Preseason Top 25 national high school football composite rankings: Mater Dei a unanimous No. 1
By Steve Montoya
Aug 15, 2023, 12:30pm
Elijah Brown-led Monarchs begin 2023 at No. 1 while league rival St. John Bosco is close behind.
Mater Dei (Calif.) begins the 2023 high school football season as the consensus No. 1 in the Top 25 national high school football composite rankings.
In a remarkable alignment across six publications responsible for crafting national rankings, the Monarchs stand as the unequivocal No. 1 as we venture into the new season of action.
All, however, have the same narrative to being the season: The Santa Ana squad begins in a position that has become all too familiar — perched atop the rankings.
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), the reigning MaxPreps National champions, are close behind at No. 2. The Braves were ranked within the top 3 by all six polls. They meet their Trinity League rivals Oct. 13 at St. John Bosco.
To be considered for the Top 25 composite rankings a team must be included in two or more Top 25 media outlets. Teams were assigned a score of 40 for each media outlet that did not recognize them as part of their Top 25, rewarding teams that received consensus acclaim.
Mater Dei begins the season No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 football rankings. The Monarchs also are the consensus top team in the preseason Top 25 composite rankings, which averages the six publications responsible for crafting national rankings. (Photo: Louis Lopez)
Average rank: 1
MaxPreps Top 25: 1
CalPreps: 1
High School Football America: 1
SB Live: 1
Blue Star Media: 1
National HSFB: 1
2. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)Average rank: 2.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 3
CalPreps: 2
High School Football America: 2
SB Live: 2
Blue Star Media: 2
National HSFB: 3
3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)Average rank: 3.5
MaxPreps Top 25: 4
CalPreps: 3
High School Football America: 5
SB Live: 3
Blue Star Media: 4
National HSFB: 2
4. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)Average rank: 4
MaxPreps Top 25: 6
CalPreps: 4
High School Football America: 3
SB Live: 4
Blue Star Media: 4
National HSFB: 4
5. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)Average rank: 4.5
MaxPreps Top 25: 2
CalPreps: 5
High School Football America: 4
SB Live: 5
Blue Star Media: 6
National HSFB: 5
6. Duncanville (Texas)Average rank: 8
MaxPreps Top 25: 8
CalPreps: 9
High School Football America: 8
SB Live: 6
Blue Star Media: 5
National HSFB: 12
7. Buford (Ga.)Average rank: 8.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 10
CalPreps: 6
High School Football America: 7
SB Live: 7
Blue Star Media: 10
National HSFB: 10
8. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)Average rank: 9
MaxPreps Top 25: 11
CalPreps: 7
High School Football America: 10
SB Live: 8
Blue Star Media: 9
National HSFB: 9
9. Central (Miami)Average rank: 9.1
MaxPreps Top 25: 5
CalPreps: 19
High School Football America: 9
SB Live: 9
Blue Star Media: 7
National HSFB: 6
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)Average rank: 9.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 9
CalPreps: 18
High School Football America: 6
SB Live: 10
Blue Star Media: 8
National HSFB: 8
11. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)Average rank: 10.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 7
CalPreps: 11
High School Football America: 14
SB Live: 11
Blue Star Media: 14
National HSFB: 7
12. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)Average rank: 15.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 16
CalPreps: 13
High School Football America: 13
SB Live: 12
Blue Star Media: 16
National HSFB: 22
13. DeSoto (Texas)Average rank: 16
MaxPreps Top 25: 17
CalPreps: 8
High School Football America: 21
SB Live: 13
Blue Star Media: 13
National HSFB: 24
14. Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.)Average rank: 17.5
MaxPreps Top 25: 20
CalPreps: 22
High School Football America: 18
SB Live: 15
Blue Star Media: 19
National HSFB: 11
15. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)Average rank: 18.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 15
CalPreps: 25
High School Football America: 22
SB Live: 16
Blue Star Media: 12
National HSFB: 20
T16. North Shore (Houston)Average rank: 19.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 13
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 17
SB Live: 14
Blue Star Media: 11
National HSFB: 23
T16. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)Average rank: 19.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 24
CalPreps: 17
High School Football America: 20
SB Live: 17
Blue Star Media: 22
National HSFB: 18
18. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)Average rank: 20.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 19
CalPreps: 20
High School Football America: 23
SB Live: 18
Blue Star Media: 23
National HSFB: 19
19. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)Average rank: 22.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 21
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 16
SB Live: 21
Blue Star Media: 21
National HSFB: 17
20. Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)Average rank: 22.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 14
CalPreps: 24
High School Football America: 25
SB Live: 19
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 15
21. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)Average rank: 25.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 18
CalPreps: 15
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: 22
Blue Star Media: 20
National HSFB: NR
T22. Mission Viejo (Calif.)Average rank: 30
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: 24
Blue Star Media: 15
National HSFB: 21
T22. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)Average rank: 30
MaxPreps Top 25: 22
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: 25
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 13
24. Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)Average rank: 30.8
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 11
SB Live: NR
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 14
25. Columbus (Miami)Average rank: 32.5
MaxPreps Top 25: 23
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 12
SB Live: NR
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: NR
Ranked in two pollsCarrollton (Ga.)Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)St. John's (Washington, D.C.)Ranked in one pollBelleville (Mich.)Bixby (Okla.)Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)Chandler (Ariz.)Katy (Texas)Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)Skyridge (Lehi, Utah)Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)
