Top 25 high school football rankings

Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) remains the nation's No. 1 team in this week's Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard, but competition for the top spot is extremely close.

The five teams behind Don Bosco Prep each have a case for the top spot after the Ironmen came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Manatee 22-16.

Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) remains at No. 2 after beating Tampa Bay Tech 40-7.

The nation's new No. 3 team, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), jumps from No. 5 after a 17-7 victory over then-No. 16 St. Xavier. The Shamrocks have demonstrated an impressive offense and a punishing defense so far this season.

Joining the fray of the country's top teams is DeSoto (Texas). Up from No. 10, DeSoto checks in at No. 6 this week after a 42-7 win over Stony Point.

In addition to DeSoto, three other Texas schools reside in the Top 11: Allen, Trinity and Katy.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard



1. (1) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 2-0
The Ironmen traveled to Florida and came away with a 22-16 victory over Manatee.

2. (2) Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 3-0
Wade Edwards had two long touchdown runs as Armwood blasted Tampa Bay Tech 40-7.

3. (5) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 4-0
Trinity beat St. Xavier, previously ranked No. 16, 17-7 on the road. Travis Wright threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

4. (3) Allen (Texas), 3-0
Bye. Next game: Sept. 23 vs. Plano.

5. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2-0
Bye. Next game: Sept. 23 vs. De La Salle.
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6. (10) DeSoto (Texas), 4-0
With a 42-7 blanking of Stony Point on the road, DeSoto remains one of the hottest teams in the country right now. Raheem Wilson threw for three scores.

7. (6) Katy (Texas), 3-0
Filling in for Adam Taylor, Cody Gomez rushed for 133 yards and three scores in Katy's 42-7 thrashing of Westbrook.

8. (11) Gaffney (S.C.), 5-0
In another demonstration of its South Carolina superiority, Gaffney pounded Byrnes 35-13.

9. (14) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 3-0
After tough games against Manatee and Gilman, Good Counsel enjoyed a 35-3 laugher over Valley Forge Military Academy.

10. (7) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 2-0
In a tune-up before its highly anticipated showdown with St. Thomas Aquinas, De La Salle relied on its running game to down St. Mary's 35-0.
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11. (8) Trinity (Euless, Texas), 4-0
Brandon Reeves scored twice to lead Trinity past Irving 64-0.

12. (9) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 4-0
St. Edward continued to march through its difficult schedule undefeated, beating Elder 30-10. The Eagles still have Don Bosco Prep, Archbishop Moeller and St. Xavier on their schedule.

13. (12) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 4-1
Shaquille Powell and Jarrett Solomon each accounted for three touchdowns as Bishop Gorman blasted Clark 69-7.

14. (13) Prattville (Ala.), 3-1
Prattville avenged two losses last season by hammering Wetumpka 71-12. Justin M. Thomas threw for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

15. (15) Harrison (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 4-0
Jake Vento accounted for four total touchdowns in Harrison's 34-7 victory over Oxford.
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16. (17) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 4-0
Mallard Creek forced seven turnovers in the second half en route to a 45-3 victory over Mooresville.

17. (18) Buford (Ga.), 5-0
Buford turned in another stellar performance, beating Lovett 49-0. Through five games, Buford has outscored opponents 224-14.

18. (19) Warren Central (Indianapolis), 5-0
With a 48-16 victory over North Central, Warren Central moved to 5-0 on the season.

19. (20) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 4-0
Devin Gillespie rushed for two touchdowns and Robert Nkemdiche found the end zone as well for Grayson, which downed Berkman 56-6.

20. (21) Bellevue (Wash.), 3-0
Sophomore sensation Bishard Baker returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Bellevue's 42-20 victory over Interlake.
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21. (22) Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 4-0
The Lake Travis offense continued to roll, as it blasted Tivy 56-14. The Cavaliers scored 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to pull away for the win.

22. (24) McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), 4-0
Stellar defense and four touchdown passes from Trent Thompson led to McEachern's 55-0 shutout of Campbell.

23. (25) Union (Tulsa, Okla.), 3-0
Union held off a tough Broken Arrow squad, winning 21-14. Kendall Holmes scored twice for the Redskins.

24. (NR) Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.), 3-0
In what appears to be a deep year for quality Georgia teams, Camden County is among the best. It beat Windsor Forest 55-13 on Friday.

25. (24) Columbus (Miami), 2-0
For the second week in a row, Columbus won a close game, this time downing Southridge 31-24. A Sept. 30 showdown with Central will be telling.

Dropped out:
St. Xavier