Xcellent 25 preseason high school football rankings presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Preseason Xcellent 25 high school football rankings list presented by the Army National Guard.
MaxPreps host Zack Poff breaks down the nation's elite

August is finally here.

The high school football season kicks off this week in Hawaii, where defending state champion and No. 39 Kahuku will be the first nationally ranked team to take the field.

Early-season action will build toward the weekend of Aug. 26-27, which may be the biggest in recent memory. No. 2 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) hosting No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) traveling to No. 5 Cedar Hill (Texas) highlights the slate of matchups.



In all, 13 of our Top 50 teams open against fellow Top 50 squads.

The only subtraction from our original Early Contenders list released back in June was No. 44 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), which had its head coach Jason Milgrom resign on Sunday. Many of the team's Division I prospects are planning to transfer to other schools, according to reports.

Calabasas (Calif.), led by 5-star cornerback Darnay Holmes and the Nebraska-bound duo of quarterback Tristan Gebbia and receiver Keyshawn Johnson Jr., enters at No. 50. 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Opener: at No. 34 Booker T. Washington (Miami, Fla.), Aug. 27

2. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Opener: vs. No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Aug. 27

3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Opener: at No. 5 Cedar Hill (Texas), Aug. 27

4. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Opener: at No. 2 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), Aug. 27

5. Cedar Hill (Texas)
Opener: vs. No. 3 Bishop Gorman, Aug. 27

6. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Opener: at Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.), Aug. 26

7. Roswell (Ga.)
Opener: vs. Buford (Ga.), Aug. 19

8. DeSoto (Texas)
Opener: vs. Dallas Jesuit (Dallas), Aug. 26

9. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Opener: vs. St. Xavier (Cincinnati), Aug. 27

10. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
Opener: vs. Dillon (S.C.), Aug. 19

11. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Opener: at No. 38 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.), Aug. 27

12. Steele (Cibolo, Texas)
Opener: at Madison (San Antonio, Texas), Aug. 27

13. Katy (Texas)
Opener: at No. 26 Westlake (Austin, Texas), Aug. 26

14. Colerain (Cincinnati)
Opener: vs. Olentangy Liberty (Powell, Ohio), Aug. 26

15. Central Catholic (Pittsburgh)
Opener: vs. St. John's (Washington, District of Columbia), Aug. 27

16. Central (Miami, Fla.)
Opener: at East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), Aug. 26

17. Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Opener: vs. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.), Aug. 19

18. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Opener: at Cocoa (Fla.), Aug. 28

19. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Opener: at Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.), Aug. 26

20. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
Opener: vs. Judson (Converse, Texas), Aug. 26

21. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Opener: vs. No. 33 Chandler (Ariz.), Aug. 27

Expect a productive season for Centennial running back Miles Reed.

Photo by Louis Lopez

22. Cass Tech (Detroit)
Opener: vs. Oak Park (Mich.), Aug. 27

23. Mountain Pointe (Phoenix)
Opener: vs. O'Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.), Aug. 19

24. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Opener: vs. No. 25 Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Aug. 27

25. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Opener: vs. Serra (Gardena, Calif.), Aug. 19

26. Westlake (Austin, Texas)
Opener: vs. No. 13 Katy (Texas), Aug. 26

27. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
Opener: at Plant City (Fla.), Aug. 26

28. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)
Opener: vs. Serra (Gardena, Calif.), Sept. 3

29. Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)
Opener: vs. McKinley (Canton, Ohio), Aug. 26

30. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Opener: vs. Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), Aug. 26

31. Allen (Texas)
Opener: vs. Hoover (Ala.), Aug. 26

32. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.)
Opener: vs. Madison (San Diego, Calif.), Aug. 26

33. Chandler (Ariz.)
Opener: at Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.), Aug. 19

34. Booker T. Washington (Miami)
Opener: vs. No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Aug. 27

35. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Opener: vs. Pope John XXIII (Sparta, N.J.), Aug. 26

Elite 11 quarterback Tommy DeVito, Don Bosco Prep

File photo by Glenn Kross

36. Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.)
Opener: vs. University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.), Sept. 2

37. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
Opener: vs. Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.), Sept. 3

38. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)
Opener: vs. No. 43 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), Aug. 20

39. Kahuku (Hawaii)
Opener: vs. Farrington (Honolulu), Aug. 5

40. Fayetteville (Ark.)
Opener: vs. Blue Springs (Blue Springs, Mo.), Sept. 2

41. Spanish Fort (Ala.)
Opener: at McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), Aug. 19

42. Carol City (Miami)
Opener: at Coral Gables (Fla.), Aug. 26

43. Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)
Opener: vs.No. 38 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.), Aug. 20

44. Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Opener: vs. Union (Tulsa, Okla.), Aug. 26

45. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, La.)
Opener: at Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge, La.), Sept. 2

46. Jenks (Okla.)
Opener: vs. Page (Sand Springs, Okla.), Aug. 19

47. Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)
Opener: vs. Westlake (Saratoga Springs, Utah), Aug. 19

48. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
Opener: vs. Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), Aug. 19

49. Mansfield (Texas)
Opener: vs. Mansfield Summit (Arlington, Texas), Aug. 26

50. Calabasas (Calif.)
Opener: at Agoura (Calif.), Aug. 26