High school football: Top 10 toughest schedules for 2023 season

Ranked No. 6 in our Preseason MaxPreps Top 25, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) headlines our look at the toughest schedules in high school football heading into the 2023 season. The Panthers will play four top 10 teams on the road and host No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) on Sept. 22. 

Bosco, the defending national champion, checks in at No. 2 on our list of toughest schedules. The Braves are scheduled to meet three top 10 teams – including No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) – and seven that were included in the top 100.

Mater Dei takes the third spot as first-year head coach Frank McManus and the Monarchs face three teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 and seven in the top 100. The Monarchs open the season Aug. 18  at No. 15 Centennial (Corona, Calif.).

1. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

Aug. 18 — at No. 10 Buford (Ga.)

Aug. 26 — vs. No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) *

Sept. 2 — at No. 41 East St. Louis (Ill.)

Sept. 8 — at No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Sept. 22 — vs. No. 1  Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Nov. 17 — at No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Aug. 26 — at No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Sept. 8 — vs. No. 6 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

Sept. 16 — at No. 61 Kahuku (Hawaii)

Sept. 29 — at No. 95 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Oct. 13 — vs. No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Oct. 20 — at No. 91 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)

Oct. 27 — at No. 47 Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)

Aug. 18 — at No. 15 Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Sept. 9 — vs. No. 61 Kahuku (Hawaii)

Sept. 22 — at No. 6 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

Oct. 6 — vs. No. 91 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)

Oct. 13 — at No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Oct. 19 — at No. 47 Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)

Oct. 27 — vs. No. 95 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Aug. 26 — vs. No. 6 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) *

Sept. 1 — at No. 68 Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Sept. 8 — vs. No. 24 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Sept. 15 — at No. 21 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

Sept. 21 — at No. 5 Miami Central (Miami)

Aug. 25 — at No. 64 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

Sept. 1 — vs. No. 96 Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.)

Sept. 8 — at No. 49 Chandler (Ariz.)

Sept. 15 — vs. No. 34 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)

Sept. 29 — at No. 91 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)

Oct. 6 — at No. 95 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Oct. 19 — vs. No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Oct. 27 — vs. No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Aug. 26 — at No. 11 St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)

Aug. 31 — at No. 30 Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)

Nov. 17 — vs. No. 6 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

Aug. 25 — vs. No. 15 Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Sept. 29 — vs. No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Oct. 6 — vs. No. 47 Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)

Oct. 13 — at No. 91 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)

Oct. 27 — at No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Aug. 26 — at No. 21 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

Sept. 23 — vs. No. 31 Mission Viejo (Calif.)

Oct. 7 — vs. No. 22 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)

Oct. 20 — at No. 69 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Aug. 18 — at No. 32 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

Aug. 25 — vs. No. 50 Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) **

Sept. 1 — vs. No. 5 Central (Miami)

Sept. 8 — vs. No. 15 Centennial (Corona, Calif.)