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Steve Montoya and Zack Poff break down the top 25 high school football rankings from around the country.
When trying to determine the nation's toughest high school football playoff brackets, all you have to do is look at the top 25 teams in the MaxPreps computer rankings and the answer is readily apparent.
Five teams from the Southern Section Division 1 playoff bracket in California are ranked in the top 25, three of them in the top seven. Mater Dei heads the list at No. 1 with St. John Bosco at No. 4 at Centennial at No. 7. Others include Mission Viejo at No. 12 and Rancho Cucamonga at No. 25.
So the Southern Section Division 1 seems like a no-brainer when it comes to picking the toughest brackets, but where do the other states fit in? Using the computer rankings to rank the top eight teams in each playoff bracket in the nation, we came up with an average computer ranking for the potential quarterfinalists. The brackets were then ranked in order based on this average.
The Southern Section Division 1 was the clear choice for the No. 1 spot with the average rating for the top eight teams coming in at 67.25. If that average team were placed in this week's computer rankings, it would be ranked No. 13.
Ohio Division 1 comes in at No. 2 with an average of 63.79 while Texas 6A-1 is No. 3 at 58.86. Texas 6A-2, meanwhile, is the No. 6 bracket with an average of 56.6.
Florida also has two brackets in the top 10 with Class 6A at No. 8 with an average of 55.77 and Class 7A at No. 10 with an average of 52.88.
Top 25 playoff brackets in the nation.
1. California Southern Section Division 1
Average Ranking: 67.25
Top 8 Teams: Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 85.5,
St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 80.5,
Centennial (Corona) 72.4,
Mission Viejo 67.6,
Rancho Cucamonga 64.2,
Serra (Gardena) 57.0,
Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) 56.1,
Chaminade (West Hills) 54.7.
2. Ohio Division 1
Average Ranking: 63.79
Top 8 Teams: Colerain (Cincinnati) 73.5,
Wayne (Huber Heights) 70.7,
Solon 65.9,
St. Ignatius (Cleveland) 63.2,
St. Xavier (Cincinnati) 61.8,
Pickerington Central (Pickerington) 59.0,
Olentangy Liberty (Powell) 58.3,
St. Edward (Lakewood) 57.9.
3. Texas Class 6A-1
Average Ranking: 58.86
Top 8 Teams: Allen 67.4,
The Woodlands 66.0,
San Angelo Central (San Angelo) 63.4,
Lake Travis (Austin) 61.4,
Katy 53.9,
Smithson Valley (Spring Branch) 53.1,
North Shore (Houston) 53.0,
Cypress Ranch (Houston) 52.7.
Mitchell Jonke leads Allen of Texas into the playoffs in what is the third-toughest playoffs division.
Photo by Neil Fonville
Average Ranking: 57.75
Top 8 Teams: Grayson (Loganville) 71.6,
Roswell 64.5,
Mill Creek (Hoschton) 60.4,
McEachern (Powder Springs) 56.9,
Norcross 55.1,
Colquitt County (Moultrie) 54.9,
Lowndes (Valdosta) 49.8,
North Cobb (Kennesaw) 48.8.
5. Indiana Class 6A
Average Ranking: 57.12
Top 8 Teams: Warren Central (Indianapolis) 70.1,
Center Grove (Greenwood) 64.7,
Ben Davis (Indianapolis) 62.5,
Penn (Mishawaka) 56.2,
Cathedral (Indianapolis) 54.3,
Carmel 52.5,
Lawrence Central (Indianapolis) 48.4,
Brownsburg (Brownsburg) 48.3.
6. Texas Class 6A-2
Average Ranking: 56.61
Top 8 Teams: DeSoto 65.3,
Cedar Ridge (Round Rock) 59.9,
Steele (Cibolo) 58.3,
Carroll (Southlake) 57.5,
Cedar Hill 56.7,
Tyler 53.9,
Abilene 51.5,
Midway (Waco) 49.8.
7. Alabama Class 7A
Average Ranking: 55.92
Top 8 Teams: Central (Phenix City) 62.8,
Hoover 61.8,
McGill-Toolen (Mobile) 59.4,
Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville) 58.8,
Enterprise 54.7,
James Clemens (Madison) 52.6,
Spain Park (Hoover) 48.8,
Auburn 48.5.
8. Florida Class 6A
Average Ranking: 55.7
Top 8 Teams: Northwestern (Miami) 62.5,
Mainland (Daytona Beach) 60.2,
Carol City (Miami) 58.3,
Lake Gibson (Lakeland) 55.2,
Armwood (Seffner) 54.5,
Central (Miami) 53.7,
Charlotte (Punta Gorda) 50.6,
Vanguard (Ocala) 50.6.
9. Michigan Division 1
Average Ranking: 53.49
Top 8 Teams: Catholic Central (Novi) 64.2,
Cass Tech (Detroit) 59.8,
Grandville 57.3,
Saline 56.2,
Utica Eisenhower (Shelby Township) 55.3,
Rockford 48.3,
Southfield Arts & Tech (Southfield) 43.5,
Hudsonville 43.3.
10. Florida Class 7A
Average Ranking: 55.7
Top 8 Teams: St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) 62.8,
Plant (Tampa) 55.1,
Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) 54.6,
Venice (Venice) 54.1,
Viera 53.2,
Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa) 49.8,
Lakeland 47.8,
Lee (Jacksonville) 45.7.
The Rest of the Top 25
11.
Arizona Class 6A - 52.72
12.
Illinois Class 8A - 52.67
13. South Carolina Class 4A - 52.52
14.
Washington Class 4A - 52.44
15.
Mississippi 6A - 52.42
16.
Texas Class 5A-1 - 52.37
17. Pennsylvania Class 6A - 51.41
18.
Florida Class 5A - 51.19
19.
Missouri Class 6 - 51.06
20. North Carolina 4A - 51.04
21.
Georgia Class AAAAAA - 50.67
22.
Ohio Division 2 - 50.36
23.
Louisiana Division 1 - 50.3
24.
Ohio Division 3 - 50.07
25.
Florida Class 8A - 50.0
