Top 25 high school football rankings

Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) found a way to come back and win against Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) on Friday, but that didn’t prevent the Pacers from dropping in the Xcellent 25 Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

After checking in at No. 3 last week, Grant falls to No. 11 in this week’s rankings. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), which captured a victory against Miramar, moved up to No. 3.

The Top 10 underwent some further changes, as Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), on the strength of its nearly impenetrable defense, moves up four spots to No. 5. The Hawks shut out Chamberlain (Tampa) on Friday night.

Phoebus (Hampton, Va.), which has been equally impressive on defense, moves up to No. 10. The Phantoms are unquestionably Virginia’s top team and have the potential to rise even further up the rankings.

Entering the fray this week are Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.) and Centennial (Corona, Calif.).

Wheaton-Warrenville South opened eyes this weekend by blasting Glenbard North, an 8A title threat, 49-6. The Tigers are 8-0 and have not allowed more than two touchdowns in any game.

Centennial joined the rankings after it became clear the Huskies are among the best in a loaded group of elite teams in Southern California. Matt Logan’s squad is 6-0 and owns an impressive 44-13 win over Mater Dei.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (1) Trinity (Euless, Texas), 8-0
Trinity crushed Nimitz (Irving) 56-7 behind seven rushing touchdowns in the first half. The Trojan ground game flourished despite being without star running back Tevin Williams, who missed his second straight game.

2. (2) South Panola (Batesville, Miss.), 8-0
It was another convincing win for South Panola, which trounced Tupelo 62-2. The Tigers have won each game by at least 30 points.

3. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 6-0
Aquinas notched another impressive win by downing defending 6A champion Miramar 23-7. Jacob Rudock, Jamal Wilson and Dami Ayoola all rushed for scores for the Raiders.

4. (5) Hoover (Hoover, Ala.), 8-0
Three defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter helped Hoover pull away from Vestavia Hills and capture a 35-7 victory. Devon Earl and Preston Sanford both returned interceptions the distance for the Bucs.

5. (9) Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 6-0
Armwood did not allow a point for the fourth straight game, shutting out Chamberlain of Tampa 52-0. Matt Jones tallied 226 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries for the Hawks.

6. (6) West Monroe (West Monroe, La.), 7-0
Bubba Reeves rushed for 120 yards and three scores as West Monroe blanked Southwood 56-0. Tyler Cain added two touchdowns for the Rebels.

7. (7) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 5-0
Idle this week.

8. (8) Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), 6-0
Nick Isham competed 17 of 20 passes for 245 yards and two scores for Westlake, which dropped Moorpark 35-14.

9. (10) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.), 7-0
Dana Hills led 17-14 in the second quarter, but Mission Viejo erupted to take a 38-20 lead into the lockerroom. The Diablos won 52-26, thanks in large part to Dallas Kessman's four touchdowns.

10. (12) Phoebus (Hampton, Va.), 7-0
Phoebus won its 37th straight game by beating Menchville 44-6. Tyree Lee had a rushing touchdown and returned a kickoff 99 yards for another score.

11. (3) Grant (Sacramento, Calif.), 7-0
Monterey Trail pushed Grant to the limit, but the Pacers prevailed 28-22 thanks to a last-minute touchdown pass from Terry Shine to Darryl Paulo.

12. (11) Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio), 8-0
Following a shaky outing against Hamilton, Colerain enjoyed a laugher against Princeton (Cincinnati) as the Cardinals cruised 56-7.

13. (15) Katy (Katy, Texas), 8-0
The two-headed monster of Donovonn Young and Adam Taylor combined for four rushing touchdowns and over 250 yards as Katy blasted Mayde Creek (Houston) 61-10.

14. (13) Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio), 7-0
Five total touchdowns by senior quarterback Cardale Jones helped give Glenville a 53-0 victory over Adams (Cleveland).

15. (14) Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), 5-1
Dwyer raced to a 49-0 halftime lead en route to a 52-7 win over Park Vista (Lake Worth). Jacoby Brissett threw three touchdowns for the Panthers.

16. (16) Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), 6-0
Servite’s offense came alive in a 41-7 win over JSerra. Running back Sean DeRosa found the endzone twice for the Friars, whose defense was solid once again.

17. (17) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 6-0
Lucas Dunne tallied six touchdowns, including one on the Spartans’ first play from scrimmage, as De La Salle dominated Monte Vista (Danville) 62-14.

18. (NR) Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 6-0
One of the most impressive teams in California, Centennial enters the rankings after hammering J.W. North (Riverside) 49-7.

19. (NR) Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.), 8-0
The Tigers' debut in the rankings follows an outstanding 49-6 pounding of previously-unbeaten Glenbard North 49-6. This could be the best W-WS team in Ron Muhitch’s eight-year tenure.

20. (20) Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 8-0
Bingham’s diverse offensive attack was simply too much for Riverton to withstand as the Miners coasted to a 52-13 win. Stefan Cantwell threw for four touchdowns and running back Harvey Langi added a pair of scores.

21. (21) Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.), 8-0
Quarterback Justin Worley demonstrated that in addition to his powerful throwing arm, he also possesses the ability to run. The senior quarterback tossed three touchdowns and ran for another to lead Northwestern to a 34-13 victory over Lancaster.

22. (23) Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.), 6-1
Five different players crossed the goal line for Camden County, which beat up on Groves 41-0. The Wildcats’ defense was equally impressive, surrendering a mere 60 yards.

23. (18) Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), 6-0
After struggling out of the gate, Manatee rattled off three unanswered touchdowns to avoid an upset and come away with a 24-7 victory over Braden River.

24. (24) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 8-0
Idle this week.

25. (25) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 8-0
Six total touchdowns by Marquise Williams, the nation’s No. 24 recruit, was more than enough for Mallard Creek, which pummeled North Mecklenburg (Huntersville) 48-0.

Dropped out:
Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas)
Cocoa (Cocoa, Fla.)