A regional look at the toughest areas to play high school football across the country.
The west side was the best side in 2013 - at least when it came to high school football.
Photos by MaxPreps photographers/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
The toughest region to play high school football in 2013 was out West.
Let us explain how.
First, we broke the country down to five regions.
West: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Hawaii, Alaska, and Montana.
Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Midwest: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Southeast: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Northeast: Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware and Vermont.
Next we found the Top 20 highest ranked teams from each region in the national
MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
Finally, we added up the final overall ratings of those 20 teams to get a total rating for each region.
Here are the results and the teams representing each region.
Toughest Regions for High School Football in 2013
West
Total rating: 1,408.1
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)Overall rating: 87.9
National rank: 1
Metro area: Los Angeles
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)Overall rating: 74.6
National rank: 6
Metro area: Bay Area
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)72.4
Overall rating: 72.4
National rank: 10
Metro area: Los Angeles
Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.)Overall rating: 69.9
National rank: 18
Metro area: Los Angeles
Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)Overall rating: 69.8
National rank: 19
Metro area: Salt Lake City
Bakersfield (Calif.)Overall rating: 69.5
National rank: 21
Metro area: Bakersfield
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)Overall rating: 68.6
National rank: 24
Metro area: Denver
Centennial (Corona, Calif.)Overall rating: 67.8
National rank: 27
Metro area: Los Angeles
Bellevue (Wash.)Overall rating: 67.4
National rank: 29
Metro area: Seattle
Mission Viejo (Calif.) Overall rating: 66.2
National rank: 35
Metro area: Los Angeles
Chiawana (Pasco, Wash.)Overall rating: 65.2
National rank: 42
Metro area: Yakima
Folsom (Calif.)Overall rating: 65.1
National rank: 43
Metro area: Greater Sacramento
Vista Murrieta (Calif.) Overall rating: 64.8
National rank: 44
Metro area: Los Angeles
Long Beach Poly (Calif.)Overall rating: 63.9
National rank: 54
Metro area: Los Angeles
Serra (Gardena, Calif.)Overall rating: 63.6
National rank: 56
Metro area: Los Angeles
Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.)Overall rating: 62.8
National rank: 62
Metro area: Los Angeles
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)Overall rating: 62.2
National rank: 63
Metro area: Los Angeles
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)Overall rating: 61.9
National rank: 66
Metro area: Las Vegas
Camas (Wash.)Overall rating: 61.8
National rank: 67
Metro area: Portland
Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.)Overall rating: 61.6
National rank: 68
Metro area: Portland
Timpview (Provo, Utah)Overall rating: 61.1
National rank: 71
Metro area: Salt Lake City
Southwest
Total rating: 1325.3
Allen (Texas)Overall rating: 83.8
National rank: 2
Metro area: Dallas
DeSoto (Texas)Overall rating: 74.8
National rank: 5
Metro area: Dallas
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix)Overall rating: 73
National rank: 7
Metro area: Phoenix
Cedar Hill (Texas)Overall rating: 71.4
National rank: 12
Metro area: Dallas
Aledo (Texas)Overall rating: 71.3
National rank: 13
Metro area: Dallas
Jenks (Okla.)Overall rating: 70.1
National rank: 16
Metro area: Tulsa
Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.)Overall rating: 67.3
National rank: 30
Metro area: Tucson
Coppell (Texas)Overall rating: 67.1
National rank: 32
Metro area: Dallas
Katy (Texas)Overall rating: 66.8
National rank: 33
Metro area: Houston
Trinity (Euless, Texas)Overall rating: 66
National rank: 39
Metro area: Dallas
Argyle (Texas)Overall rating: 65.7
National rank: 40
Metro area: Dallas
Carroll (Southlake, Texas)Overall rating: 64.7
National rank: 45
Metro area: Dallas
Guyer (Denton, Texas)Overall rating: 64
National rank: 52
Metro area: Dallas
Carthage (Texas)Overall rating: 63.5
National rank: 57
Metro area: Shreveport
Union (Tulsa, Okla.)Overall rating: 61.4
National rank: 70
Metro area: Tulsa
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)Overall rating: 60
National rank: 81
Metro area: Houston
Westfield (Houston)Overall rating: 59.7
National rank: 84
Metro area: Houston
Kilgore (Texas)Overall rating: 59.1
National rank: 89
Metro area: Tyler
Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)Overall rating: 58.2
National rank: 103
Metro area: Phoenix
Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)Overall rating: 57.4
National rank: 115
Metro area: Phoenix
Southeast
Total rating: 1304
Washington (Miami)Overall rating: 75
National rank: 4
Metro area: Miami
Central (Miami)Overall rating: 72.6
National rank: 8
Metro area: Miami
Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)Overall rating: 72.6
National rank: 9
Metro area: Charlotte
Centreville (Clifton, Va.)Overall rating: 68.7
National rank: 23
Metro area: Washington, D.C.
Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.)Overall rating: 68.3
National rank: 25
Metro area: Hattiesburg
Maryville (Tenn.)Overall rating: 67.5
National rank: 28
Metro area: Knoxville
Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)Overall rating: 67.2
National rank: 31
Metro area: Charlotte
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)Overall rating: 64.4
National rank: 46
Metro area: Washington, D.C.
Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.)Overall rating: 64.2
National rank: 49
Metro area: Nashville
Norcross (Ga.)Overall rating: 64
National rank: 53
Metro area: Atlanta
Hoover (Ala.)Overall rating: 63.8
National rank: 55
Metro area: Birmingham
Spanish Fort (Ala.)Overall rating: 63.1
National rank: 59
Metro area: Mobile
Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)Overall rating: 63
National rank: 60
Metro area: West Palm Beach
Acadiana (Lafayette, La.)Overall rating: 62.9
National rank: 61
Metro area: Lafayette
Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.)Overall rating: 62.1
National rank: 65
Metro area: Atlanta
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)Overall rating: 62.1
National rank: 64
Metro area: Miami
Curtis (River Ridge, La.)Overall rating: 61.1
National rank: 72
Metro area: New Orleans
North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)Overall rating: 61
National rank: 73
Metro area: Atlanta
Buford (Ga.)Overall rating: 60.7
National rank: 76
Metro area: Atlanta
Dinwiddie (Va.)Overall rating: 59.7
National rank: 82
Metro area: Richmond
Midwest
Overall rating: 1,249
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)Overall rating: 76.7
National rank: 3
Metro area: Cincinnati
Blue Springs (Mo.)Overall rating: 72.4
National rank: 11
Metro area: Kansas City
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)Overall rating: 70.7
National rank: 14
Metro area: Cleveland
St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)Overall rating: 69.7
National rank: 20
Metro area: Cleveland
Lee's Summit West (Mo.)Overall rating: 68.9
National rank: 22
Metro area: Kansas City
Mentor (Ohio)Overall rating: 68.2
National rank: 26
Metro area: Cleveland
Warren Central (Indianapolis)Overall rating: 66.5
National rank: 34
Metro area: Indianapolis
Mount Carmel (Chicago)Overall rating: 66.2
National rank: 36
Metro area: Chicago
Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)Overall rating: 66.2
National rank: 37
Metro area: Detroit
Loveland (Ohio)Overall rating: 65.6
National rank: 41
Metro area: Cincinnati
Eden Prairie (Minn.)Overall rating: 64.4
National rank: 47
Metro area: Minneapolis
Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)Overall rating: 64.2
National rank: 50
Metro area: Indianapolis
Hilliard Davidson (Hilliard, Ohio)Overall rating: 64.2
National rank: 51
Metro area: Columbus
Kimberly (Wis.)Overall rating: 63.2
National rank: 58
Metro area: Green Bay
Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.)Overall rating: 61.4
National rank: 69
Metro area: Springfield
Colerain (Cincinnati)Overall rating: 60.4
National rank: 78
Metro area: Cincinnati
Carmel (Ind.)Overall rating: 60.3
National rank: 79
Metro area: Indianapolis
Ben Davis (Indianapolis)Overall rating: 60.1
National rank: 80
Metro area: Indianapolis
Pike (Indianapolis)Overall rating: 59.7
National rank: 83
Metro area: Indianapolis
Northeast
Overall rating: 1,142
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)Overall rating: 70.3
National rank: 15
Metro area: Tri-state area
St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)Overall rating: 66.1
National rank: 38
Metro area: Philadelphia
Paramus Catholic (N.J.)Overall rating: 64.3
National rank: 48
Metro area: Tri-state area
Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)Overall rating: 60.8
National rank: 74
Metro area: Philadelphia
Aquinas Institute (Rochester, N.Y.)Overall rating: 60.6
National rank: 77
Metro area: Rochester
Central Catholic (Pittsburgh)Overall rating: 59
National rank: 91
Metro area: Pittsburgh
South Fayette (McDonald, Pa.)Overall rating: 58.9
National rank: 93
Metro area: Southwestern Pennsylvania
Parkland (Allentown, Pa.)Overall rating: 57.2
National rank: 116
Metro area: Philadelphia
Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.)Overall rating: 57.1
National rank: 117
Metro area: Philadelphia
La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.)Overall rating: 56.1
National rank: 139
Metro area: Philadelphia
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)Overall rating: 55.5
National rank: 159
Metro area: Tri-state area
DePaul (Wayne, N.J.)Overall rating: 55.3
National rank: 163
Metro area: Tri-state area
Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.)Overall rating: 55
National rank: 168
Metro area: Harrisburg
New Canaan (Conn.)Overall rating: 54.8
National rank: 175
Metro area: Tri-state area
Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.)Overall rating: 53.3
National rank: 204
Metro area: Erie
St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.)Overall rating: 52.9
National rank: 214
Metro area: Tri-state area
St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.)Overall rating: 52.5
National rank: 223
Metro area: Tri-state area
Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.)Overall rating: 51.2
National rank: 252
Metro area: Philadelphia
Cherokee (Marlton, N.J.)Overall rating: 50.9
National rank: 264
Metro area: Philadelphia
Southington (Conn.)Overall rating: 50.1
National rank: 289
Metro area: Hartford
