MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings

No. 1 Don Bosco Prep finally opened its season and did so with a resounding win.

The New Jersey power dominated Mission Viejo, one of Southern California's top programs, 35-7. Talented sophomore Jabrill Peppers on offense and an aggressive, persistent defense wore down Mission Viejo.

Down in Texas, DeSoto continued its hot streak and rode a 54-13 victory over Cedar Hill to the No. 10 spot.

Lake Travis, on the strength of its huge victory over Aledo, debuts this week, entering at No. 22.

After losing close games, Centennial and Gilman both dropped out.



Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (1) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 1-0
In its season opener, Don Bosco Prep dominated one of Southern California's top teams, winning 35-7. Jabrill Peppers and John Wilkins each rushed for two touchdowns.

2. (2) Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 2-0
Bye. Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Tampa Bay Tech.

3. (3) Allen (Texas), 3-0
Quarterback Alec Morris threw for five touchdowns as Allen beat a very strong Longview team 42-23.

4. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2-0
Aquinas turned it on in the second half, scoring three touchdowns and kicking two field goals to pull away from Cypress Bay, winning 38-0. Fred Coppet and Dami Ayoola each scored twice.

5. (5) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 3-0
Travis Wright and James Quick once again led a powerful offensive attack, as Trinity downed Elder 56-7.
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6. (6) Katy (Texas), 2-0
Bye. Next game: Sept. 17 vs. Westbrook.

7. (7) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 1-0
Bye. Next game: Sept. 16 vs. St. Mary's.

8. (8) Trinity (Euless, Texas), 2-0
Joel Kimpela rushed for four touchdowns as Trinity won easily over Richland, 64-0.

9. (9) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 3-0
St. Edward moved to 3-0 on the early season with a 34-17 victory over Cardinal Mooney. Junior Anthony Young opened up the scoring by returning the game's opening kickoff for a touchdown.

10. (24) DeSoto (Texas), 3-0
Raheem Wilson threw three touchdown passes and scrambled for a fourth in DeSoto's big 45-13 victory over Cedar Hill.
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11. (14) Gaffney (S.C.), 4-0
With a 62-10 victory over Union, Gaffney has now outscored opponents 191-45 in four games.

12. (10) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 3-1
Shaquille Powell rushed for three more touchdowns to lead Bishop Gorman over Durango, 49-0.

13. (11) Prattville (Ala.), 3-1
Justin M. Thomas had three total touchdowns for Prattville, which enjoyed an easy 43-7 victory over Lee on Thursday night.

14. (15) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 2-0
For the second straight week, Good Counsel hung on to beat a tough opponent, downing Gilman 26-21 in the Patriot Classic.

15. (12) Harrison (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 3-0
Harrison continued to dominate its competition, handing Stoney Creek a 37-0 defeat. Jake Vento threw for three touchdowns and caught a fourth.
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16. (17) St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 3-0
Conor Hundley's two touchdowns along with a late field goal pushed St. Xavier past Colerain 17-14. The loss snapped Colerain's 61-game home winning streak.

17. (16) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 3-0
Bye week. Next game: Sept. 16 vs. Mooresville.

18. (18) Buford (Ga.), 4-0
In a nationally televised match up, Buford shut down highly regarded junior Derrick Henry and pounded Yulee (Fla.) 49-7.

19. (19) Warren Central (Indianapolis), 4-0
Shaquille Breeding, filling in for Deionte Buckley, scored two touchdowns as Warren Central held off Ben Davis 27-21.

20. (21) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 3-0
Devin Gillespie rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries and Grayson's defense did the rest in a 34-7 victory over Archer.
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21. (22) Bellevue (Wash.), 2-0
Bellevue followed up an impressive victory over Oaks Christian by downing fellow Washington power Skyline 31-17. Bellevue's defense forced four turnovers in the second half to secure the victory.

22. (NR) Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 3-0
In one of the most highly anticipated 4A games of the season, Lake Travis' offense could not be stopped in a 62-35 victory over Aledo.

23. (23) Columbus (Miami), 1-0
Lorenzo Woodley and Darryl Chestnut each notched rushing touchdowns for Columbus, which held off rival Belen Jesuit 31-21.

24. (25) McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), 3-0
Nicholas St. Germain kicked two field goals and Darius English recovered a blocked punt in the end zone as McEachern downed Marietta 20-7.

25. (NR) Union (Tulsa, Okla.), 2-0
Union looked very strong for the second week in a row, this time blasting rival Jenks 41-19 in the Backyard Bowl.

Dropped out:
Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Gilman (Baltimore)