Video: Xcellent 25 Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard - Oct. 3The game of the year lived up to the hype and much more.
The No. 1 team in the country, Bishop Gorman, needed three overtimes and a 2-point conversion to sneak by Florida power St. Thomas Aquinas to extend its winning streak to 45 games, currently the fourth-longest active winning streak in the country among all 11-man football teams.
Bubba Bolden was clearly the best player on the field, as he had two interceptions, but the biggest play he made was in the second overtime when he blocked the Raiders' game-winning field goal attempt.
The only other game that featured two Top 25 teams lived up to the hype as well, as DeMatha proved to be the No. 1 team from the DMV area with a 14-13 win against Washington D.C. power St. John's. The Cadets had their chances but thanks to a stop on a potential go-ahead 2-point conversion attempt and a late interception, the Stags improved to 6-0.
This weekend also featured two Top 25 upsets as
Central (Miami) got bounced out of the rankings after a 34-7 loss to
Carol City (Miami) and
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) proved it is the top team in New Jersey with a 17-14 double-overtime win against
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.).
With four Top 25 teams losing this week, three new teams enter this week's rankings.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Jordon Curtis and Jenks (Okla.) are making their first Xcellent 25 appearance of the season.
Photo by David Stacy
In its last out-of-state test of the season, Bishop Gorman guessed right on the mid-term with a gutsy 2-point call that saw
Biaggio Walsh leap into the end zone in the third overtime against St. Thoma Aquinas in a 25-24 victory. Four-star safety
Bubba Bolden was the best player on the field, and when Bishop Gorman needed a play he answered the call. Bishop Gorman has proven it is the best in the country, playing one of the toughest nonconference schedules we have ever seen. The Gaels lined up five legit out-of-state opponents - Cedar Hill (Texas), Cocoa (Fla.), St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Kahuku (Hawaii) and St. Thomas Aquinas, winning those games by an average margin of 22 points.
Next game: Friday at Spring Valley (Las Vegas)
2. (2) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 5-0Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)
3. (3) DeSoto (Texas), 5-0DeSoto scored the first 42 points of the game against MacArthur (Irving, Texas) and walked away with a 48-7 victory.
Emmet Perry answered his seven-reception, 154-yard game against Cedar Hill with a game-high five receptions, 131 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals. The Eagles continue to show they have one of the most talented teams in the state and it all starts with their four-star quarterback
Shawn Robinson, who has over 1,100 yards passing and leads the team with 454 yards rushing and 18 total touchdowns.
Next game: Friday at Grand Prairie (Texas)
4. (4) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 5-0Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
5. (9) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 6-0DeMatha outlasted one of the most talented teams in the country, 14-13, thanks to a big-time stop on a 2-point conversion attempt with just over three minutes left and iced the game when
Myles Canton picked off Kassim Hill in the final minute. DeMatha got its biggest win of the season but there is a good chance it will lock horns with St. John's again in the WCAC playoffs before 2016 is over. The Stags have won 18 consecutive games against the Cadets since 2004, and they haven't lost a game to St. John's since 1994.
Next game: Friday vs. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
6. (5) Roswell (Ga.), 5-0Even though Roswell won this week, it drops one spot after a 17-0 win against Milton (Ga.), which entered Friday's contest 2-2 and ranked 80th in the state. The Hornets continue to show they have one of the best defenses in the country led by four-star safety
Xavier Mckinney, as they held their third opponent in a row without a touchdown. So far this year they have only allowed 16 points in five games, an average of 3.2 points per game.
Next game: Friday vs. Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.)
7. (6) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 4-1Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)
8. (8) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 4-1Grayson had no problem with Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.), as it dominated in a 60-0 victory. After one quarter the Rams had 32 points and the Bulldogs had two first downs. Outside of its season-opening loss to the No. 2 team in the country,
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Grayson has outscored its opponents 153 to 33.
Next game: Friday vs. Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.)
9. (10) Mountain Pointe (Phoenix), 6-0Another week and another win for Mountain Pointe. This time it was a little harder because of some penalties but they pulled away from Desert Vista (Phoenix) late with a 27-13 victory. So far this year the Pride have outscored the opposition 289 to 82.
Next game: Friday at Highland (Gilbert, Ariz.)
10. (14) Allen (Texas), 5-0 You knew it was going to be a good night for the Allen Eagles early when
Taj Bickham returned the opening kickoff 90-yards to the house, as Allen scored the first 45 points of the game in route to a 61-19 victory against Plano West (Plano, Texas). The Terry Gambill era has been a good one for Allen, as the Eagles have outscored the opposition 242 to 73.
Mitchell Jonke was about as efficient as possible last weekend, finishing the night 11 of 12 for 150 yards and one score.
Brock Sturges and
Juwan Robinson combined for 214 of the team's 234 yards rushing and they scored two touchdowns apiece.
Next game: Friday at Plano (Texas)
11. (7) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 3-2St. Thomas Aquinas proved it is one of the best teams in the country despite losing its second game of the season, falling to Bishop Gorman in triple overtime. The Raiders had the No. 1 team in the country on the ropes but couldn't find a way to pull it out and lost 25-24 in one of the best high school football games of the season.
Next game: Friday vs. Deerfield Beach (Fla.)
12. (16) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 6-0American Heritage might have the best defense in the country. The Patriots got their second shutout of the season with a 51-0 win against Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and over the last three weeks they have outscored the opposition 123 to 12. Patrick Surtain's team is playing as well as anyone in the country right now.
Next game: Friday vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
13. (12) Colerain (Cincinnati), 6-0 Colerain held off Mason (Ohio) 30-16 to win its 55th-consecutive Greater Miami Conference game. This one wasn't easy though, as Mason held a 9-0 lead in the first half but Colerain battled back and reeled off 23 consecutive pointsand finished the night outgaining Mason 451-180.
