Top 10 toughest high school football schedules for 2025 season

Ranked No. 16 in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) heads into the 2025 high school football season with the toughest schedule in the country. In Carson Palmer's first season as head coach, nine of 10 opponents are included in our expanded top 100 rankings. 

The Eagles have five games against nationally-ranked opponents — No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 12 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and No. 14 Mission Viejo (Calif.).

Mater Dei has the second-toughest schedule headlined by matchups against No. 2 St. John Bosco, No. 3 Bishop Gorman, No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), No. 12 Centennial and No. 16 Santa Margarita.

No. 5 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) has become a mainstay in our toughest schedules list and checks in at No. 3. The Panthers have marquee games against No. 2 St. John Bosco, No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) and St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia).

Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) and St. John Bosco join Santa Margarita and Mater Dei as teams from Southern California's Trinity League to make the cut. They take home the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. 

No. 8 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) leads the way for the three teams from Florida featured. They have the fourth-toughest schedule led by games against No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna, No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 15 Edna Karr (New Orleans) and St. Joseph's Prep. 1. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Aug. 22 — at No. 14 Mission Viejo

Aug. 28 — vs. No. 12 Centennial (Corona)

Sept. 12 — at Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)

Sept. 27 — vs. No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Oct. 3 — at Servite (Anaheim)

Oct. 10 — at No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

Oct. 17 — vs. No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower)

Oct. 24 — vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange)

Oct. 31 — at JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)

Aug. 23 — at No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Sept. 5 — vs. Kahuku (Hawaii)

Sept. 12 — at No. 12 Centennial (Corona)

Sept. 19 — at No. 3 Bishop Gorman

Oct. 3 — at Orange Lutheran

Oct. 10 — vs. No. 16 Santa Margarita

Oct. 18 — vs. Servite

Oct. 24 — vs. JSerra Catholic

Oct. 31 — at No. 2 St. John Bosco

Aug. 23 — at No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

Sept. 5 — at No. 2 St. John Bosco

Sept. 13 — at St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)

Oct. 3 — vs. The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.)

Oct. 17 — vs. Hun (Princeton, N.J.)

Nov. 7 — at No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Aug. 22 — vs. St. Joseph's Prep

Sept. 5 — vs. No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna

Sept. 12 — at No. 15 Edna Karr (New Orleans)

Sept. 19 — vs. Central (Miami)

Oct. 10 — vs. Norland (Miami)

Oct. 24 — vs. No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas

Aug. 23 — at No. 11 Northwestern (Miami)

Sept. 5 — at Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)

Sept. 12 — vs. Serra (Gardena)

Sept. 18 — vs. No. 21 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Oct. 3 — vs. No. 1 Mater Dei

Oct. 10 — vs. No. 2 St. John Bosco

Oct. 17 — at JSerra Catholic

Oct. 24 — at No. 16 Santa Margarita

Oct. 31 — at Servite

Aug. 23 — vs. No. 1 Mater Dei

Sept. 5 — at Columbus (Miami)

Sept. 12 — vs. Western (Davie)

Oct. 24 — at No. 8 American Heritage

Oct. 31 — vs. No. 7 Chaminade-Madonna

Aug. 22 — at No. 8 American Heritage

Aug. 30 — DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Sept. 13 — vs. No. 5 St. Frances Academy

Sept. 20 — vs. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)

Oct. 4 — vs. La Salle College (Wyndmoor)

Oct. 10 — Roman Catholic (Philadelphia)

Oct. 18 — at Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic (Drexel Hill)

Aug. 23 — vs. No. 5 St. Frances Academy

Sept. 5 — at No. 8 American Heritage

Sept. 12 — at Edison (Miami)

Sept. 26 — Western

Oct. 3 — Monarch (Coconut Creek)

Oct. 10 — vs. Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach)

Oct. 24 — at Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale)

Oct. 31 — at No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas

Aug. 28 — vs. No. 20 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Sept. 6 — vs. Gadsden County (Havana, Fla.)

Sept. 12 — at No. 3 Bishop Gorman

Oct. 3 — at Edwardsville

Oct. 25 — at No. 6 IMG Academy