MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings

By Stephen Spiewak Sep 17, 2012, 6:00pm

Major shake-up in the rankings after three Top 10 teams go down.

No. 1 Manatee notched an impressive win by beating Central.
No. 1 Manatee notched an impressive win by beating Central.
Photo by Marc Estrada
The 2012 high school football season has already proved to be unpredictable, as upsets stunned three Top 10 teams in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

That led to plenty of movement in the rankings, including Louisiana power John Curtis rising to No. 2 and New Jersey's top team, Bergen Catholic, jumping to No. 6 after a victory over Bishop Gorman.

Camden County is the new No. 1 team in Georgia following an easy victory over Beach and a loss by Grayson.

DeSoto enters the rankings on the strength of an impressive victory over Euless Trinity, while top teams from Arizona and South Florida also crack the list.



Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (1) Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), 3-0
Against a talented Central (Miami) team, Manatee took a 23-7 lead into the half and eventually won 44-34. Story / Qwixcore / Photos

2. (3) Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 3-0
There was no letdown for Curtis after beating Plant, as the Patriots downed East St. John 34-7.

3. (5) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 4-0

Santa Margarita continued its hot start with a 72-0 romp over Carson. Game recap / Qwixcore

4. (6) Bellevue (Wash.), 3-0
Bellevue cruised to a 69-0 victory over Sammamish. Game recap / Qwixcore

5. (7) Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 4-0

After a close game against Northwestern, Byrnes enjoyed a 41-0 shutout over Clinton.
{PAGEBREAK}
Bergen Catholic celebrated a signature victory on the road against Bishop Gorman.
Bergen Catholic celebrated a signature victory on the road against Bishop Gorman.
Photo by Jann Hendry
6. (11) Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), 2-0
Bergen Catholic followed up its win over Long Island power St. Anthony with a very impressive 42-35 win over Bishop Gorman. Story / Qwixcore / Photos

7. (12) Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.), 4-0
Now the undisputed No. 1 team in Georgia, Camden County continues to roll, beating Beach 48-12. Game recap / Qwixcore

8. (8) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 3-0
In a game that was closer than some anticipated, De La Salle held off St. Mary 21-13. Game recap. Photos / Qwixcore

9. (13) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 4-0

In one of the top games annually in the Midwest, Trinity came from behind to down St. Xavier 14-13. Game recap / Qwixcore



10. (14) St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 4-0
Another week, another blowout victory for St. Ignatius. This time, it hammered Strong Vincent 40-0. On the season, it has outscored opponents 168-41. Game recap / Qwixcore.
{PAGEBREAK}
Keith Watkins and Moeller continue to rise up the rankings.
Keith Watkins and Moeller continue to rise up the rankings.
Photo by Wayne Litmer
11. (15) Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), 4-0
Moeller responded to its first test of the season, prevailing against St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 34-27 on Saturday. Game recap / Qwixcore

12. (9) Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 3-0

It received a major scare from Westwood, but Lake Travis came away with a 28-24 victory after trailing much of the game. Game recap / Qwixcore

13. (16) Butler (Matthews, N.C.), 4-0
Even without star quarterback Riley Ferguson, Butler won easily over Myers Park 49-6. Game recap / Qwixcore

14. (17) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), 3-0
After looking sluggish at times in its first two games, Vista Murrieta looked impressive in a 59-14 victory over Redlands East Valley. Game recap / Qwixcore

15. (18) Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.), 4-0
Ensworth continues to roll, with a 42-17 win over Baylor. Game recap / Qwixcore
{PAGEBREAK}
Troy Williams has led Narbonne to several lopsided victories this season.
Troy Williams has led Narbonne to several lopsided victories this season.
Photo by Anthony Watson
16. (19) Hoover (Ala.), 4-0
It was another easy victory for Hoover, which downed Jackson-Olin 50-0. Qwixcore

17. (20) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 4-0

Oaks Christian continues to put up points at an impressive clip, beating Chaminade 44-30. Game recap / Qwixcore

18. (21) Allen (Texas), 3-0
Allen continues to look impressive. This week, it defeated Richardson 52-17. Qwixcore

19. (24) Goose Creek (S.C.), 4-0
Led by Georgia commit Tramel Terry, Goose Creek dismantled Fort Dorchester 56-14. Qwixcore

20. (25) Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.), 3-0

Narbonne has proven itself as one of the top teams in Southern California. It hammered Lakewood 61-6.
{PAGEBREAK}
Dontre Wilson helps power DeSoto's high octane offense.
Dontre Wilson helps power DeSoto's high octane offense.
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
21. (NR) DeSoto (Texas), 3-0
With one of the most explosive offenses in the country, DeSoto debuts in the Xcellent 25 following a decisive victory over Euless Trinity. Game recap / Qwixcore

22. (23) Cass Tech (Detroit), 4-0

The offense continued to function like a well-oiled machine for Cass Tech, which downed Cody 46-20.



23. (NR) Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), 4-0
While Arizona teams have not fared well against out-of-state foes this season, this Centennial team would hang with most in the country. It has outscored opponents 249-52 in four games despite being without freakish defensive end/tight end Marcus Farria. Qwixcore / Photos

24. (NR) University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 4-0
With a strong start and an Aquinas loss, University looks like it could be the top team in South Florida. It blasted Cocoa 49-3. Game recap / Qwixcore

25. (2) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 2-1
Grayson has arguably the nation's most impressive win this season, as well as the most shocking loss, a 22-7 setback to Parkview. Story / Qwixcore

Dropped out:
No. 4 Skyline (Dallas)
No. 10 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
No. 24 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)