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.), 2-0. Last Week: 11. A 42-12 victory over Ballard should have the Spartans ready for a primetime showdown with No. 10 Oaks Christian.

13. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), 3-0. Last Week: 13. It was another impressive victory for Centennial in a lopsided win over Willow Canyon, 42-6. A challenge from Brophy Prep awaits on Thursday night.

14. Madison Central (Madison, Miss.), 4-0. Last Week: 14. A 4-0 start has the Jaguars poised for a run at the 6A state title. Peyton Johnson had five total touchdowns in a blowout of Canton.

15. Northwestern (Miami, Fla.), 1-0. Last Week: 15. The Bulls were off this week and will play Hialeah on Thursday.

16. Longview (Texas), 3-0. Last week: 17. A 30-point win over Natchitoches Central has the Lobos undefeated heading into a big matchup with another 5A power as the team travels to take on Lufkin this weekend.

17. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), 2-0. Last Week: 18. With a 37-14 win over Clovis East, Servite continues to push for supremacy in Southern California. Pac-5 rival Crespi awaits on Friday night.
Steve Specht has St. Xavier playing excellent defense.
Steve Specht has St. Xavier playing excellent defense.
Scott Seighman


18. St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio), 3-0. Last Week: 24. The Bombers continue to resemble St. Xavier squads of the past, and not the 4-6 Bombers of 2008. The team’s defense, always stout under head coach Steve Specht, held Louisville’s St. Xavier to only six points.

19. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas), 3-0. Last Week: NR. Stony Point surges into the rankings after another near-perfect performance. The Tigers, who beat Waco 45-7, have only allowed 10 points all season.

20. Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.), 4-0. Last Week: 20. Highlands continues to handle its business against early-season opponents, besting Withrow (Ohio) 21-0. The Bluebirds host Boone County on Friday night.

21. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 3-0. Last Week: NR. After edging Camden County and Warner Robbins in consecutive weeks, Grayson handily defeated Dacula 44-0. The Rams are a serious threat in Georgia’s AAAAA classification.

22. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.), 2-0. Last Week: 22. Junior quarterback Matt Johnson led a balanced offensive attack for the Crusaders, who return 17 starters from a year ago. Running back Jameel Poteat is averaging 132 rushing yards per game.

23. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.), 2-0. Last Week: 23. The Seraphs put Long Beach Poly in a very unfamiliar position: 0-2. Devon Blackledge rushed for nearly 300 yards as St. Bonaventure exacted revenge for its only loss on 2008.

24. Jenks (Tulsa, Okla.), 2-0. Last Week: NR. Jenks enters the Xcellent 25 after an exciting 27-25 win against rival Union in the Backyard Bowl. Zack Lenger rushed for two second-half touchdowns to power the Trojans.

25. Butler (Matthews, N.C.), 3-0. Last Week: 25. Thanks to the fine play of junior quarterback Christian Lemay, Butler remains undefeated after holding off a tough Richmond team 38-31. Lemay tossed for over 300 yards and accounted for five total touchdowns.

Dropped out:

Notre Dame (Calif.): Lost to Moorpark 27-14
Bingham (Utah): Lost to Trinity 42-21
De La Salle (Calif.): Lost to Don Bosco Prep 30-6

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