MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings

Despite several showdowns involving Top 10 teams, the Top 25 teams in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard remain the same.

No. 2 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) and No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) both traveled out of state to score big victories on the road and justify their high ranking. The teams they defeated, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and Prattville (Ala.), proved they were among the national elite even in defeat.

No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) has yet to take the field. The Ironmen will open their season on Sept. 10 against Mission Viejo (Calif.).

Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) enjoyed another near-perfect effort and rose from No. 19 to No. 7 as a result.



North Carolina's top team, Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), debuts in the rankings this week. The Mavericks have an extremely physical offensive line and have looked very impressive thus far this season.

Columbus (Miami) and DeSoto (Texas) also earned a spot.

Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (Last week: 1) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 10 vs. Mission Viejo (Calif.).

2. (2) Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 1-0
The Hawks notched an extremely impressive victory, traveling to Las Vegas and downing Bishop Gorman 20-17.

3. (3) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 2 vs. Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.).

4. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 1-0
Aquinas traveled to Hoover and escaped with a 34-31 victory over previous No. 6 Prattville. Defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. had a big interception for the Raiders.

5. (5) Allen (Texas), 1-0
Quarterback Alec Morris threw for 350 yards and three scores as Allen notched a big victory over Cedar Hill 28-13.
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6. (7) Trinity (Euless, Texas), 1-0
The Trojans got their 2011 campaign off on the right foot by hammering Lee 30-7. In replacement of Brandon Carter, now at TCU, new quarterback Kailahi Kautai threw for a touchdown and rushed for another.

7. (19) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 2-0
Another week, another eye-popping box score for Trinity, which pounded Montgomery Bell Academy 66-21. Travis Wright threw for five touchdowns, three to James Quick.

8. (8) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.), 1-0
Quarterback Cody Demps and running back Mark Jenkins were too much for Monterey Trail (Elk Grove, Calif.) to contain, as Pleasant Grove dominated the second half for a 35-6 victory.

9. (10) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 1-0
Playing without its top player, Kyle Kalis, St. Edward held off Cleveland power Glenville 17-14 thanks to a field goal in overtime.

10. (9) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 1-1
Even though it lost 20-17 to Armwood, Bishop Gorman looked impressive in defeat. The Gaels have a dominant offensive line and explosive skill players. They still have a big out-of-state matchup to look forward to: a Sept. 30 tilt with Servite (Anaheim, Calif.).
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11. (11) Katy (Texas), 1-0
Katy had one of the more impressive wins of the weekend, a 34-6 thrashing of highly touted North Shore (Houston). Quarterback Brooks Haack had four total touchdowns.

12. (6) Prattville (Ala.), 0-1
Penalties and a costly turnover killed Prattville in a 34-31 loss to Aquinas. Quarterback Justin Thomas accounted for more than 200 total yards.

13. (15) Harrison (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 1-0
Harrison dominated both sides of the ball against a very talented Cass Tech (Detroit) squad, winning 43-7. Harrison had 368 total yards to Cass Tech's 133.

14. (13) Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 9 vs. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.).

15. (14) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 2 vs. Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.).
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16. (18) St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 1-0
St. Xavier's defense played its typical game, but the Bombers' offense came alive in a 30-7 win over Springfield. Griffin Dolle threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

17. (24) Buford (Ga.), 2-0
Buford held Gainesville to 69 yards. Andre Johnson rushed 12 times for 102 yards for the Wolves, who haven't allowed a point in two games.

18. (NR) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 2-0
The Mavericks surge into the rankings, as they followed up a 28-20 victory over Butler with a 52-21 win over Sun Valley.

19. (17) Warren Central (Indianapolis), 1-0
Deionte Buckley rushed for four touchdowns as Warren Central downed 4A power Cathedral 27-24.

20. (25) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 2-0
After struggling offensively in their opener, the Rams exploded for 42 first-half points, pounding Edgewater 49-21.
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21. (21) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 3 vs. Bellevue (Wash.).

22. (22) Bellevue (Wash.) 0-0
First game: Sept. 3 vs. Oaks Christian

23. (NR) Columbus (Miami), 0-0
Officially, Columbus has yet to play a game. But the Explorers, projected to be Dade County's top team this season, pounded Plant 35-6 in a preseason contest.



24. (23) Glades Central (Belle Glade, Fla.), 0-0
First game: Sept. 2 vs. Dwyer.

25. (NR) DeSoto (Texas), 1-0
Known for its offense, DeSoto displayed an improved defense, holding Leander to three points. The unit will really be tested in an upcoming game with Cedar Hill.

Dropped out:
South Panola
Dwyer
Aledo