High school football rankings: St. John Bosco finishes No. 1 in final 2022 MaxPreps Top 25

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) finishes the year where it began — as the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings. The Braves are national champions for the second time in four years.

After starting the season in the top spot, Bosco overcame a 17-7 loss against Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in early October to work its way back to the No. 1 ranking. The Braves outscored their next five opponents 225-41, including a dominant 41-6 win over Mission Viejo to set up a rematch with Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship.

St. John Bosco avenged its only loss of the season, beating the Monarchs 24-22 to win their fourth section championship since 2013. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles-area powerhouse became the first team since 2011 to post a shutout in the CIF Open Division state championship, blanking previously-unbeaten Serra (San Mateo) 45-0.

Bosco (13-1) outscored opponents 592-111 on the season with wins over teams from Hawaii, Oregon and Texas in addition to No. 3 Mater Dei and several other in-state heavyweights. Senior quarterback Pierce Clarkson provided steady guidance for the Braves, throwing for 2,351 yards and 30 touchdowns to go with nearly 500 yards rushing and five more scores. He threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns in the 24-22 victory over Mater Dei that snapped a 29-game win streak. 

DeAndre Moore, Jahlil McClain, Matayo Uiagalelei and Israel Polk led a talented receiving corps. Bosco also had a dynamic trio in the backfield with Cameron Jones, Khalil Warren and Chauncey Sylvester. Sean Haney, Sean Na'a and Mosiah Talanoa led the way in the trenches for one of the best offensive lines in the country.

Uiagalelei, Vaka Hansen, Max Amasio and freshman Dutch Horisk led the way up front for a dominant Bosco defense hat allowed less than eight points per game. Deven Bryant, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Jordan Lockhart, Khmori House and Sir Tyler Thomas led the linebackers. The secondary may have been the best in the country led by Marcelles Williams, Aaron Williams, Peyton Woodyard, Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, R.J. Jones, Ty Lee and Tamal Johnson.

Head coach Jason Negro has led the Braves to four CIF Open Division state titles (2013, 2016, 2019, 2022) and two MaxPreps National Championships (2019, 2022). He is 139-26 during his 13-year tenure as head coach with the program. Bosco has finished ranked in the top 10 nationally seven straight years and have finished ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 in nine straight seasons, the longest active streak of any school in the country.

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