Malakoff won its first state championship last week in Texas while denying
Franklin a third straight title. That win vaulted the Tigers to the top of the Small Town Top 25 high school football rankings to close out the 2023 season.
Malakoff
knocked off Franklin 14-7 in the Class 3A Division 1 championship game to
finish 16-0, the best record in school history. The Tigers went
11-0 in 1940 for their only other undefeated season. Malakoff did not
compete for a state championship that season, however, as small schools
finished at the bi-district level.
Look for Malakoff
to also be a strong threat to repeat.
The Tigers return junior quarterback
Mike Jones, who threw for 2,621
yards and 31 touchdowns, and sophomore running back
Jerrion Hall, who
ran for 1,490 yards and 31 touchdowns.
The Tigers finished with a
58.1 rating in the MaxPreps computer rankings, placing it four points
ahead of No. 2
Louisville (Miss.). The Wildcats won their second
straight state championship, beating Columbia for the Class 4A crown and extending their win streak to 26 games.
Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio) finished No. 3 with with a 16-0 record and a
52.7 rating. The Flyers won their third straight state championship and
added their 14th overall title, which is a state record. Head coach Tim Goodwin's program ended the season with a 48-game win streak, which is the longest
active streak in the nation.
Teams included in the Small Town Top 25 are from schools with an enrollment of less than
1,000 students in towns that have a population of less than 10,000
citizens.
Malakoff players celebrate their win in the state championship game last week. (Photo: Robbie Rakestraw)
1. Malakoff (Texas)
Record/rating: 16-0, 58.1
Class 3A Division 1 state champion.2. Louisville (Miss.)
Record/rating: 15-0, 54.0
Class 4A state champion.3. Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Record/rating: 16-0, 52.7
Division VII state champion.4. Hawthorne (Fla.)
Record/rating: 13-0, 52.6
Class 1R state champion.
5. Bellville (Texas)
Record/rating: 15-1, 52.1
Class 4A Division 2 state runner-up.
6. Perry (Ohio)
Record/rating: 16-0, 51.5
Division V state champion.
7. Gilmer (Texas)
Record/rating: 13-3, 51.2
Class 4A Division 2 state champion.
8. Gunter (Texas)
Record/rating: 16-0, 50.2
Class 3A Division 2 state champion.
9. Carthage (Texas)
Record/rating: 13-1, 50.2
10. Franklin (Texas)
Record/rating: 14-2, 50.1
Class 3A Division 1 state runner-up.
11. Belle Vernon (Pa.)
Record/rating: 13-1, 49.6
Class AAA state champion.
12. Aliquippa (Pa.)
Record/rating: 14-0, 49.0
Class AAAA state champion
13. Lodi (Wis.)
Record/rating: 15-0, 48.2
Class 4 state champion.14. Grundy Center (Iowa)
Record/rating: 13-0, 47.8
Class 1A state champion.
15. Williamsburg (Iowa)
Record/rating: 12-1, 47.7
Class 3A state champion.16. Timpson (Texas)
Record/rating: 16-0, 47.4
Class 2A Division 1 state champion.
17. Winona (Miss.)
Record/rating: 15-0, 47.1
Class 3A state champion.18. Boone Central (Albion, Neb.)
Record/rating: 13-0, 46.4
Class C1 state champion.
19. Liberty Center (Ohio)
Record/rating: 15-1, 45.9
Division V state runner-up.
20. Williston (Fla.)
Record/rating: 11-1, 43.2
21. Van Meter (Iowa)
Record/rating: 13-0, 42.5
Class 2A state champion.22. Eden Valley-Watkins (Eden Valley, Minn.)
Record/rating: 13-0, 42.3
Class AA state champion.
23. Kirtland (Ohio)
Record/rating: 15-1, 42.3
Division VI state champion.
24. Wimberley (Texas)
Record/rating: 14-1, 41.9
25. Brock (Texas)
Record/rating: 11-4, 41.2
Next 25
26. Lorena (Texas)
Record/rating: 11-3, 40.7
27. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (Rock Rapids, Iowa)
Record/rating: 12-1, 40.3
Class 2A state runner-up.28. Winnsboro (Texas)
Record/rating: 13-1, 40.2
29. Rockmart (Ga.)
Record/rating: 12-3, 40.2
Class AA state runner-up.30. Washington (Okla.)
Record/rating: 15-0, 40.2
Class 2A state champion.31. Columbia (Miss.)
Record/rating: 14-1, 40.1
Class 4A state runner-up.32. Edgar (Wis.)
Record/rating: 13-1, 40.0
Class 7 state champion.33. Richfield (Utah)
Record/rating: 13-0, 39.8
Class 3A state champion.34. Wahoo (Neb.)
Record/rating: 12-1, 39.3
Class C1 state runner-up.
35. Versailles (Ohio)
Record/rating: 13-3, 39.0
Division VI state runner-up.36. Columbus (Texas)
Record/rating: 12-1, 38.4
37. Paradise (Texas)
Record/rating: 12-2, 38.0
38. Tidehaven (El Maton, Texas)
Record/rating: 14-1, 37.9
Class 3A Division 2 state runner-up.39. Albany (Texas)
Record/rating: 16-0, 37.6
Class 2A Division 2 state champion.40. Madison County (Madison, Fla.)
Record/Rating: 10-2, 37.2
Class 1R state runner-up.
41. Byron (Ill.)
Record/rating: 14-0, 37.2
Class 3A state champion.
42. Houston (Miss.)
Record/rating: 12-2, 37.2
43. Jasper (Texas)
Record/rating: 9-5, 37.1
44. Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, Idaho)
Record/rating: 11-0, 37.0
Class 3A state champion.45. Creston (Iowa)
Record/rating: 11-1, 36.9
46. Corunna (Mich.)
Record/rating: 13-1, 36.8
Class 5 state runner-up.47. Bowdon (Ga.)
Record/rating: 13-2, 36.3
Class A Division 2 state champion.48. Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)
Record/rating: 15-1, 36.1
Class AA state champion.
49. Minneota (Minn.)
Record/rating: 14-0, 35.9
Class A state champion.50. Canadian (Texas)
Record/rating: 14-1, 35.8
