Not a single team in the Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard lost over the weekend, but the deck continues to shuffle as each game provides more information about the relative strength of the nation's elite.
Mission Viejo (Calif.), previously ranked No. 23, jumped to No. 12 after dominating Long Beach Poly 33-7. The Diablos' victory was especially impressive considering they were without injured star Tre Madden.
Along with No. 6 Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) and No. 9 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Southern California now claims three teams among the nation’s top 13 with Serra (Gardena, Calif.) and Centennial (Corona, Calif.) on the verge of cracking the Xcellent 25.
Also on the move is No. 13 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), which has clearly established itself as one of the best teams in the Sunshine State, which features five ranked teams.
The Raiders will host No. 11 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) in a highly-anticipated battle of two potential state champions.
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) enjoyed a modest rise in the rankings to No. 14 following a 33-6 dismantling of St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio).
Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), previously ranked No. 10, slides to No. 21 following a bye week. The Hurricanes' victories have lost some of their luster as Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) lost another game and Plant (Tampa), which Manatee beat in a preseason game, has struggled at times.
Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
1. (1) Trinity (Euless, Texas), 5-0
After playing to a 7-7 tie in the first quarter Trinity flipped the switch in the the second quarter, outscoring Heritage 35-0 the rest of the way to roll to a 42-7 victory. Trojan running back Tevin Williams rushed for three touchdowns.
2. (2) South Panola (Batesville, Miss.), 5-0
Nickolas Brassell, Antonio Connor, and Kendrick Market all scored touchdowns for South Panola while running back Qyendairs Griffin added three more scores for the Tigers, who blasted Horn Lake 62-7.
Hoover running back Justin McArthur.
Photo by Joe Boyd
Standout junior
Shaq Thompson scored five touchdowns on offense and added one on defense for the Pacers in a 56-0 drubbing of Edison (Stockton).
4. (5) Hoover (Hoover, Ala.), 5-0Hoover overcame a slow start against Gadsen City to come away with a 33-10 victory. Three touchdowns from
Justin McArthur made the difference for the Bucs.
5. (6) Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio), 5-0Chris Davis rushed for two touchdowns and caught two more as the Cardinals routed Lakota West 56-14.
6. (7) Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), 3-0Sophomore
Da'Shon Hunt scored a defensive touchdown for the third consecutive game to help Westlake capture a 52-0 victory over Royal. Quarterback
Nick Isham was 4 for 5 for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
7. (4) West Monroe (West Monroe, La.), 4-0The Rebels overcame five turnovers to defeat Captain Shreve 33-13.
Tyler Cain was once again the team’s go-to weapon on offense, accounting for 267 yards and two scores.
8. (8) Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 5-0Bingham continued its quest for an undefeated season with a 52-7 romp over Kearns.
Stefan Cantwell and
Harvey Langi each had two touchdowns for the Miners.
9. (9) Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), 4-0Defense was the key for Servite once again, as the Friars downed Edison (Huntington Beach) 16-7. Special teams play was also huge for Servite, as
Connor Loftus’ three field goals were the difference.
10. (12) Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), 3-0Three first-half touchdown runs by
Matt Jones helped Armwood jump out quickly on Wharton, eventually winning 54-0. The Hawks suffered a loss, however, as senior receiver
A.J. King, who is committed to Purdue, tore his ACL.
11. (11) Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.), 4-0The two-time defending 5A champions continue to impress, hammering Bradwell County 55-10. They will do battle with No. 13 St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night.
12. (23) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.), 4-0Playing without star linebacker
Tre Madden, the Diablos didn’t miss a beat, pounding Moore League power Long Beach Poly 37-7.
13. (22) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 3-0Phillip Dorsett found the end zone twice for the Raiders, who beat Cardinal Gibbons 28-6.
14. (17) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 3-0The Ironmen continued their outstanding play against out-of-state opponents, traveling to Ohio to down Cleveland power St. Ignatius 33-6. Up next for Don Bosco is rival Bergen Catholic, which has defeated two teams from Pennsylvania this season.
15. (13) Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio), 4-0The Tarblooders again won easily, trouncing Collinwood 61-0.
Cardale Jones threw for two scores to lead the way.
16. (14) Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), 2-1Idle this week.
17. (18) Phoebus (Hampton, Va.), 4-0Phoebus turned in another dominating performance with a 70-0 thrashing of Heritage (Newport News). The Phantoms intercepted four passes, three of which were returned for touchdowns. It marked the program's 33rd consecutive victory in the Peninsula District, snapping a record previously held by Hampton.
Sam Kelley
Photo by Jamie Harms
Katy received three touchdown runs from
Donovan Young to beat city rival Seven Lakes 62-21. The Tigers’ defense limited Seven Lakes to just 74 yards in the first half.
19. (16) Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas), 5-0Running back
Sam Kelley piled up 203 rushing yards and two TDs to help Stony Point hold off Round Rock Westwood 27-14.
20. (19) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 3-0After trailing at halftime, De La Salle rallied for three touchdowns in the second half to put away Bishop Gorman 28-14.
21. (10) Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), 3-0Idle this week.
22. (20) Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.), 5-0The Trojan defense struggled at times, but the offense more than made up for it.
Justin Worley threw four more touchdown passes, giving him 23 on the season as Northwestern downed Nation Ford 45-35.
23. (21) Cocoa (Cocoa, Fla.), 4-0Chevelle Buie had a 68-yard touchdown run as well as a 67-yard kickoff return for Cocoa, which blanked Atlantic 42-0.
24. (24) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 6-0Hamilton moved to 6-0 with a 35-17 victory over Desert Vista. Trailing 21-0 at halftime, Desert Vista scored twice in the third to move within seven points of the Huskies, but a touchdown run by
Kyren Poe helped put the game out of reach for Hamilton.
25. (25) Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 5-0National Player of the Year candidate
Marquise Williams accounted for six total touchdowns as Mallard Creek beat Mooresville 68-0.