Next game: Friday at Middletown (Ohio)
14. (13) Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 7-0Saguaro's next real test probably won't happen until the postseason, as the Sabercats reeled of their 18th-consecutive win with a 50-21 victory against Marcos de Niza (Tempe, Ariz.), the same team they beat in the state championship game last year. Saguaro is trying to do something it never has and that is win its fourth-straight state title, and with the way the Sabercats are playing in 2016, there is a good chance that will happen.
Next game: Friday vs. Thunderbird (Phoenix)
15. (15) Cass Tech (Detroit), 6-0Cass Tech proved it is the top team in the state after beating rival King (Detroit) 31-18 and handing King its first loss of the season.
Donovan Johnson and the No. 1 wide receiver in the Class of 2017
Donovan Peoples-Jones were too much to handle for the Crusaders and so far this year Cass Tech has outscored the opposition 298 to 61.
Next game: Friday at Osborn (Detroit)
16. (17) Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 4-1Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
17. (18) McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), 6-0The top team from Alabama had no trouble with Bryant (Irvington, Ala.), as it scored on its first six possessions en route to a dominant 55-7 victory. McGill-Toolen extended its winning streak to 15 this past weekend, and its average margin of victory is 23.2 points per game over the last 15 games.
Next game: Friday at Montgomery (Semmes, Ala.)
18. (19) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 6-0Another Friday, another victory for Bob Johnson and Mission Viejo. They scored a season-high 55 points in a dominant 41-point victory over El Toro and they currently have the eighth-longest active winning streak in all of high school football with 34 consecutive wins.
Next game: Friday at Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
19. (20) Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 7-0The Miners notched their second shutout of the season with a 49-0 win against Cottonwood (Salt Lake City). Bingham has won every game by at least three scores so far in 2016 and is winning by an average margin of 37 points.
Next game: Friday at Taylorsville (Utah)
20. (21) St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia), 4-0Idle.
Next game: Friday at Roman Catholic (Philadelphia)
21. (22) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 7-0Trinity rolled to a 35-13 victory against rival St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) to improve to 7-0 this year. Senior quarterback
Spencer Blackburn had another nice night, throwing for two scores and rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown. The Shamrocks have been one of the most impressive teams in the country this year, as they have outscored the opposition 265-92.
Next game: Friday at Eastern (Louisville, Ky.)
22. (24) Warren Central (Indianapolis), 6-1Warren Central beat Lawrence North (Indianapolis) for the 13th-consecutive time to improve to 6-1 this season. The only blemish for the Warriors this season was a 31-28 loss to No. 13 Colerain (Cincinnati) back in August and they have reeled off five wins in a row since. Warren Central continues to light up the scoreboard, having scored at least 35 points in every game during its winning streak, including 129 points over the last two weeks.
Next game: Friday vs. Carmel (Ind.)
23. (NR) Jenks (Okla.), 6-0The No. 1 team from Oklahoma cracks the Top 25 for the first time this year after winning its 11th-consecutive game this past weekend. The Trojans have been one of the most explosive offenses in the country, averaging 45.8 points per game, and over the last three games they have outscored the opposition 161-46. In the 62-24 win against Broken Arrow (Okla.),
Ian Corwin threw for a career-high five touchdowns and
Isaiah Epps also had a career-high five scores, four receiving and one on a reverse, and finished the night with eight receptions and 170 yards.
Rueben Thompson also had a big night, rushing for 194 yards and two scores.
Next game: Friday at Edmond Memorial (Okla.)
24. (NR) East (Salt Lake City), 7-0East becomes the second team from Utah to enter the Top 25 and showed it isn't afraid to play out-of-state opponents with two wins against national power De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) and Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) earlier this season. Senior running back
Jaylen Warren has emerged as one of the best backs in the country, he has rushed for 200-plus yards in four consecutive games, and he had over 200 yards before the third quarter even began against Bountiful (Utah). Through seven games he has nearly 1,600 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
Next game: Friday at Box Elder (Brigham City, Utah)
25. (NR) Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio), 5-0-1Wayne becomes the second team from Ohio to join the Top 25 after winning its fifth-straight game with an impressive 45-8 road win against Centerville (Ohio). During the winning streak the Warriors have outscored the opposition 234 to 70.
Bubble TeamsMill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), 6-0Mill Creek continues its great 2016 with another impressive victory this past week, dominating North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) with a 44-17 win. The Hawks have one of the top defenses in the country and on offense
Edmond Graham has been one of the top playmakers in all of Georgia.
Next game: Friday vs. Discovery (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.), 5-1The Stallions knocked off Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) 46-21 to improve to 5-1 this year. South Pointe proved it is one of the best teams in the country when it knocked off North Carolina power Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.), 17-6 a couple of weeks ago. Top 2018 recruit
Derion Kendrick has emerged as one of the best playmakers in the country. He checks in as the second-best wide receiver in the Class of 2018 on 247sports but he has been doing work at the quarterback position for coach Strait Herron this season.
Next game: Friday vs. Westwood (Blythewood, S.C.)
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), 3-1The Green Knights proved they are the top team from New Jersey with a double overtime victory against previously ranked Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.). After missing his first four field goals of the game,
Angelo Guglielmello got another chance in the second overtime and nailed the game-winning kick from 25 yards out. It was a big-time game for the state of New Jersey and St. Joseph Regional proved it is the top dog, for now. Anything can happen in the North Jersey Super-United Red League, and one could make a strong case that it is the toughest in all of high school football.
Next game: Friday at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Steele (Cibolo, Texas), 4-1Idle.
Next game: Friday at New Braunfels (Texas)
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 4-1Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Westlake (Austin, Texas)
